By ANGELINE VALENCIA

No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessed the ceremony where the arts and culture arms of the United Nations conferred an award for Governor Erico Aumentado as Outstanding Culture-Friendly Local Government Official on March 27 at the Malacañang Palace, during the celebration of World Theatre Day and World Theatre Week in the Philippines.

Enriqueta. Butalid, head of the Center for Culture and Arts Development (CCAD) of the Office of the Governor, received the “sarimanok” trophy designed by national artist for sculpture, Dr. Abdulmari Asia Imao, and the certificate on behalf of the governor who had meetings then with KOICA and AusAID.

Aumentado was among the 20 local government officials given the award, in recognition of his dedication to advancement and promotion of heritage, arts, and culture.

The award came from the International Theatre Institute (ITI), Office of the Presidential Assistant on Culture (OPAC), UNESCO, United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC), and UN National Commission (UNACOM) of the Philippines.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Executive Director and PA for Culture Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and Department of Education Undersecretary and NCCA Chairperson Dr. Vilma Labrador signed the certificate.

Alvarez’s weekly educational and cultural program, “Sining Gising (Ugnayan ng DepEd at NCCA)” aired over National Broadcasting Network (NBN) featured the awarding ceremony in its March 29 episode.

Bohol is the only province that has come up with an arts and cultural code- -the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Code (BACH Code).

Aumentado signed the BACH Code on November 5 last year.

The governor said his administration has been supportive of the Loboc Children’s Choir, Loboc Youth Ambassadors Band, Maribojoc Punta Cruz Cultural Collective, museum exhibition of Bohol artifacts including the Ayala presentation of “Kisame: Heaven on Earth” that depicted ceiling paintings in stone churches featuring 17 churches of Bohol.

The Maribojoc Punta Cruz Cultural Collective, under Artistic Director Lutgardo Labad, sent a delegation of 16 members to the annual creativity summit and Festival on Kalahi Cultural event on March 25- 29 in Manila, an inter-agency program for mobilization of the UN Millennium Campaign for the Stand Up Against Poverty held every October.

NCCA gathered 500 delegates at WOW Philippines and in Fort Santiago, including the presence of the Australian Director of Short and Sweet Festival and Executive Board Members from 20 countries.

There were six different theatre groups from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that participated in the sharing of best practices on cultural care-giving as a poverty alleviation and values education program.

The activity was part of the World Theatre Week celebrated in the country every March 21 to 27 of the year in collaboration with the UNESCO-International Theatre Institute.

It was established in 1961, and has been celebrated in the Philippines since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued on March 21, 2007, Proclamation 1262 declaring March 21 to 27 as UNESCO-ITI World Theatre Week and every year thereafter.