The Executive Director of the Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Inc. (FILCOLS) Prior to FILCOLS, Alvin worked as Executive Assistant at the Office of the Chairman of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), a national government agency under the administrative supervision of the Department of Education. At the NBDB, he was project manager, writer, researcher, moderator, and editor-in-chief of the agency’s publication BOOKWATCH. He was in government service for five years. A product of the public schools, Alvin graduated Salutatorian from Doña Rosario Elementary School in Quezon City. He graduated Valedictorian from Claro M. Recto High School in Manila. He finished his Bachelor of Arts, major in Philosophy from the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. He finished his Sacred Theology degree, Magna cum Laude from the University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila. He also received two certificates of completion with high distinction for the non-formal courses he took from the University of the Philippines Open University, Los Baños, Laguna. And while working at the NBDB, he took his Master in Public Management (candidate) from the Ateneo de Manila School of Government, Makati City. Alvin loves to read especially books on history, enjoys computer strategy and simulation games, loves to drive his Nissan Exalta, loves to watch movies and TV science specials, loves to play the guitar and sing songs from sentimental to oldies to light rock to heavy metal.

1. Cultural diversity and
unlocking the human potential
Alvin J. Buenaventura
Executive Director, FILCOLS
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
28 September 2010

2. UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON CULTURAL
DIVERSITY 2001
culture ... as the set of distinctive
spiritual, material, intellectual and
emotional features of society or a social
group, and that it encompasses, in
addition to art and literature, lifestyles,
ways of living together, value systems,
traditions and beliefs

3. Cultural diversity: the common
heritage of humanity
cultural diversity is as necessary
for humankind as
biodiversity is for nature

4. Human rights as guarantees of
cultural diversity
The defence of cultural diversity is an
ethical imperative, inseparable from
respect for human dignity

5. UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Everyone has the right freely to
participate in the cultural life of the
community, to enjoy the arts and
to share in scientific advancement
and its benefits.
-UDHR Art. 27,1

6. UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Everyone has the right to the
protection of the moral and material
interests resulting from any scientific,
literary or artistic production of which
he is the author
-UDHR, Art. 27,2

7. Cultural heritage as the wellspring
of creativity
Creation draws on the roots of
cultural tradition, but flourishes in
contact with other cultures

11. “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the
Old Oak Tree”
Written: Irwin Levine and L.
Russell Brown
Produced: Hank Medress and
Dave Appell
Artist: Tony Orlando and Dawn

17. Thank you very much.
Maraming salamat po.