SECRETARIAT MEMBERS Cecile Guidote Alvarez, Director, Earthsavers, UNESCO Dr. SunOck Lee, Secretary General, APPAN Dr. Viktor Sebek, Chairman SSCC Susan Claudio, Executive Assistant Nelson Zamora, Director SSCC Edgar Avilan, Executive Director SSCC Regine Guevara, Co-founder, Asian Youth Peace Network Jul Rashid Dilangalen, Intern Valerio Ferri, SSCc research Assistant

1. In This Issue
Rescheduling of SDG
Manila Festival
(Forum/Workshop)
Tribute to Heherson
“Sonny” Alvarez
And more...
NewsletterSecretariat for the Manila SDG Art Festival and Forum
APRIL 27 2020ISSUE 6
Rescheduling of SDG
Manila Festival
(Forum/Workshop)
In view COVID 19 pandemic, and uncertainty about the
full resumption of commercial flights the organizers of
this important programme have decided to reschedule
the dates from September 2020 to 8th to 13th March
2021.
Secretariat Members
Cecile Guidote Alvarez, Director, Earthsavers,
UNESCO
Dr. SunOck Lee, Secretary General, APPAN
Dr. Viktor Sebek, Chairman SSCC
Susan Claudio, Executive Assistant
Nelson Zamora, Director SSCC
Edgar Avilan, Executive Director SSCC
Regine Guevara, Co-founder, Asian Youth
Peace Network
Jul Rashid Dilangalen, Intern
Valerio Ferri, SSCc research Assistant
P. 1 - 2
P. 3

2. The International Secretariat, is under leadership of Cecile Guidote Alvarez, Director
of Earthsavers, UNESCO artist for peace in liaison with NCCA and in coordination with
other partners such as Asian Pacific Performing Arts Network (APPAN),
International Theatre Institute (ITI), Art´s Planet and Energies 2050 and SSCC where
Dr. Viktor Sebek serves as associate director. It is is currently revising the programme
to take into account the new situation which world is facing during and eventually
after pandemic. It is heartened to have received assurances of attendance of all its
partners and other distinguished participants.
After the lock down on may 25 in Manila, the Earthsavers Philippines ITI center and
Climate Institute will mark the 50th anniversary of Earthday by a soap opera offering
of a radio drama serial about clean air. This is critical under current conditions as dirty
air can generate and steadily grow into a pandemic killer with so many
illness. The programme will be broadcast on DZRH, Radyo Balintataw.
The international secretariat on SDGs will also have a broadcast of a musical theatre
of songs and poetry on the award winning DZRH Radio Balintataw. Additionally,DZRH
will also celebrate ocean day and world environment day in June.
RESCHEDULING OF SDG MANILA
FESTIVAL (FORUM/WORKSHOP)
Unit 1203 Gotesco Tower B
Natividad Lopez Street, Ermita, Manila 1000
Telephone: +63 915 898 3947 - +63 908 902 4890
Email: cecilia.alvarez7@icloud.com - dreamcenterphilippines@yahoo.com.ph
| ISSUE 602

3. HEHERSON
“SONNY”
ALVAREZ
1939 - 2020
TRIBUTE TO
| ISSUE 604 | ISSUE 603

4. The entire Board and membership of SSCC was devastated to hear the news
that its distinguished member of the Policy Committee, Heherson Alvarez, died
in Manila as a result of complications relating to COVID 19.
The following is the SSCC tribute to him by its Chairman, Dr. Viktor Sebek.
“All of us on SSCC have been heartbroken to hear that Sonny Alverez passed
away on 20th April 2020. I have had the privilege of having Sonny as a close
friend for over 30 years and have worked with him across the world.
Sonny was first and foremost a warm, generous, compassionate and brilliant
person, which is why his premature death caused so much grief amongst his
friends across the globe, and especially in the Philippines where he has been
an icon for decades.
He was an unflinching patriot and fighter for democracy, especially in his own
country where his work had paved the way to EDSA revolution. This was due
through his indefatigable lobbying in the US Congress during his years of
exile which finally swayed the US Government to stop the aid to former
President Marcos. The was thus a statesmen who in the Congress and in the
Senate helped pave the way to the emergence of the Philippines as a stable
democracy.
Heherson “Sonny” Alvarez
| ISSUE 604

5. Above all, he was an environmentalist in times when espousing this cause was
a novelty. As the minister (Secretary) for Environment, he was responsible for
a number of important environmental protection laws. He worked particularly
hard on the challenge of climate change, fighting for what he called climate
justice as a member of the Philippines delegation on all Conference of parties
(COPS) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate change. He also served
with distinction on the Commission on Climate Change in the Office of the
President.
Just as Sonny Alvarez left such powerful mark amongst freedom and
environmental activists in the Philippines and across the world, he left a huge
vacuum. We in SSCC have lost a close and wonderful friend, and the
environmental world a powerful champion. However, his legacy will remain. His
wife and lifelong partner in programmes, Cecile Guidote Alvarez, will continue
to carry the torch through her many projects, especially, at present, on the
programme on SDG International Festival, Forum and Workshop in which SSCC
has an honour to participate as a partner. This programme will acquire a new
dimension in the world fighting pandemics: Culture and art as a powerful
vehicle to heal the trauma caused by COVID19 both on individuals and on
nations, including the global community.
And, whilst we mourn the passing away of Sonny Alvarez, we also celebrate
the miraculous recovery from COVID19 of his wife Cecile Guidote Alvarez.
She is already a cancer survivalist so we celebrate what I think can justifiably
called her “third life”. Throughout her illness, prayers from persons of seven
different religious faiths and positive energy, as well as great care of
doctors and nurses, have allowed her to resume her crusade for art as a tool
for peace and environmental justice.
| ISSUE 605

6. EARTH
DAY FROM
HOME POETRY
CONTEST
#EarthDayFromHome
@FriendsforLeadership
| ISSUE 606

7. Biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate. Illegal wildlife trade, habitat
change and other drivers of biodiversity loss bring about unnatural living
conditions for wildlife to move and interact with other animal species, from
which arise pandemics, to disasters. COVID-19 is just the latest disease
arising from our unwillingness to coexist between ourselves, wildlife, and the
natural world more generally. Mother Earth has had many lessons to teach
about the global crisis of planetary health - the health of our ecosystem is
linked with human health.
Calling all ASEAN citizens! Creativity isn’t cancelled. Activism isn’t cancelled.
Let’s make the most out of staying at home, in solidarity with the rest of the
region, and world, towards raising public awareness on the conservation and
protection of wildlife, which present timely opportunities for jointly protecting
human health and biodiversity in ASEAN.
On the 50th year of Earth Day, we call upon poets, photographers, and
environmentalists at heart, to write 4-line poems in English about the
conservation and protection of wildlife in the region.
You may include an original photo or video as visual attachment. Simply tag
#EarthDayFromHome and @FriendsforLeadership on FACEBOOK, which has
graciously sponsored the online advertisements.
The International Secretariat led by Regine Guevara, Youth Coordinator from
Friends for Leadership, dedicates this youth-led movement to the late Senator
Alvarez, founder of Earthsavers – “your activism for people and planet will
continue to live in the youth!” Exciting gifts await from the ASEAN Centre for
Biodiversity and UNESCO Dream Center/ Earthsavers for the Top 3 Most
Creative Poems, as well as the Most Popular Post on Social Media and Most
Active Youth Organisation. Guest Judges also include Diane Querrer of Ms.
Earth Philippines and PTV 4 and Nehsan Selvaraj of Universal Music
Records and Bernama TV.
| ISSUE 607 | ISSUE 605

8. ASEAN MEMBER
STATE & SPECIES
Earth Day from Home Poetry Contest
Myanmar
Irrawaddy
dolphin (Orcaella
brevirostris)Eld’s
deer (Cervus eldi thamin)
Island
flying fox (Pteropus
hypomelanus) – not
endangered
Thailand
Asian
elephant (Elephas maximus)
Siamese fireback pheasant
(Lophura diardi)
Hawksbill turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricate)
Lao PDR
Southern
white-cheeked gibbon
(Nomascus siki)
Asian
elephant (Elephas maximus)
Large-antlered
muntjac (Muntiacus
vuquangensis)
Philippines
Eagle (Pithecophaga
jefferyi) Tamaraw (Bubalus
mindorensis)
White-winged flying fox
(Desmalopex leucopterus)
Malaysia
Malayan tiger (Panthera
tigris ssp. jacksoni)
Malayan sun bear (Helarctos
malayanus) Bornean
orangutan (Pongo
pygmaeus)
Singapore
Oriental pied hornbill
(Anthracoceros albirostris)
Greater slow loris
(Nycticebus coucang)
Singapore whiskered bat
(Myotis oreias)
Viet Nam
Saola (Pseudoryx
nghetinhensis) Delacour
langur (Trachypithecus
delacouri) Silver-backed
chevrotain (Tragulus
versicolor)
Brunei Darussalam
Proboscis
monkey (Nasalis larvatus)
Sunda
pangolin (Manis javanica)
Helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax
vigil)
Indonesia
Sumatran rhinoceros
(Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
Talaud bear cuscus (Ailurops
melanotis)
Javan hawk eagle (Nisaetus
bartelsi)
Cambodia
Indochinese
tiger (Panthera tigris ssp.
corbetti)
Kouprey (Bos
sauveli)
Bornean banded langur
(Presbytis chrysomelas
ssp. chrysomelas)
Brunei Darussalam
Proboscis
monkey (Nasalis larvatus)
Sunda
pangolin (Manis javanica)
Helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax
vigil)
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