National Living Treasure Awardees

 ALONZO SACLAG (Musician and Dancer/ Kalinga/ Lubugan Kalinga)

He was a master of dance and the performing arts. The Kalinga people take pride in his incredible
skills and talent because he has mastered not only the Kalinga musical instruments but also the dance
movements associated with his people’s practice. Although he received no formal instruction, he learned to
hone his skills through mere observation. His contribution to folk art and culture is in heading the
establishment of the prestigious Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe that tours here and abroad to represent and
initiate Kalinga performing arts.

 DARHATA SAWABI (Textile Weaver/ Tausug/ Parang Sulu)

She was a textile weaver from the humble barangay of Parang in Jolo, Sulu. Sawabi was a Tausug
famous for the pis syabit. Pis syabit, was a customary cloth worn as a hood by the Filipino Tausugs. It is a
challenging textile to weave. Preparing the warp alone requires three days. The weaving itself is a physical
undertaking, as the weaver strings the threads through the frame made of banana and bamboo to create the
tapestry’s base. Sawabi’s choice of colors, consistency of weave, and use of traditional designs made her an
excellent artist. She was also a teacher. Sharing her knowledge with the women in her community.

 EDWARDO MUTUC (Metalsmith/ Kapampangan/ Apalit, Pampanga)

He was 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 procured by collectors. Mutuc’s contribution to contemporary art in
the Philippines is in his opulent craftsmanship that graces the places of worship of many Filipino faithful.

 FEDERICO CABALLERO (Epic Chanter/ Sulod-Bukidnon/ Calinog, Iloilo)

Persistently works for the documentation of oral literature. Caballero’s contribution is in the recording
of the dying oral tradition of epics. He was able to document 10 epics in a language that is no longer spoken.
He worked with the Bureau of Nonformal Education and has travelled to many places in the country to
persuade the elders of the importance of learning how to read and write. He was considered as a bantugan, a
person who has achieved distinction. He makes every effort to dispense justice in the society through his work
as a manughusay (an intermediary of conflicts).

 GINAW BILOG (Poet/ Hanunuo Mangyan/ Panytayan, Oriental Mindoro)

He was a poet of the Hanunuo Mangayan. He popularized the Ambahan, 7 syllable literary, poetic
form in Surat Mangyan. His poems brought messages ranging from advice, to courtship, and to farewell.
Today, this art has remained existence because of the brilliance of the Filipino artist Ginaw Bilog. He took it
upon himself to incessantly record the ambahan poetry by the use of bamboo tubes and old, dog- eared
notebooks passed on to him by family and friends. His contribution to Philippine art is through the
preservation of this ancient form of literature. In contemporary times, ambahan serves as a reminder on the
country’s rich history and culture.

 HAJA AMINA APPI (Mat Weaver/ Sama/ Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi)

A member of Sama indigenous community, was a master mat weaver from the Ungos Matata,
Tandubas, Tawi-tawi. Her flamboyant mats with their intricate geometric arrangements displayed her
particular sense of proportion and color sensitivity. She was highly esteemed throughout her community for
her distinctive designs and the refinement of her sasa and kima-kima. The art of mat making within the Sama
community is assigned and restricted to the women. The harvesting, dying, designing, and weaving of the
mats are all done by the women. This art is featured in Brillante Mendoza’s film Thy Womb.

 LANG DULAY (Textile Weaver/ T’boli/ Lake Sebu, South Cotabato)

One of the most traditional methods of fabric production is weaving. It uses two distinct sets of
threads that are knitted at right angles to create an intrinsic fabric or cloth. Lang Dulay was a master weaver.
She started honing her skills at the young age of 12. She was famous for using traditional Filipino materials
such as abaca fibers weaved into T’nalak cloth. Her artistic designs inculcated with the rich history of the
country have made her a national living treasure. She was widely known for her distinctive designs such as
 the kabangi (butterfly), bankiring (hair bangs), and the bulinglangit (clouds). Her weaving and her people
inspired the Cinemalaya film K’na the Dreamweaver.

 MAGDALENA GAMAYO (Textile Weaver/ Ilocano/ Pinili, Ilocos Norte)

Is an Ilocano textile weaver of the abel, the traditional blanket. Her works are of the finest quality,
using very high thread count and incorporating intricate designs. She has mastered the traditional patterns of
sinan-sabong (flowers), kusikos (spirals), and the binakol inuritan (geometric).

 MASINO INTARAY (Musician & Storyteller/ Pala’wan/ Brookes Point, Palawan)

He 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. His extraordinary skills nad talent for playing
various customary music instruments included the basal, kulilal, and bagit. Intaray’s unparalleled creative
talent, powerful memory, clear intellect, and profound spirituality allowed him to chant majestically countless
tuturan (myths), tultul (epics), and sudsungit (narratives).

 SALINTA MONON (Textile Weaver/ Tagabawa-Bagobo/ Bansalan, Davao Del Sur)

Like Lang Dulay, she was a very talented weaver. She used the abaca-ikat weaving, or weaving
using fiber from the abaca plant to create very detailed ornate designs. Because of Monon’s painstaking
craftsmanship, a modest- sized fabric took three to four months to complete. The binuwaya (crocodile) is
considered to be Monon’s beloved design, which was the most difficult to weave. She envisioned to put up a
structure for weavers and those who want to learn the art. Her contribution to contemporary art was her
dedication and perseverance in creating weaving that represented the Bagobo culture.

 SAMAON SULAIMAN (Musician/ Magindanao/ Mamasapano, Maguindanao)

He was a master and teacher of kudyapi in Libutan and other barangays of Maganoy town,
Maguindanao, Mindanao. Kudyapi of Maguindanao is one of the most sophisticated Philippine musical
instruments. His expertise in playing kudyapi was evident in this broad repertoire that included binalig,
linapu, minna, and dinaladay. He was also a highly skilled in handling other Philippine traditional
instruments such as the kulintang, agong, gandingan, palendag, and tambul. His contribution to Philippine
culture and arts was through his dedication in teaching how to play the kudyapi. He was also a popular town
barber and served as an Imam in the Libutan Mosque.

 TEOFILO LACSINA (Casque Maker/ Ilocano/ San Quintin, Abra)

He was a master artisan, farmer, and innovator. He is recognized for his beautifully crafted casque or
tabungaw, a distinctive and functional headpiece that he made to safeguard him from the harsh rays of the sun
and from the rain. His creations are made of hallowed-out native gourd which he polishes and varnishes, thus
giving bright orange hue perfect for the changing weather. The interior of the tabungaw is lined woven rattan
for comfort. His contribution to contemporary arts is the integration of his craft in Abra’s harvest festival.

 UWANG AHADAS (Musician/ Yakan/ Lamitan, Basilan)

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 undertakings. He was an incredible artist from Lamitan,
Basilan. He has near-blindness, but this disability does not hinder him from honing his craft. As a matter of
fact, his disability drew him to music, which is his constant companion. In addition, Ahadas was a hands-on
teacher to fascinated and dedicated individuals who wish to learn to play Yakan instruments, which include
the famous kwintangan, kayu and tuntungan.