THEATER

1. Honorata “Atang” Dela Rama

Honorata de la Rama-Hernandez (January 11, 1902 – July 11, 1991), commonly known as
Atang de la Rama, was a singer and bodabil performer who became the first Filipina film actress
Atang de la Rama was born in Pandacan, Manila on January 11, 1902. By the age of 7, she
was already starring in Spanish zarzuelas such as Mascota, Sueño de un Vals, and Marina. At
the age of 15, she starred in the sarsuela Dalagang Bukid, where she became known for
singing the song, Nabasag na Banga.
During the American occupation of the Philippines, Atang de la Rama fought for the dominance
of the kundiman, an important Philippine folk song, and the sarsuela, which is a musical play
that focused on contemporary Filipino issues such as usury, cockfighting, and colonial mentality.
Generations of Filipino artists and audiences consider Atang de la Rama's vocal and acting
talents as responsible for much of the success of original Filipino sarsuelas like Dalagang Bukid,
and dramas like Veronidia. She has also been a theatrical producer, writer and talent manager.
She was the producer and the writer of plays such as Anak ni Eva and Bulaklak ng
Kabundukan. For her achievements and contributions to the art form, she was hailed Queen of
the Kundiman and of the Sarsuela in 1979, at the age of 74.
Atang believed that art should be for everyone; not only did she perform in major Manila
theaters such as the Teatro Libertad and the Teatro Zorilla, but also in cockpits and open plazas
in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. She also made an effort to bring the kundiman and
sarsuela to the indigenous peoples of the Philippine such as the Igorots, the Aetas, and the
Mangyans. She was also at the forefront of introducing Filipino culture to foreign audiences. At
the height of her career, she sang kundimans and other Filipino songs in concerts in such cities
as Hawaii, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo.
On May 8, 1987, "for her sincere devotion to original Filipino theater and music, her outstanding
artistry as singer, and as sarsuela actress-playwright-producer, her tireless efforts to bring her
art to all sectors of Filipino society and to the world," President Corazon C. Aquino proclaimed
Atang de la Rama a National Artist of the Philippines for Theater and Music.
Atang de la Rama died on July 11, 1991. She was married to National Artist for Literature,
Amado V. Hernandez.

2. Lamberto Avellana
Lamberto Vera Avellana (February 12, 1915 – April 25, 1991) was a prominent Filipino film and
stage director. Despite considerable budgetary limitations that hampered the post-war Filipino
film industry, Avellana's films such as Anak Dalita and Badjao attained international acclaim. In
1976, Avellana was named by President Ferdinand Marcos as the first National Artist of the
Philippines for Film. While Avellana remains an important figure in Filipino cinema, his
reputation as a film director has since been eclipsed by the next wave of Filipino film directors
who emerged in the 1970s, such as Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal.
3. Rolando S. Tinio

Rolando Tinio is a Philippine National Artist for Theater and Literature. He was born in
Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila on March 5, 1937. As a child, Tinio was fond of organizing and
directing his playmates for costumed celebrations. He was an active participant in the Filipino
movie industry and enjoyed working with Philippine celebrities who he himself had admired in
his childhood. Tinio himself became a film actor and scriptwriter. He is often described as a
religious, well-behaved and gifted person. Tinio graduated with honors (a magna cum laude
achiever) with a degree in Philosophy from the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas
at age 18 in 1955 and an M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing: Poetry from the University of Iowa.

4. Salvador F. Bernal

Salvador Floro Bernal (January 7, 1945 – October 26, 2011) was an artist from the Philippines.
Bernal's career began in 1969. His output included over 300 productions in art, film and music,
and earned him the award of National Artist for Theater and Design in 2003. He earned a
philosophy degree in 1966 from the Ateneo de Manila University where he would later teach
literature and stage design.
Bernal organized the Philippine Association of Theatre Designers and Technicians (Patdat) in
1995, through which he introduced Philippine theater design to the world.
The book “Salvador F. Bernal: Designing the Stage” by Nicanor G. Tiongson, is a
comprehensive review of Bernal’s work as designer for theater, with over 200 full-color
photographs of his sketches, models, and actual costumes and sets complementing the text.