The Gawad Manlilikha

ng Bayan
(GAMABA)
National Artists
(the national living
treasures)
 BACKGROUND OF THE AWARD

 In April 1992, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng

Bayan or the National Living Treasure
Award was institutionalized through
Republic Act No. 7355.
 The administration and implementation of
the Award is the National Commission of
Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Highest policy
– making and coordinating body for culture
and the arts of the State.
 The NCCA, through the Gawad sa Manlilikha
ng Bayan Committee and an Ad Hoc Panel of
Experts, conducts the search for the finest
traditional artists of the land, adopts a
program that will ensure the transfer of their
skills to others and undertakes measures to
promote a genuine appreciation of their
skills to others and undertakes measures to
promote a genuine appreciation of and
instill pride among our people about genius
of the Manlilikha ng Bayan.
 HISTORY

 The National Living Treasures Award (Gawad sa

Manlilikha ng Bayan) was institutionalized in
1992 through Republic Act No. 7355.
 The National Commission for Culture and the
Arts, which is the highest policy – making and
coordinating body of the Philippines for culture
and the arts, was tasked with the
implementation .
 This is in line with the UNESCO’s criteria of Living
National Treasures.
 CRITERIA

 To Become a National Living Treasure, the

candidates must possess the following
qualities:
1. An inhabitant of an indigenous/traditional
cultural community anywhere in the
Philippines that has preserved indigenous
customs, beliefs, rituals and traditions and/or
has syncretized whatever external elements
that have influenced it.
2. Must have engaged in a folk –
art tradition that has been in
existence and documented for at
least 50 years.
3.Must have consistently
performed or produced over a
significant period works of
superior and distinctive quality.
4. 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.
5. 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.
Atraditional artist who
possesses all the qualities of a
Manlilikha ng Bayan candidate,
but due to age or infirmity has
left them incapable of teaching
further their craft, may still be
recognized if:
1. Had created a significant body of
works and /or has consistently
displayed excellence in the practice
of their art, thus achieving
important contributions for its
development.
2. Has been instrumental in the
revitalization of their community’s
artistic tradition.
3. Has passed on to the other
members of the community
skills in the folk art for which the
community is traditionally
known.
4. Community has recognized
them as master and teacher of
their creft.
CATEGORIES

 The categories are, but not limited to, the

following categories of traditional folk arts:
folk architecture carving
Maritime transport performing arts
Weaving textile or fiber art
Literature pottery
Graphic and plastic arts
ornament
RECIPIENTS
AND
NOMINEES
 EMBLEM
 The award logo is a
representation of human
form used in traditional
cloth. Below the logo is
the phrase “ Manlilikha
ng Bayan” written in
Baybayin, an ancient
Filipino Script used in the
Philippines in the 16th
century.
RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS
GINAW BILOG
 Advocate of preserving the
traditional form of his tribe
called “ AMBAHAN”
AMBAHAN – a kind of
poem consisting of seven –
syllable lines which most of
the time contains
messages of love and
friendship.
Ginaw Bilog (d.2003), artist and poet, Mansalay,
Oriental Mindoro Poetry (Ambahan), 1993
AMBAHAN
MASINO INTARAY
 Musician and Storyteller,
Pala’wan Brookes Point,
Palawan (1993)
 A musician and poet
whose expertise were the
Basal, Kulilal, and Bagit.

Masino Intaray (d. 2013), musician, and epic chanter,

Brookes Point Palawan, Poetry (Kulilal and Bagit) Music
(Basal/Gong),1993
BASAL

Is a kind of musical ensemble

played during the “tambilaw”, a
ritual of rice sharing among the
palawan people as an offering
to the Lord of rice and during
the “tinapay”, a rice wine
drinking.
SAMAON SULAIMAN
 Musician, Mamasa Pano,
Maguindanao (1993)
Master in playing the
kutyapi – a 2 stringed
plucked lute. The Kutyapi
is one of the most difficult
to master indigineous
Filipino instrument.

Samaon Sulaiman (d.2011), Musician, Mama sa Pano,

Maguindanao Music (Kutyapi), 1993
LANG DULAY
 Textile weaver, T’boli, Lake
Sebu, South Cotabato
Tnalak – a kind of fabric made
up of fine abaca fibers weaved
with defferent designs which
reflect the traditions of the
Tboli.

Lang Dulay, (d.2015) textile weaver, Lake Sebu, South

Cotabato, Weaving (T’nalak),1998
 SALINTA MONON
Textile Weaver, Tagabawa
Bagobo, Bansalan, Davao del
Sur.
Start weaving at the 12 through
the Guidance of her mother.
She used to wear the traditional
hand woven tube skirt of the
Bagobo (sinukla and bandura)

Salinta Monon (d.2009),weaver,Bansalan,Davao

del Sur,Weaving (Abaca-ikat/Inabal),1998
 ALONZO SACLAG
 Musician and Dancer, Lubugan,
Kalinga
 A master of dance and performing
arts, he has also mastered the
dance patterns and movements
associated with his people’s ritual.
 He is the founder of the Kalinga
Budong Dance Troupe to ensure
that the music and dance of his
ancestor are passed to the
younger generations.

Alonzo Saclag, musician and dance, Lubugan, Kalinga

Province, Music and Dance (Kalinga), 2000
 FREDERICO CABALLERO
 Epic Chanter, Sulod – Bukidnon,
Calinog, Iloilo work for documentation
of the oral literature, particularly the
epics of his people.
 Labaw Dunggon and Humadapnon. One
epic could take as much as 162 hours
to recite and Humadapnon is the
longest epic to recite. 2 months of daily
performances are required for it to be
completely chanted.

Frederico Caballero, epic chanter, Sulod – Bukidnon,

Iloilo, Poetry/Epic Chant (Sugidanon),2000
 UWANG AHADAS
 An expertise in playing the indigenous
instrument called “kwintangan kayu”.

 Kwintangan Kayu – an instrument

composed of five wooden logs of
different sizes, arranged from shortest
to longest, and hung horizontally. The
music coming from it is believed to
cause bountiful harvest.

Uwayang Ahadas, musician, Lamitan, Basilan, Music (Yakan

specially Kulintang, Kwitangan kayu,gabbang,agung, and
tuntungan),2000
DARHATA SAWABI
 Textile Weaver, Tausug, Parang,
Sulu
Weaving the Pis Syabit, the
traditional cloth tapestry worn
as a head covering by the
Tausug of Jolo

Darhata Sawabi, (d. 2005), weaver, Parang, Sulu,

Weaving (Pis Syabit), 2004
EDUARDO MUTUC
 Created numerous wood
carving and metal art
with religious and secular
themes. He did intricate
decorations for churches.

Eduardo Mutuc, metalsmith/metal sculptor, Apalit,

Pampanga, Metalwork (Bronze and Silver), 2004
HAJA AMINA APPI
 Mat Weaver, Sama Tandubas,
Tawi – Tawi.
The mat weaving is one of the
treasured traditions of the
Sama People. Their mat is
made up fo Pandan Leaves
which undergo processes from
stripping to sun dying to dying
up to weaving.

Haja Amina Appi (d.2013), weaver, Tandubas, Tawi – Tawi,

Weaving (Mat)2004
TEOFILO GARCIA
Casque maker, Ilokano,
San Quintin, Abra.
He make to wear
Tabungaw the gourd hat
he makes and wears, is
uniquely distinct in
craftsmanship.
Teofilo Garcia, Casque maker, Ilokano, San Quintin,
Abra. (Tabungaw),2012
 MAGDALENA GAMAYO

Her experties dwell in

weaving high – quality
Ilocos’ textile called Abel.
Abel – a kind of blanket
made up of cotton weaved
in different patterns.

Magdalena Gamayo, master weaver, Pinili,

Ilocos Norte, weaving(Abel),2012
AMBALANG AUSALIN

Ambalang Ausalin, master weaver, Lamitan,

Basilan, Weaving (Yakan tennun), 2016
ESTELITA TUMANDAN BANTILA

Estelita Tumandan Bantila, master weaver,

Malapatan, Sarangani, Weaving (B’laan igem),
2016
YABING MASALON DULO

Yabing Masalon Dulo, master weaver, Polomolok, South

Cotabato, Weaving (Ikat), 2016
CURRENT NOMINEES
WHANG - OD

Whang – od, tattoo artist, Tinglayan, Kalinga,

Tattooing (Batek/Batok), nominated October 21,
2017