Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan

The National Living Treasures Award or Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan is a special honor given to
exemplary

Filipinos who have lived a life in the promotion of indigenous and folk art in the country. Many of these
art forms

such as weaving, epic literature, and casque making, are endangered due to the lure of globalization.
The works and

efforts of these living treasures are testaments to the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Filipinos,
which we need to

be preserved and protected.

Preserving art does not only entail protecting existing work. It also means ensuring that the process
through which the

artwork is made, especially for culture specific ones, are transferred from one generation to the next.

Mastery, expertise, and reputation are among the qualifications of becoming a National Living Treasures
awardee. It

takes a lot of practice, as well as failing and trying, to reach this status.

The NCCA follows these guidelines in identifying and recognizing a person as a Manlilikha ng Bayan in
the field of

folk epic literature, music, textile and mat weaving, dance, metal work and casque production:

a. He or she is an inhabitant of an indigenous/traditional cultural community anywhere in the Philippines

has preserved indigenous customs, beliefs, rituals and traditions and/or has syncretized whatever
external

elements that have influenced it.

b. He or she must have engaged in a folk-art tradition that has been in existence and documented for at
least 50

years.

c. He or she must have consistently performed or produced, over significant period, works of superior
and

distinctive quality.

d. He or she must possess a mastery of tools and materials needed by the art, and must have an
established

reputation in the art as master and maker of works of extraordinary technical quality.
e. He or she must have passed on and/or will pass on to other members of the community their skills in
the folk

art for which the community is traditionally known.

A traditional artist who possesses all the qualities of a Manlilikha ng Bayan candidate, but due to age or
infirmity

(deterioration) has left him or her incapable o teaching further his or her craft, may still be recognized if
the following

are met:

a. He or she had created a significant body of works and/or has consistently displayed excellence in the
practice

of his or her art, thus achieving important contributions for its development.

b. He or she has been instrumental in the revitalization of his or her community’s artistic tradition.

c. He or she has passed on to the other members of the community skills in the folk art for which the
community

is traditionally known.

d. His or her community has recognized him or her as master and teacher of his or her craft.

National Living Treasures: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (Literature)

Philippine folk literature is a great source to learn the origins of the Filipinos. Our folk literature depicts a
kind of life

that Filipinos have before the country was colonized. Many forms of folk literature are part of the oral
tradition. Two

folk artists have kept this great tradition of storytelling-Ginaw Bilog and Federico Caballero. They are
true guardians

of the country’s literary heritage.

Literature carries with it the stories and culture of its place of origin.

Ginaw Bilog

Awarded: 1993

The ambahan is a form of poetic literature which is made up of seven-syllable lines used to
communicate messages

though metaphors and imagery. He is a brilliant Filipino artist from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, who
incessantly

recorded the ambahan poetry by the use of bamboo tubes.

Awarded: 2000

He is an epic chanter from Calinog, Iloilo, persistently works for the documentation of oral literature
considered as a

bantugan, a person who has achieved a distinction. He makes every effort to dispense justice in the
society through

his work as manughusay – an intermediary of conflicts.

National Living Treasures: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (Performance)

Although the performances that dominate the country today are from Western countries, folk
performances

are still being practiced by many Filipinos. National living treasures like Masino Intaray, Samaon
Sulaiman, Alonzo

Saclag and Uwang Ahadas remain strong pillars who protect our cultural heritage. They preserve and
promote

traditional folk music and dances for the next generation.

Masino Intaray

Awarded: 1993

Intaray was a native of Makagwa Valley in Brookes Point, Palawan. He was not just an exceptional poet
but also a

musician, an epic chanter, and a storyteller.

Samaon Sulaiman

Awarded: 1993

Sulaiman was a master and teacher of kudyapi in Libutan and other barangays of Maganoy town,
Maguindanao,

Mindanao.

Alonzo Saclag

Awarded: 2000

He is a native from Lubugan, Kalinga. He is a master of dance and the performing arts.

Uwang Ahadas

Awarded: 2000

He belongs to the Yakan, an indigenous tribe with high reverence to instrumental music as it is related
to life and
agricultural cycles, and social understakings.

National Living Treasures: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (Crafts)

The most tangible, practical, and ubiquitous from of Philippine art and culture is found in the artistry of
its crafts. The

Philippine national living treasures for crafts continue to produce weave work, metal craft, and casques
that exhibit

masterful craftmanship. Weave work and textile manufacturing help indigenous communities. Through
these cultural

objects, Filipinos and foreigners alike are able to experience Philippine arts and culture.

Lang Dulay

Awarded: 1998

She was famous for using traditional Filipino materials such as abaca fibers weaved into T’nalak cloth.

Salinta Monon

Awarded: 1998

The binuwaya (crocodile) is considered to be Monon’s beloved design, which was the most difficult to
weave.

Darhata Sawabi

Awarded: 2005

She was a textile weaver from the humble barangay of Parang Jolo, Sulu. Sawabi was a Tausug famous
for the pis

syabit is a challenging textile to weave.

Edward Mutuc

Awarded: 2005

He is an exceptional Filipino sculptor who works with silver, bronze, and wood, crafting religious and
layman

artworks. His works include intricate church retablos, ornately designed mirrors, grand altars, and
breathtaking

carosas used in churches or produced by collectors.

PHILIPPINE POPULAR ART

Philippine popular art is the art that majority of Filipinos patronize. Mostly, these art forms are found in
Filipino daily
life, which brings entertainment to the common people. In literature, komiks has been a widespread
form of

entertainment. In the music scene, Filipino musical artists have adapted many styles and techniques
from all around

the world and have made these their own. Indeed, Philippine popular art is a reflection of the fun-loving,
sentimental

Filipino.

Poems- this Philippine popular art is considered to be one of the most read forms of literature in the
country.

Original Pinoy Music (OPM)- OPM is the music talent prowess of Filipinos shine bright in the country’s
local music

scene.

Dance- ex. El Gamma Penumbra, Bayani-Agbayani invented Otso-otso

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT CINEMA

Philippine independent cinema has indeed grown into a formidable force in the Philippine art scene. In
recent years,

the films from the said industry have given the country honor and recognition, and many countries have
taken notice

of the artistry of Filipino filmmakers. The works of Brillante Mendoza, for example, have been circulating
around the

globe, making the world gain knowledge of the Filipino experience. Availability of resources, film
festivals, and grants

have encountered the youth to venture into filmmaking as an art form.

Independent films- this type of film is a break from the mainstream and highly budgeted productions.

EMERGING ARTISTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines has a rich art and culture tradition. In the age of technology and globalization, the art
and culture scene

in the country is at its losing point. But still, hope is in the hands of emerging Filipino contemporary
artists whose

works bring pride and glory to the country. The works of Filipino artists such as Ronald Ventura, Kiko
Escora, Annie

Cabigting, Angeli Bayani, Joshua Lim So, Ed Lacson, and Sophia Lee are amazing evidence of the Filipino’s
artistic
soul.

Ronald Ventura- He holds the record for the highest bid at Sotheby’s contemporary Southeast Asian
painting auction.

Ex. High Five 1

Kiko Escora- KulayDiwa describes Kiko Escora’s works as “an emotion expressed in a canvas and
interpreted by the

individual’s recognition of intelligence mixed beauty.” Ex. The Strangers

Annie Cabigting- She is an eclectic artist with varied works of paintings and installations. Ex. An Audience
with

Vermee.

Angeli Bayani- She starred in the Singapore-produced independent film Ilo Ilo, which got her nomination
for Best

Actress in the 56th Asia Pacific Film Festival.

Joshua Lim So- He made a Tungkol kay Angela (Regarding Angela) a full-length play that won first prize in
the

Palanca Awards.

Sophia Lee- She is the 2014 grand prize winner of the Scholastic Asian Book Awards for What Things
Mean, a young

adult novel.

Ed Lacson- He directed Glen Mas’s Games People Play, which gave him critical success.

INTEGRATIVE ARTS AS APPLIED IN CONTEMPORARY

Integrative arts have become a growing area of interest for educators over the past decade. New media
art allows the

use of various technologies in creating art in education. This makes art current and real for many young
people. Digital

story telling also has become a contemporary way to teach narratives. The use of art and technology has
revolutionized

the way the educators teach students.

CONTEMPORARY ART PRACTICES AND PRODUCTION

Contemporary art practices and production have changed in recent years. Contemporary artists are
more adept

to changes in accepted tradition and taste. They have more understanding of a multiplicity of
viewpoints. The artworks
they produce respond to issues and ideas about the role of objects in space and the relationships
between objects. They

also incorporate the use of everyday materials and employ contemporary technology in their work.

CONTEMPORARY ARTS PERFORMANCES

Art is meant to be shared with the world. Artists exhibit and perform their works for people to
experience and react

to. Planning is an important part in preparing for an exhibit or performance. At the end of the exhibit or
performance,

an evaluation would provide necessary information to see if you were able to successfully carry out the
plan. Art

exhibits and performances are great ways to show your talent.

Planning- in every activity, planning is an important ingredient for success. Planning will allow you to set
things in

order and prepare for time, materials, and resources.

Promotion- It is also important to have something planned in terms of promoting the event and getting
word out that

your exhibit or performance is taking place. In promoting your art events, you send personal invitations
to specific

people whom you want to be present.