National Living Treasures and Contemporary Art Production

Filipinos are widely recognized all over the world for their artistic talents. From the expensive
furniture found in fancy restaurants and hotels in Europe to the bands that entertain audiences all
around the world, the Filipino talent in the arts is truly something that we should be proud of.

This unit will introduce you to the country’s national living treasures-artists who still keep the
tradition of the past to survive the changing world. These artists remind us of the rich artistic and
cultural heritage of our country.

Also in this unit, you will survey the emerging artists and art forms that the country has been
producing.

And last, you will produce art and showcase your talent and pride as a Filipino in the unit’s
culminating activity.

Module 13: National Living Treasures Award: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan

In this new millennium, the indigenous and tribal cultural and artistic heritage of the Philippines is
threatened by modernization and globalization. Many members of Philippine tribal and indigenous
communities move to the city to seek better economic opportunities. Thus, they leave behind the
rich and unique language and practices that have thrived for many years.

Modernization and globalization threaten the cultural and artistic heritage of Philippine
indigenous communities

In response to this pressing concern of art and cultural preservation, the Philippine government in
1992 enacted Republic Act 7355. This institutionalized the National Living Treasures Award or the
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan. Through this law, the NCCA “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 and instill pride among our people
about the genius of the Manlilikha ng Bayan.”

The National Living Treasures Award or the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan recognizes Filipino
traditional artists.

When it was first bestowed in 1993 to three exceptional folk artists in poetry and music, the event
was considered, according to the NCCA, as a celebration of how the “folk and traditional artists
reflect the diverse heritage and cultural traditions that transcend their beginnings to become part of
our national character.”

The recipients of this great national honor are exemplary individuals whose life, works, and identity
are described as part of our national character. NCCA cited, “as Filipinos, they bring age-old customs,
crafts and ways of living to the attention and appreciation of Filipino life. They provide us with a
vision of ourselves and of our nation, a vision we might be able to realize someday, once we are
given the opportunity to be true to ourselves as these artists have remained truthful to their art.”

A recipient of the National Living Treasures Award or the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, as also
cited, is generally described as “a citizen engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino whose
distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence and have been
passed on to and widely practiced by the present generation in his/her community with the same
degree of technical and artistic competence.”

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 that 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 a 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 of 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.

Here is the list of the recipients of the National Living Treasures Award or the Gawad Sa Manlilikha
ng Bayan.

Ginaw Bilog

Masino Intaray

Samaon Sulaiman

Lang Dulay

Salinta Monon

Alonzo Saclag

Federico Caballero

Uwang Ahadas

Darhata Sawabi

Eduardo Mutuc

Haja Amina Appi

Teofilo Garcia

Magdalena Gamayo

Module 14: National Living Treasures: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (Literature)

Manlilikha ng Bayan (Literature ). 2. Discuss the kind of literature that these Filipinos have tried to
preserve.

Like our country’s history, Philippine literature has rich roots and colorful beginnings. During
precolonial times, there were many epics and folk tales that circulated in the country. In the island of
Luzon, the Ifugaos had the Hudhud, the Ilocanos had Biag ni Lam-ang, and the Kalinga had the
Ullalim. From the Visayas is the Hinilawod of the Hiligaynon people. And from Mindanao is the
Darangan. These epics are part of the Philippine oral tradition-these tales of heroism and adventure
are passed on to the next generation by mouth.

Precolonial Philippine literature is rich with narratives in the form of epics and folk tales.

Here are exceptional individuals who have contributed to the preservation of the country’s folk and
oral literary tradition.

National Living Treasures for Literature

Ginaw Bilog

1953-2003

Awarded: 1993

The ambahan is a form of poetic literature which is made up of seven-syllable lines used to
communicate messages through metaphors and imagery. It is sung and contains various messages
ranging from advice, to courtship, and to farewell. Today, this art has remained in existence because
of the brilliance of the Filipino artist Ginaw Bilog. This national treasure from Mansalay, Oriental
Mindoro, 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 of the country’s rich history and culture.

The ambahan is a poem composed of seven-syllable lines.

Federico Caballero

1938-

Awarded: 2000

This epic chanter from 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 traveled to many places in the country to persuade the elders of the importance
of learning how to read and write. Caballero is 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
manoghusay an intermediary of conflicts. Caballero’s work makes the rich tradition of the epic
available to scholars as well as contemporary artists,

A bantugan is a person recognized for great achievement.

Module 15: National Living Treasures: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (Performance)

Most of the country’s performing arts (dances, songs, and dramatic performances) are heavily
influenced by the Spanish and American colonizers. But the Philippines is rich in native dances,
songs, and performances that are still in practice today. Various tribes and indigenous groups are still
using ancient musical instruments in performing rituals. Despite the threats of media and
globalization, Filipinos still perform folk dances and songs as part of exercising their cultural identity
and heritage.

The National Living Treasures Award or the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan recognizes Filipinos who
show distinctive skills and have achieved exceptional artistic excellence. Here are some of the
notable Filipinos privileged to receive this very important award for their outstanding skills and
talents in performing arts.

Folk performances are still being practiced in the country today.

National Living Treasures for Performance

Masino Intaray

1943-2013

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. His extraordinary skills and 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). His
influence in contemporary arts is making these pieces of ancient knowledge accessible to today’s
artists.
The tultul (epics), sudsungit (narratives), and tuturan (myths) are distinct Palawan folk literature.

Samaon Sulaiman

1953-2011

Awarded: 1993

Sulaiman was a master and teacher of kudyapi in Libutan and other barangays of Maganoy town,
Maguindanao, Mindanao. The 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. Samaon Sulaiman was also 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.

Alonzo Saclag

1941-

Awarded: 2000

Alonzo Saclag is a native from Lubugan, Kalinga. He is 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
Kalingamusical 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.
Through the group’s performances, Kalinga music and dance continue to inspire contemporary
artists.

Uwang Ahadas

Awarded: 2000

Uwang Ahadas 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. Ahadas is 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.
The Yakan people believed that instrumental music is deeply connected to life and agricultural
cycles, and social undertakings.