Philippine National Living Treasures

(GAMABA)

➢ Republic Act 7355

○ This Law provides for the recognition of national living
treasures, otherwise known as GAMABA.
○ Through this law the National Commission for Culture and the
Arts (NCCA) conducts the highest 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.
➢ GAMABA
○ National Living Treasure Awards
○ Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Award

HOW DOES ONE BECOME A MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN:

○ 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.
○ Engaged in a folk art tradition that has been in existence and
documented for at least 50 years.
○ Must have consistently performed or produced over a significant
period, works of superior and distinctive quality.
○ 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.
○ 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 has left him/her incapable
of teaching further his/her craft, may still be recognized if:
○ had created a significant body of works and/or has consistently
displayed excellence in the practice of his/her art, thus
achieving important contributions for its development.
○ has been instrumental in the revitalization of his/her
community’s artistic tradition.

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GAMABA

○ has passed on to the other members of the community skills in

the folk art for which the community is traditionally known
○ community has recognized him/her as master and teacher of
his/her craft

BENEFITS OF A GAMABA ARTIST:

○ A GAMABA awardee enjoys the same privileges as a National
Artist awardee:
 a gold-plated medal from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
 a cash award of P200,000
 a lifetime stipend of P50,000
 medical and hospitalization benefits of P750,000 a year
 a state funeral
 room in Libingan ng Mga Bayani (should they choose), and a
place of honor in state functions.

8 CATEGORIES IN GAMABA:
○ Architecture
○ Marine Transportation
○ Weaving/Carving
○ Performing Arts
○ Literature
○ Graphic and Plastic Arts
○ Textile
○ Pottery

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NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
LITERATURE

NATIONAL LIVING ARTIST FOR LITERATURE

➢ Ginaw Bilog (1953-2003)
 Year of Conferment: 1993
 Ethnicity: Hanunoo Mangyan
 Location: Mansalay Oriental Mindoro, Central Philippines
 Expertise:
□ Surat Mangyan: Oldest text in South East Asia
□ Ambahan Poetry: A form of a poetic literature which is
made up of seven syllable lines used to communicate
messages through metaphors and imagery.
□ Ambahan is often sung and contains various messages.
○ First GAMABA artist to be awarded
○ 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.
➢ Federico Caballero
 Year of Conferment: 2000
 Ethnicity: Sulod
 Location: Bukidnon/Calinog, Iloilo Panay Island, Central
Philippines
 Expertise: Chanting the sugidnon epic of the Panay Bukidnon.
○ Epic chanter who persistently works for the documentation of
oral literature.
○ His contribution is in the recording of the dying oral literature.
○ Able to document 10 epics in a language that is no longer spoken.
○ Worked with the Bureau Nonformal Education and traveled to
many places in the country to persuade the elders of the
importance of learning how to read and write.
○ He is considered as a bantugan a person who has achieved
distinction.
○ Manughusay is an intermediary of conflicts.

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NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
PERFORMANCE

➢ Masino Intaray (1938-present)

 Year of Conferment: 2000
 Ethnicity: Pala'wan
 Location: Brookes Point, Palawan Island, Central Philippines
 Expertise:
□ Lyrical poems (Kulilal, basal, and bagit)
□ Playing their accompanying instruments
□ Epic chanting and story telling
○ 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 : Basal, Kulilal, and Bagit.
○ He is unparalleled creative talent, powerful memory, clear
intellect, and profound spiritually allowed him to chant
majestically countless tuturan (myths), tultul (epics), sudsungit
(narratives)
○ His influence is making these pieces of ancient knowledge
accessible to today's artists.
➢ Samaon Sulaiman (1953-2011)
 Year of Conferment: 1993
 Ethnicity: Magindanao
 Location: Mamasapano, Maguindanao, Western Mindanao
island, Southern Philippines.
 Expertise: Playing Kudyapi
○ He is a master and teacher of kudyapi in Libutan and other
barangays of Maganoy town, Maguindanao, Mindanao.
○ Kudyapi is one of the most sophisticated Philippine Musical
Instruments.
○ He was also highly skilled in handling other Philippine traditional
instruments such as the: Kulintang, agong, gandingan, palendag,
and tambul.

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NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
PERFORMANCE

➢ Alonzo Saclag (1941-present)

 Year of Conferment: 2000
 Ethnicity: Kalinga
 Location: Lubuagan, Kalinga, Northern Luzon island, Northern
Philippines
 Expertise: Playing Kalinga musical instruments: Dance
patterns and movements associated with rituals.
○ He is a master of dance and the performing arts.
○ His contribution to folk art and culture is in heading the
establishments of the prestigious Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe
that tours here and abroad to represent and initiate Kalinga
performing arts.
➢ Uwang Ahadas
 Year of Conferment: 2000
 Ethnicity: Yakan
 Location: Lamitan, Basilan Island, Southern Philippines.
 Expertise: Playing Yakan Musical Instruments.
○ He has near blindness, but his disability does not hinder him
from honing his craft.
○ His disability drew him to music, which is his constant companion.
○ He is also 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.

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NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
CRAFTS
➢ Lang Dulay (1928-2015)
 Year of Conferment: 1998
 Ethnicity: T'boli
 Location: Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Mindanao, Southern
Philippines
 Expertise: Tinalak Weaving
○ She was a master weaver

○ She started honing her skills at the young age of 12.

○ She was famous for using traditional Filipino materials such as
abaca fibers weaved into T'nalak cloth.
○ She was widely known for her distinct design such as the kabangi
(butterfly), bankiring (hair bangs), and the bulinglangit (clouds).
○ The weaving of Lang Dulay and her people inspired the 2014
Cinemalaya film K'na the Dreamweaver
➢ Salinta Monon (1920-2009)
 Year of Conferment: 1998
 Ethnicity: Tagabawa Bagobo
 Location: Bansalan, Davao del Sur, Southeastern Mindanao
Island, Southern Philippines.
 Expertise: Inabal Weaving
○ She was a very talented weaver.

○ She used abaca-ikat weaving, or weaving using fiber from the

abaca plant to create very detailed ornate design.
○ Binuwaya (crocodile) is considered to be Monon's beloved design
which was the most difficult to weave.
○ Her contribution to contemporary art was her dedication and
perseverance in creating weaving that represented Bagobo
culture

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NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
CRAFTS

➢ Darhata Sawabi (Birth year unknown-2005)

▪ Year of Conferment: 2004
▪ Ethnicity: Tausug
▪ Location: Parang, Sulu Southern Philippines
▪ Expertise: Pis Syabit weaving
○ A textile weaver from the humble barangay
of Parang in Jolo, Sulu.
○ Sawabi was a Tausug famous for the Pis
Syabit which is customary cloth worn as a
hood by the Filipino Tausugs.
○ She was also a teacher, sharing her
knowledge with the women in her community.
➢ Eduardo Mutuc (1949-present)
 Year of Conferment: 2004
 Ethnicity: Kapampangan
 Location: Apalit, Pampanga, Central Luzon island, Northern
Philippines.
 Expertise: Silver plating of religious secular art
○ He is an exceptional Filipino sculptor
who works with silver, bronze, and
wood, crafting religious and layman
artworks.
○ His masterpieces add charm and
luxury to every home and monument.
○ His contribution to contemporary art
in the Philippines is in his opulent
craftmanship that graces the places of worship of many Filipino
faithful.

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 NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
CRAFTS

➢ Haja Amina Appi (1925-2013)

 Year of Conferment: 2012
 Ethnicity: Sama
 Location: Tandubwas, Tawi-Tawi, Southern
Philippines.
 Expertise: Mat weaving
○ She is a member of the Sama indigenous community.
○ She was a master mat weaver from the small
community of Ungos Matata, Tandubwas, Tawi-Tawi.
○ Her flamboyant mats with their intricate geometric arrangements
displayed her particular sense of proportion and color sensitivity.
○ She was highly esteemed throughout her community for her
distinctive designs and the refinement of sasa and kima-kima.
➢ Teofilo Garcia (1941-2012)
 Year of Conferment: 2012
 Ethnicity: Ilocano
 Location: San Quintin, Abra, Northern Luzon island, Northern
Philippines
 Expertise: Gourd Casque making
○ He is a master artisan, farmer, and
innovator.
○ He is recognized for his beautifully
crafted casque or tabungaw, a distinctive
and functional headpiece that he made to
safeguard him from the harsh rays of the sun and from the rain.
○ His contribution to contemporary arts is the integration of his craft
in Abra's harvest festival.
➢ Magdalena Gamayo
 Year of Conferment: 2012
 Ethnicity: Ilocano
 Location: Pinili, Ilocos Norte, Northern Luzon island, Northern
Philippines
 Expertise: Inabel Weaving

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NATIONAL LIVING TREASURE FOR
CRAFTS

○ She is an Ilocano textile weaver of the abel, the traditional

blanket.
○ She has mastered the traditional patterns of sinan-sabong
(flowers), kusikos, (spirals), and the binakol inuritan (geometric).
○ Gamayo's exemplary craftmanship contributes to contemporary
art as the weaving tradition in Ilocos continues to flourish.

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