GMA hosts dinner for World Theater Congress, Presidential awardees

An excellent public speaker who, as usual, spoke extemporaneously that evening in Malacañang, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said, "Dialogue is a touchstone of democracy and culture is not something added to life but is a part of life". That was at the dinner she hosted Monday in honor of UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura and the delegates to the International Theatre Institute Congress and the Theatre Olympics of the Nations.

The Japanese Mr. Matsuura thanked the hostess for having extended her hospitality to him twice. Among other things, he spoke of global communication and its importance.

Those seated at the presidential table, besides Mr. Matsuura, included DFA Secretary Alberto and Lovely Romulo, Speaker Jose de Venecia, UNESCO Ambassador Preciosa Soliven and STAR publisher Max Soliven.

NCCA chairman Ambeth Ocampo was conspicuously present, and NCCA executive director Cecile G. Alvarez, who had envisioned holding the Congress here, and who still sends everyone wondering about how she has devised the mechanics of successfully organizing such a vast enterprise, announced the evening’s surprise: the joint performance of the Mexican youth choir composed of the children of peasants, the Mexican Youth Chamber Orchestra, Cecile’s Lifesavers Dreams Ensemble of marginalized youngsters who have been declared UN Artists for Peace, the Loboc Children’s Choir of Bohol managed by Gardy Labad, and a female Muslim dancer. They were lustily applauded.

Earlier, Alejandro R. Roces’ zarzuela "Something to Crow About" was staged at the E. Aguinaldo Theater but, to my deep regret, I could not manage attending both that performance and the Palace dinner. It was Cecile who had turned Roces’ award-winning collection of short stories on cockfighting into a marvelous musical whose preview I had seen.

Returning to the Congress dinner, writing about the delegates is immensely different from meeting them in person – at least a few among the vast throng milling in the anteroom. The vivacious Mexican Ambassador Erendira Paz Araceli Campos introduced me to the members of the lively and spirited Mexican delegation headed by Isabel Quintanar, director general of the Instituto Internacional of Mexico, and Dr. Domingo Adame Hernandez, director of the Universidad Veracruzana.

Upon my arrival, Cecile immediately tried (in vain) to locate Mr. Matsuura so I could meet him. It was Menchu Padilla who finally succeeded in introducing me to Mr. Matsuura at the top of the Palace stairs just as we were both about to leave!

During the preceding cocktails, I met the towering Ali Mahdi, head of the Sudan delegation. The man had travelled all the way from Africa. That night, Anton Juan told me he was shocked and grieved over the passing of National Artist for Dance Leonor Orosa Goquingco, holding his face with both hands and grimacing as he confessed this. He added that Leonor’s choreography, particularly the Igorot lament of the maidens, had greatly influenced every play he had directed since he saw her Filipinescas program. "Please quote me on this," he insisted, doing a step of the maidens’ lament.

Anton, now a visiting professor director at the Notre Dame U, is conducting a workshop for the Congress, along with other theater authorities from Russia, Japan and the US. Nick Lizaso is in-charge of the whole workshop project.

I shared a table with playwright Isagani Cruz, Felice Santamaria, Rina Jimenez David, the newly-arrived Ambassador of South Africa Pieter Vermeulen and his lovely wife. Mr. V. commented there are more columnists in Manila than anywhere else! I chatted briefly with Cecile’s proud husband Heherson Alvarez, and Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki, and saw Romanian Ambassador Radu Homescu trying to catch a glimpse of the President as she was passing by. In fact, after dinner there was a mild commotion among the delegates who were crowding around the petite hostess in the anteroom. The Mexican contingent gathered in a corner for a photo session, shouting the while "Viva Mexico!" to loud applause.

President Arroyo hosted a dinner last Saturday for the recipients of the Presidential Award of Merit given upon the instance of Heritage Festival’s Mita Rufino and Bambi Harper. Oscar Yatco, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Nena Saguil, Anita Magsaysay Ho, Sanso and Romeo Tabuena were the recipients. Fr. James Reuter, SJ, who marked his 90th birthday on May 21, received the Lakandula award, order of Bayani (hero) for 63 years of invaluable service to the Filipino people.

Most of the recipients, on the other hand, had furthered their artistic activities abroad.

Among those present were Tony Rufino, Consuls Mellie Ablaza, Evie Costa, Helen Ong, French Ambassador Gerard and Ning Chesnel, Teroy and Lorna Laurel, Mexican Ambassador Campos, former Ambassador Juan and Pilina Rocha, Alejandro Padilla, Consul Mike and Alice Guerero, eminent painter Manuel Baldemor who was at our table with the genteel, soft-spoken Instituto Director Javier Galvan, Jenny Peña, Glenn Gale, Butch Bonsol, and Canadian Counsellor Steven Rheault-Kihara and his Japanese wife.

Incidentally, the Palace chef must be an expert because the cuisine on both occasions was epicurean.

During last Saturday’s dinner, I learned from Director Galvan that he is leaving this country soon for another posting. He will also be leaving a permanent legacy to us – the new Instituto Cervantes building he designed. An architect by profession, Mr. Galvan hopes that after his departure, he will have an opportunity to return again and again to the Philippines so he can reconstruct, rebuild or repair old historic buildings, houses and heritage sites.

During his previous stay here as an independent architect, he worked on a project assigned him by the Instituto Cervantes in Manila. The result was so successful, the then IC director invited him forthwith to join the Instituto which he eventually headed and served with utter dedication.

As I have mentioned earlier, Director Galvan is gifting the Filipinos with a permanent architectural legacy: the elegant Instituto Cervantes edifice.