NATIONAL LIVING

TREASURES
GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG
BAYAN
•The National Living Treasures, also known
as the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or
GaMaBa, is an award to honor Filipino
artists’ contributions to indigenous art in
support of traditional folk arts that is
uniquely Filipino and
 preserve their crafts and skills
•It also recognizes their mastery of their
medium and technique, craftsmanship,
contribution to the community,
excellence in artistic quality, and their
character and integrity.
•The categories of traditional folk arts
included in the GaMaBa are folk
architecture, maritime transport,
 weaving, carving, performing arts,
literature, graphic and plastic arts,
ornament, textile or fiber art, pottery,
and other artistic expressions of
traditional culture.
•The GaMaBa was formalized through the
Republic Act No. 7355 in 1992
• The National Living
Treasures logo “represents
the human form used in
traditional cloth”. The
Baybayin script written
below the logo translates to
“Manlilikha ng Bayan”.
• According to Republic Act
No. 7355, to be a Manlililkha ng Bayan, the following
criteria must be met:
• Technical and creative skill – The candidate must possess a mastery of the 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;

• Artistic quality – The work of the candidate must be outstanding aesthetically, and
he/she must have consistently produced over a significant period, works of superior
quality;

• Community tradition – The candidate must have transferred and/or willing to

transfer to other members of the community, skills in the folk art for which the
community has become nationally known.

• Folk art tradition – The candidate must have engaged in a folk art tradition that has
been in existence and documented for at least fifty (50) years; and
• Character and integrity – As a precious treasure of the country, the candidate must
command the respect and admiration of the country for his character and integrity.
• A member of the National Living Treasures is awarded
with the following privileges and incentives:
• A plaque or medal for the awardee and a duplicate to be
displayed in his/her province’s museum or largest cultural
center;
• A ₱100,000 grant and a ₱10,000 monthly lifetime
emolument;
• A documentation of samples of their works to be filed,
photographed, and preserved;
• Programs, courses, and workshops on his/her craft or
practice to be offered in the nearest arts school to ensure
the preservation of his/her skills
• A feasibility study to convert the awardee’s art into a
business initiated by the Department of Trade and
 Industry in collaboration with private investors;
• Invitation to cultural events to commemorate the
significance of traditional Filipino Arts.

Thank you for

listening!