11 September 2007 Open Letter of Concerned Artists and Cultural Workers to the NCCA Board Uphold the People-Oriented Mandate of the NCCA! The law which created the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Republic Act 7356, reads… “The Filipino national culture shall be: a) independent, free of political and economic structures which inhibit cultural sovereignty…” (Section 4) It is on this note that we, Filipino artists and cultural workers, express our indignation over Malacañang’s control and manipulation over the NCCA. We protest the continued occupation of the office of the Executive Director by Ms. Cecile Guidote Alvarez. Ms. Alvarez is also the Presidential Assistant on Culture (PA) and, therefore, biased in favor of her immediate boss’ political interest. Ms. Alvarez showed her bias during the 2005 NCCA-sponsored culture summit with the theme , "The Power of Arts and Media Education in Breaking the Cycle of Corruption and Poverty," that featured mostly resource speakers from government—supremely ironic as they are the primarily responsible for corruption and poverty. Ms. Alvarez allegedly ordered the unauthorized release of additional funding for the anti-corruption summit. She attempted to move the National Endowment Funds for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA) without following proper procedures. She initiates her own multi-million projects and have them funded by the NCCA. Ms. Alvarez as Executive Director should be a non-issue if the civil service regulation is followed-- the office of the Executive Secretary is to be occupied by a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO). Ms. Alvarez is non-CESO. We demand the immediate ouster of Ms. Alvarez and her replacement by an eligible Executive Director who will abide by the principles of the NCCA and handle the management and operations of the commission competently and professionally. Furthermore, we oppose Malacañang’s "letter of desire" to have Department of Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador elected by the NCCA Board as the new Chairman. Usec. Labrador faces cases with the Ombudsman on shady deals concerning misappropriation of funds. We call on the Board of Commissioners to choose a chairman who can uphold participative decision- and policy- making that emanate from the Commission's members and who can expend time and dedication for the commission. Furthermore, we urge the Board to select a leader who can best represent the principles of transparency and accountability so that the culture of corruption will not pervade the commission on culture. We call on the NCCA Board members representing the subcommisions and thereby the cultural community, to be assertive and continue to pursue the interest of the culture sector. We call on the Board members representing cultural government institutions not to be hampered by the baggage of debt of gratitude. As public officials, your responsibility is to the people and not to your political patron. We remind the Board that the NEFCA is an endowment fund for artists and cultural workers. Its rational is to empower grassroot artists, cultural workers, and cultural communities so that they can act free of dominant political and private corporate interests. We demand the suspension of the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations as we believe that the process was undemocratic and manipulative and the implication detrimental to the cultural sector as it effectively decreases its representation in the commission. Furthermore, we express our dismay over the Board's decision to terminate the terms of office of the 2004-2007 National Executive Council member-volunteers of twenty two (22) National Committees effective June 30, 2007 , while extending the terms of the four SubCommission representatives to the Board. This act renders the SubCommissioners representatives of a virtual void. We thereby demand the immediate resolution of this impasse by convening the NCCA Summit and General Assembly and the general elections for the Executive Councils of the twenty two (22) NCCA National Committees and the four (4) SubCommission Heads. This is urgently needed so as not to further stall the process of delivering NCCA services, specially in the area of project grants administration. We commit ourselves to pursue and uphold the spirit by which the NCCA was created: that culture should be of the People, by the People, and for the People. List of signatories led by: Bienvenido Lumbera, National Artist Chairperson, Concerned Artists of the Philippines Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) #39 Scout Bayoran, QC tel: (0632) 927 9260 concerned_artists_phil@yahoo.com sikat@philonline.com