National Artist/s

Francisco Santiago

1. Santiago was born in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines, to musically-minded peasant parents, Felipe
Santiago and Maria Santiago. In 1908, his first composition, Purita, was dedicated to the first Carnival
Queen, Pura Villanueva, who later married the distinguished scholar Teodoro Kalaw.

He studied at the University of the Philippines (UP) Conservatory of Music, obtaining a degree in Piano in
1921, and a degree in Science and Composition in 1922. He went to the United States to pursue further
education. He first obtained his Master's Degree at the American Conservatory of Music in June 1923,
and finally a Doctorate degree at the Chicago Musical School in August 1924. He is the first Filipino
musician to attain a doctorate degree.

He became the director of the UP Conservatory of Music in 1930, after the entire music faculty and
students of the conservatory protested for the removal of the previous director, Alexander Lippay, for
alleged harassment of students and musicians. Santiago is the first Filipino director of the Conservatory.

In 1934, the President of the University, Jorge Bocobo, launched a committee to collect and document
folk songs of the Philippines. Francisco Santiago was named the chairman of the committee. Part of this
committee were Dancer Francisca Reyes-Aquino, who notated numerous folk dances and compiling
them in several books, and Composer Antonino Buenaventura, who transcribed numerous folk music,
including those accompanying the dances recorded by Reyes-Aquino.

in 1937-1939 Santiago would compose his masterpiece - the "Taga-ilog" Symphony in D Major. It is one
of the first Filipino classical works to feature Philippine instruments such as the gangsa and sulibaw.

2. Santiago's music was Romantic in style, incorporating Western forms and techniques with folk
materials. He composed several works such as kundiman, symphonies, piano concertos, and other music
pieces for the piano, violin, and voice.

3. Santiago's melodies were influenced by the folk song "Leron Leron Sinta"

4.

5. In 1939 he was faced with a plagiarism lawsuit by another Filipino composer Jose Estella. According to
Estella, Santiago stole a melody from Estella's 1929 work Campanadas de Gloria and incorporated it in
Santiago's 1939 song Ano Kaya ang Kapalaran. However, the investigation found out that both Estella
and Santiago's melodies were influenced by the folk song "Leron Leron Sinta" and that Estella's
Campanadas de Gloria also contained several quotations from other composers, therefore breaking
Estella's claim. The court decided in favor of Santiago in 1942.

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Antonino Buenaventura

1. Antonino Buenaventura was born on May 4, 1904 in Baliuag, Bulacan. He was born in a family of
musicians; his father Lucino Buenaventura was a musician at the Spanish Artillery Band in Intramuros.
He studied under Nicanor Abelardo at the University of the Philippines Diliman Conservatory of Music
and graduated in 1932 with a Teacher's Diploma in Music, major in Science and Composition and
became an assistant instructor at the Conservatory. He also studied composition for a post-graduate
degree under Jenő Takács.

After the war he became conductor of the devastated Philippine Constabulary Band for 16 years and he
brought it back to its former glory.

He became the music director of the UST Conservatory of Music in 1961 and the UE School of Music and
Arts in 1964.

He married the violinist Rizalina Exconde and produced 4 children.

2. This once sickly boy who played the clarinet proficiently has written several marches such as the
“Triumphal March,” “Echoes of the Past,” “History Fantasy,” Second Symphony in E-flat, “Echoes from
the Philippines,” “Ode to Freedom.” His orchestral music compositions include Concert Overture,
Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, Philippines Triumphant, Mindanao Sketches, Symphony in C Major,
among others.

3. The technical requirement of his choral pieces is almost at the tip of the scale that many who listen to
their rendition are awed, especially because he incorporates the many subtleties of rhythmic vitality and
intricate interweaving of lines inspired from the songs of our indigenous tribes.

4. Antonino is multi-talented and possesses a variety of diverse abilities. However, discipline and focus
are the true keys to his success. Without these, many of the tasks Antonino begins will remain
unfinished and he will fail to realize the true fruits of his abilities. With hard work and perseverance,
however, the sky is the limit. Self-employment attracts Buenaventura powerfully, yet his challenge is to
settle into one area to cultivate his ability sufficiently to earn a living and attain success. Once Antonino
Buenaventura finds his niche, the motivation and inspiration he supplies others with will bring him much
in return, and he will find his friends and colleagues supporting and promoting him on the road to
success.

5. There are no problems and difficulties encountered in their work.

6.

7.

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Awardee/s

Ginaw Bilog

1. Ginaw Bilog was a Filipino poet who was recognized as a National Living Treasure by the Philippine
government.

Born on January 3, 1953, Bilog was a Hanunuo Mangyan who was a native of Mansalay, Oriental
Mindoro. He was known for his efforts in preserving the Mangyan poetry tradition of ambahan.

Then-President Fidel V. Ramos, conferred the National Living Treasure Award to Ginaw Bilog on
December 17, 1993, in recognition of his people's preservation efforts of the ambahan poetry, which is
recorded on bamboo.

He died on June 3, 2003, at age 50 due to a lingering illness.

2. The Filipinos are grateful to the Hanunoo Mangyan for having preserved a distinctive heritage form
our ancient civilization that colonial rule had nearly succeeded in destroying. The nation is justifiably
proud of Ginaw Bilog for vigorously promoting the elegantly poetic art of the surat Mangyan and the
ambahan.

3. One of Ginaw’s Bilog motivation are those collection which he acquired from his his father and
Grandfather. This are his sources of motivation and direction for his inventive endeavors. Ginaw Bilog
grew up in a cultural environment which is the reason why he continually keeps the scores of Ambahan
verse recorded. He needs to protect culture by conserving it in files and guaranteeing its transmission to
the next generations.

4. He protected the culture for the next generations to see.

5. The difficulties he encountered is lingering illness.

6. This process of engraving involves a facility with the use of stylus or knives on the skin of the bamboo.
The ambahan are usually sang or chanted accompanied by guitars, fiddles, flutes or jew’s harps. Only the
Hanunoo of southeastern Mindoro and the Buhid on the south of Bongabon River actually use this type
of script (although there is a second type of script unknown to these two groups that is used by the
Buhid along the Tangon River). These messages range from courtship to giving advice to farewell notes.
In an extemporaneous way, this poetic form inspires lively chanted debates displaying wit and creative
imagery during social gatherings.

7.

Masino Intaray

1. Masino Intaray was a Filipino poet, bard artist, and musician who is a Palawan native known for his
performance of the local traditions of basal, kulilal and bagit. He is also a recipient of the National Living
Treasure recognition.

Intaray was born on April 10, 1943, in Makagwa Valley and lived in Brooke's Point, Palawan. He is known
for playing multiple indigenous instruments namely the basal (gong), aroding (mouth harp), and the
babarak (ring flute). Intaray is also known for his performance of kulilal or songs and bagit, a form of
vocal music.

The Palawan native was married and had four children. Intaray died on November 30, 2013, due to
complications from diabetes which included multiple bouts of stroke. He was aged 70.

2. Masino Intaray was a Filipino poet, bard artist, and musician who is a Palawan native known for his
performance of the local traditions of basal, kulilal and bagit. He is also a recipient of the National Living
Treasure recognition.

3. Amorsolo's hands were forever and exclusively connected with the paint brush. His inspiration is from
the folk romanticism, his occupations and pleasures. Painting was his lifeblood, as it was his wonderful
love and his demanding mistress.

4. He was known for his efforts in preserving the mangyan poetry tradition of ambahan. Then-President
Fidel V. Ramos, conferred the National Living Treasure Award to Ginaw Bilog on December 17, 1993 in
recognition of his people's preservation efforts of the ambahan poetry which is recorded on bamboo.

5. The Palawan native was married and had four children. Intaray died on November 30, 2013 due to
complications from diabetes which included multiple bouts of stroke.

6. giving advice to the young, asking for a place to stay, saying goodbye to a dear friend and so on.

7.
A cultural group (choir, dance, band, etc.) or individual who has performed
outside the region or outside the country.

Bayanihan Dance Company

Bayanihan, the National Dance Company of the Philippines takes its name from an ancient Filipino
tradition called Bayanihan, which means working together for a common good. In 1956 Dr. Helena Z
Benitez founded the Bayanihan Folk Dance Group of the Philippine Women’s University. The following
year, 1957, it was formally organized as the Bayanihan Folk Arts Center with the Bayanihan Philippine
Dance Company as its performing arm. Both the center and the dance company were tasked to research
on and preserve indigenous Philippine art forms in music, dance, costumes and folklore; to restructure
and enhance these research findings to evolve repertoires suited to the demands of contemporary
theater; and to promote international goodwill through performances at home and abroad.

Since its formal organization the company has mounted fourteen (14) major tours (of six months to a
year in duration) to Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Americas and over a hundred
short tours to foreign countries. In half a century Bayanihan has performed in six continents, sixty-six
countries and 700 cities worldwide.

A multi-awarded company, both nationally and internationally, Bayanihan has awakened a new pride
among Filipinos in their cultural heritage; added a new dimension to the country’s dance tradition; and
has built a rich reserve of international goodwill.

In appreciation and recognition of their pioneering efforts and international success, the people of the
Philippines through the 10th Congress enacted R.A. 8626 declaring the Bayanihan Philippine Dance
Company as The Philippines National Folk Dance Company. Since then Bayanihan has won 6 Grand
prizes in World Dance competitions.