LESSON 14

THE NATIONAL LIVING TREASURES AWARD: GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG

BAYAN (GAMABA)
Nature and Purpose
At present, the indigenous and tribal cultural and artistic heritage of the Philippines is threatened by
modernization and globalization. Seeking for better economic opportunities, many members of Philippine tribal and
indigenous communities move to the urban areas, leaving behind the rich and unique language and practices they
have possessed for many years.
In response to this challenge of art and cultural preservation, the Philippine government enacted Republic
Act 7355 which created the National Living Treasures Award or the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
(GAMABA). Through this legislative measure, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (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 measure to promote a genuine appreciation of and instill pride among Filipinos
about the genius of the Manlilikha ng Bayan”.
What is to be a National Living Treasures Awardee?
A recipient of the National Living Treasures Award is an exemplary individual whose life, works, and
identity are described as part of our national character. According to the NCCA, “as a Filipino, he/she brings
age-old customs, crafts and ways of living to the attention and appreciation. He/she is one who provides 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 the artist remains truthful to his/her art”.
A National Living Treasures awardee is generally described as “a citizen engaged in any traditional art
uniquely Filipino whose distinctive skills have reached a high level of technical and artistic excellence and has been
passed on to and widely practiced by the present generation in his/her community with the same degree of technical
and artistic competence”.
Guidelines in Declaring an Individual as a National Living Treasure
There are six categories that fall under the National Living Treasures Award, as follows: folk epic
literature, music, textile and mat weaving, dance, metalwork, and casque production. To become a National Living
Treasures awardee, the NCCA has these guidelines, to wit:
1. an inhabitant of an indigenous/traditional cultural community anywhere in the Philippines who has
preserved indigenous customs, beliefs, rituals, and traditions and/or 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 works of superior and distinctive quality over a
significant period;
4. must possess a mastery of tools and materials needed by the art, and must be reputed as a master in the
art and maker of works of extraordinary technical quality; and
5. must have passed and/or will pass on to the other members of the community his/her 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 who is incapable of
teaching further his/her craft due to age or infirmity may still be recognized if he/she meets the following:
1. has created a significant body of works and/or has consistently displayed excellence in the practice of
his/her art, contributing to its development;
2. has been instrumental in the revitalization of his/her community’s artistic tradition;
3. has passed on to other community members skills in the folk art for which the community is traditionally
known; and
4. has been recognized by his/her community as master or teacher of his/her craft

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