CONTEMPORARY REVIEWER
W7
GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN
This lesson will discuss the sixteen (16) Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the
National Living Treasure Awardees and their specific contribution in the Philippine
Art.
These artists acknowledged for developing, preserving, and promoting the
traditional art of the Philippines which kept the art alive even in the present time.
Through media people nowadays can easily get to know the different artists in their
fields and recognize these artists from their efforts through award-giving bodies.
These artists are the bearers of our culture.
Since the pre-Spanish era, the Philippines are rich in its culture. Ancestors are the
living heritage or culture bearers of this country. They developed these native art
forms which portray the significant life of the Filipinos. People know very little about
the art forms that exist up to the present time. These artists are doing what they
value and love to modify and keep the traditional art alive. People can learn from the
vast knowledge of these indigenous people who can live longer not only the
techniques to survive but also the distinct identity of being Filipino..
As envisioned in Republic Act No. 7355
Known Manlilikha ng Bayan Act was as established in 1992 and shall mean citizen
engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino, whose distinct skills have reached
such a high level of technical and artistic excellence, and have passed it on to in his
or her community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
The highest policy and coordinating body for culture and the arts of the
state. It has to search for the finest traditional artist of the land who
adopts a program that will ensure the transfer of their skills to others,
undertakes measures to promote a genuine appreciation of and crafts
and give pride among our people about the genius of Manlilikha ng
Bayan.
The Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) Awardees
As Filipino who recognize the unique identities of our fellow Filipinos, it
is the right to see their contribution to the community. The country is
rich with various elements of tangible and intangible cultural heritage
which has passed on the new generation. Culture as part of our
Philippine identity includes a variety of arts that enhance by our National
Living Treasure artists who are recognized in their special contribution to
the national heritage.
These are Filipino citizen who is engaged in any traditional art forms and
has contributed to the development of cultural diversity and the
creativity of humanity.
GAMABA Awardees for the year 1993
Ginaw Bilog
▪ Surat Mangyan and Ambahan poetry
▪ Preserve the Hanunuo Mangyan script and Ambahan (poem consisting
of seven syllable lines) and promote it on every occasion so that the art
will not be lost but preserved for posterity.
(JANUARY 3. 1953-JUNE 3, 2003)
Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, Region IV-B
MIMAROPA
Masino Intaray
Epic Chanter and Storyteller
▪ An outstanding master of the basal (gong music), kulilal (highly lyrical
poem) and bagit (instrumental music played on the kusyapi), also played
the aroding (mouth harp) and babarak (ring flute) and above all, he was
a prolific and pre eminent epic chanter and storyteller
(APRIL 10. 1943-NOVEMBER 30, 2013)
Pala'wan, Palawan Island,
Region IV-B MIMAROPA
Samaon Sulaiman
Playing Kudyapi
▪ He achieved the highest level of excellence in the art of kutiyapi or
kudyapi (two-stringed lute) playing and also proficient in kulintang,
agong (suspended bossed gong with wide rim), gandingan (bossed gong
with narrow rim), palendag (lip-valley flute), and tambul.
Mamasapano, Maguindanao, Western Midanao Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
(MARCH 3, 1953 - MAY 21, 2011)
GAMABA Awardees for the year 1998
Lang Dulay
▪ T'nalak Weaving
She is credited with preserving her people's traditional T'nalak using
abaca fibers as fine as hair which traditionally has three primary colors,
red, black, and the original colors of abaca leave recreated by her nimble
hands-the crocodiles, butterflies, and flowers.
(AUGUST 3. 1928-APRI, 30, 2015)
Tboli/Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Mindanao, Region XII SOCCSKSARGEN
Salinta Monon
• Inabal Weaving
. She was awarded for fully demonstrating the creative and expressive
aspects of the Bagobo abaca ikat (to tie or bond) weaving called inabal
(traditional textile of Bagobo) at a time when such art was threatened
with extinction.
DECEMBER 12 1920-JUNE 4. 2009
Tagabawa Bagobo/ Bansalan, Davao del Sur,Region XI Davao Region
GAMABA Awardees for the year 2000
Uwang Ahadas
▪ Playing Yakan Instruments
He referred to for his ability and mastery in playing different Yakan
instruments (made of bamboo, wood, and metal) and for imparting his
insight to the youngsters of his locale. He keeps on performing and
instruct despite his diminishing visual perception, keeping the Yakan
melodic custom alive and thriving.
(February 15, 1945)
Yakan/ Lamitan, Basilan Island, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
Federico Caballero
▪ Chanting the Sugidanon Epic of the Panay Bukidnon
He continuously works for the documentation of the oral literature, in
particular the epics, of people. These ten epics, rendered in a language
that, though related to Kiniray-a, is no longer spoken.
(DECEMBER 25, 1938)
Sulod Bukidnon/ Calinog, Iloilo, Panay Island, Region VI Western Visayas
Alonzo Saclag
▪ Playing Kalinga Musical Instruments.
His lifestyle work is to paint a portrait of his people to record a tradition
of opposites and dualities, a peoples' character recorded in cadences
each aggressive and gentle. Play Kalinga musical instruments dance
patterns and moves related to rituals.
AUGUST 4, 1942
Kalinga, Northern Luzon Island, Cerdillers Administrative Region (CAR)
GAMABA Awardees for the year 2004
Hajja Amina Appi
✓Mat weaving
✓ She was recognized as the master mat weaver. Her colorful mats with
their complex geometric patterns showcased her precise sense of
design, proportion, and symmetry and sensitivity to color.
JUNE 25, 1925-APRIL 2 2013
Ungos Matata, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region
in Muslim
Mindanao (BARMM)
Eduardo Mutuc
▪ Metal Plating
He is an artist who has devoted his existence to developing religious and
secular artwork in silver, bronze, and wood. His intricately detailed
retablos, mirrors, altars, and carosas are in church buildings and non-
public collections. A range of these works are quite large, some
exceeding forty feet, whilst some are very small and feature very nice
and refined craftsmanship.
(October 12, 1949)
Apalit, Pampanga, Region III
Central Luzon
Darhata Sawabi
▪ Pis syabit Weaving
▪ She remained devoted and persevered with her mission to teach the
artwork of pis syabit weaving. Her strokes firm and sure, her color
sensitivity acute, and her dedication to the best of her products
unwavering.
(UNKNOWN) - MARCH 12 2005
Tausug/ Parang,Sulu,
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao. (BARMM)
GAMABA Awardees for the year 2012
Magdalena Gamayo
Abel Weaving
She has been a master in abel weaving from Pinili, Ilocos Norte. She is
not only weaving traditional Ilocano textiles but also designs new
patters. One of her designs employs a difficult weaving technique called
pililian meaning partially. The weave produces a one of a kind design
that takes after a string of flowers thus its name, inubon a sabong. She
did not formally study such traditional art. Instead, she watched closely
as her aunt made and imitated the patterns.
AUGUST 13, 1924
MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN FOR TEXTILE WEAVING
Pinili, Ilocos Norte Region 1
Ilocos Region
Teofilo Garcia
. Kattukong or Tabúngaw Hat Making
. When he finishes fieldwork as a farmer, he focuses on the cultivation
and development of tabungaw (Ilokano term for úpo). At the age of
fifteen (15) he learned the art of Kattukong or tabúngaw hat making and
basket weaving from his grandfather.
MARCH 27, 1941
MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN FOR HAT WEAVING
San Quintin, Abra,
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
GAMABA Awardees for the year 2016
Ambalang Ausalin
• Yakan Weaving
▪ Apuh Ambalang, is significantly respected in all of Lamitan. Her ability is
regarded unique: she can bring forth all designs and actualize all textile
categories ordinary to the Yakan community, who are known to be
among the finest weavers within the Southern Philippines. She can
perform the suwah bekkat (cross-stitch like embellishment) and suwah
pendan (embroidery-like embellishment) techniques of the bunga sama
category. She has the complex knowledge of the whole weaving process,
mindful at the same time as the cultural significance of each textile
design or category.
March 4, 1943
Lamitan, Basilan Island,
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(BARMM)
Estelita Tumandan Bantilan
. B'laan Mat Weaving
. Since she was a child, she was bright and careful in tangle weaving. Her
perseverance took place because of her supportive husband. The thin
strips of the pandanus romblon (Pandanus copelandii merr. Bariu) rise
matrixed through deft fingers performing an individual rhythm, the beat
guided by her eyes. The unwoven strips are held tight at the other end
of her body, as toes curl and close around, not only these strips but, as it
were, the abstraction that other people call design. The are of her torso
determines the dexterity of feet and toes. Hand/eye coordination
happens inside a frame of milliseconds.
(OCTOBER 17, 1940)
Upper Lasang, Sapu Masia, Malapatan, Saranggani Region XII
SOCCSKSARGEN
Yabing Masalon Dulo
. B'laan Ikat or Tie-dye Fabric Weaving
▪ Yabing Masalon Dulo, called as "Fu Yabing", was only fourteen (14)
years old when she started weaving. All her younger years were spent in
sharpening her skills and imparting the knowledge to younger
generations of B'laan weavers.
She follows her mother's movements back and forth. She colors the
fibers, counts the thread, and observes the rhythmic dance of a weaver's
dreams woven into unique soulful pieces.
AUGUST 08, 1914
Amguo, Landan, Polomolok, South
Cotabato
Region XII SOCCSKSARGEN
W8
LIVING WITH THE ARTIST
✓ As you learned in the previous lesson, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan (GAMABA) or the National Living Treasures Awards is given by
the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to recognize
Filipino artists who have practiced and preserved the customs, beliefs,
rituals and traditions of the indigenous community where they belong.
✔ This recognition means that these artists have contributed significant
art forms that are timeless amidst our fast-paced environment and
multifaceted culture.
✔Though considered as traditional arts by origin, the works of the
awarded artists are also contemporary for they continue to be observed
and practiced in their community.
✔However, in the middle of the discussion of the former lesson, have
you ever asked yourself what made these arts so important?
The following are some of the significant contributions of the artists
through their arts.
1. Unique Identity.
Traditional arts reflect our diverse heritage and cultural traditions. This is
evident in all arts. created by the artists who receive the GAMABA
award. One of these arts is weaving. Though weaving has long been part
of our traditions, the use of different materials and the different tedious
process make each art unique.
Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata, Tawi-Tawi shows how pandan can be
weaved into mats with vibrant colors, beautiful geometric designs and
fine symmetry. These mats are usually used by their people for prayer or
as a gift to the newly-weds.
In Luzon, weaving is preserved through Magdalena Gamayo who used
traditional patterns. Her work is marked by her ability to replicate
designs with excellence and consistency.
Another artwork of the same kind is t'nalak (a fine abaca cloth) by Lang
Dulay of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. She worked on traditional designs
like bulinglangit (clouds), kabangi (butterfly), crocodiles, and Flowers
As you can see, though these artists worked on the same art (weaving),
their artworks in their community is still uniquely created showing the
identity of their community (Estrella, 2020).
2. Exemplary Skills.
The artwork of Eduardo Mutuc from Pampanga shows how his skills
developed from being a farmer to one of the furniture carvers. To earn
an income, he really practiced his skills and became one of the most
respected creators of religious and secular arts today. He was awarded
in 2004 for his detailed and lifelike pieces of varying sizes: altars, mirrors,
retablos, and carosas made with wood, silver, and bronze.
Uwang Ahadas, on the other hand, shows his exemplary skill in music.
At a young age, he learned to play music with his siblings. Though
kwintangan was usually played by a woman, he mastered playing it. It is
made of logs used to call abundant harvest of grains.
Another musician who has shown superb skills is musician Samaon
Sulaiman who was a master of the kutyapi, a two-stringed lute. He was
also proficient in playing other instruments such as the kulintang, agong
(a suspended gong with a wide rim), gandingan (agong with a narrow
rim), and tambul.
3. Way of Life
Alonzo Saclag of Lubuagan, Kalinga mastered local musical instruments,
along with dance patterns associated with rituals. These performances
are performed during celebrations or communal agreement such as
peace pacts. To pass this tradition, Saclag took a formal education
reaching radio stations and creating Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe.
Hearing the tales as told by his mother, epic chanter Federico Caballero
of Calinog, lloilo learned Suguidanon, a Central Panay epic. Though
Central Panay is located in the mountains, the epic tells about characters
and settings that reflect that his people might have lived once in
seashores in the past. Also, this epic was usually chanted by a binukot, a
woman of high status. Regardless of education and social status, women
were not given authority. Instead, they were trained for embroidery and
memorization of epic. Caballero is known to keep the local oral
traditions through his chants (Gowey, 2016)
4. Enduring Values
Values are usually reflected in literary arts such as poem. Thus, the
Mangyan script is one of the four remaining syllabic scripts in the
country which was preserved through Ginaw Bilog of Mansalay, Oriental
Mindoro. He was most popular in writing ambahan (a metaphoric poem
comprising seven-syllable lines) on traditionally. used bamboo tubes. His
poems about advising the young, bidding a friend goodbye, and asking
for a place to stay show how Filipinos express their affection to their
family and friends.
Values is not only reflected in the art product but also on the process in
which it is created. In textile weaving, we can see the artists' dedication
to their work as they intricately put different elements of arts such as
color, harmony and shape to create a distinct and vibrant 3 design.
Spirituality is also evident among Filipino artists as they use subjects
related to their faith such as the textile designs by Darhata Sawabi of
Sulu and carvings by Eduardo Mutuc.
There are countless values that are reflected on the artists' work but one
thing that is evident to their works is their unselfish desire to share their
knowledge and skills to the next generations to enjoy and to see as part
of their beings as Filipinos.
5. Vision.
The traditional art shows the artist's vision. Moreover, it also inspires us
to make the existing art as an inspiration to enhance the art or create
our own artwork. Teofilo Garcia is a gourd hatmaker from San Quintin,
Abra. Since he is a farmer, he sees the need of gourd casques. He used
the tabungaw (gourd) plant for useful protective hats to help the
farmers overcome heat during farming. Because the hat was made
creatively and finely, he joined a festival to show his artwork. Who
would have thought that a simple hat to help our farmers would soon
become a recognized art? He did.
Also, Salinta Monon, a respected textile weaver from Davao Del Sur,
isolated herself from her family for months to finish her art. She once
dreamt of establishing the art through teaching new would-be weavers.
In conclusion, the artworks of our GAMABA awardees are indeed living
treasures. Their arts do not only express an idea or feelings but they also
carry significant contributions that are imbibed through generations. and
inspired the contemporary arts that we use and see today.
