What Cecile Guidote-Alvarez Looks Forward in 2026

Ni Oggie Medina

I was informed by my former boss, National Commission for Culture and the Arts executive director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez (I worked for her as a consultant during the ASEAN Ministerial meets) that the Philippines will be hosting the UNESCO International Theatre Institute’s global dawn’s day celebration at the last weekend of April 2026, which is also considered as Earth’s Day Month.

“It will provide SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) global cultural panorama that will have a specialized ASEAN regional perspective promoting peace, health care, climate justice and poverty reduction thru partnerships. The result will be fully documented and presented as technically resilient manifestation at the ASEAN pavilion in which the Philippines is hosting the chairmanship of ASEAN 2026,” she said.

Thru UNESCO patronage, countries are being encouraged to “provide a culture input in their country pavilions…with cultural manifestations from ancestral roots to contemporary routes of expression popularizing climate science and collective action that may be undertaken while embedding values of compassion, truth and freedom in order to help stop violence against mankind and Mother Earth.”

“This will serve as virtual SDGs cultural Olympics online, held at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) to be hosted in Antalya, Turkiye on 9-10 November 2026,” she further said.

“We look forward to the harnessing and mobilization of a creative rainbow army of artists, communicators, teachers, scientists, sports heroes, and peace advocates that will protect people and (the) planet, and promote peace and prosperity equitably distributed thru collaboration. Partnership is the key for connectivity, collaboration and concern to promote a safe, clean, healthy, peaceful and sustainable future for the children of the world to a firm life,” she elaborated with a glint in her eyes.

Certainly, Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, the founder of PETA (Philippine Educational Theatre Association) and Ramon Magsaysay awardee for public service, looks forward for a bright, busy year.