CONTEMPORARY

PHILIPPINE ARTS
FROM THE REGIONS
NATIONAL ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
JOHN LESTER L. FELISILDA
 MOTIVATION

“What if one day you woke up as a famous international artist, and you will be accepting a
prestigious award for the arts you have made? How does recognition affect an artist like you? What do
you think are the positive and negative effects of these recognitions?”

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the Conferment of

the Presidential Medal of Merit, 2018
Philippine Heritage Awards, Gawad sa Manlilikha
ng Bayan (GAMABA)

GOALS

a. Identify the Filipinos who are honored the Order of National Artists;
b. Explain Filipino artists’ roles and identify their contributions to contemporary arts;
c. Explain the criteria and qualifications for naming the national artist;
d. Appreciate efforts of individuals in pursuit of the development of arts and letters;
e. Value the honor and prestige of the award given to such artists by the government; and
f. Create a meaningful message for the National Artist you admire the most.
 OVERVIEW

Contemporary Filipino artists play an important role in enlightening the people. The contribution
of exemplary artists in nation building is duly recognized through the Order of National Artists.
Conferment of the award is the country’s highest honor given to outstanding individuals in the arts. The
NCCA and the CCP are the government institutions that are tasked to facilitate the process of
nomination and selection of national artists. Since 1972, the award has recognized Filipinos who have
dedicated their lives in the production and promotion of Philippine arts.

ACTIVATED LEARNING

What is the National Artists Award?

The National Artist Award (NAA) bestows the highest form of recognition to Filipino artists for
their significant contributions in the arts and letters. The award is conferred every three years through a
rigorous deliberation and selection process jointly facilitated by two major cultural offices, the National
Commission on Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The national artist then became part of the prestigious roster of the Order of National Artists.
NCCA and CCP jointly administer the nomination and selection of the chosen exemplary artists, who
are conferred by the President of the country.
In 1972, Presidential Proclamation No. 1001, s. 1972 created and established “the Award and
Decoration of National Artist.” This law enabled the government “to give appropriate recognition and
prestige to Filipinos who have distinguished themselves and made outstanding contributions to the
Philippine arts and letters.”

Reflect upon!

“How does recognition affect an artist? What are

the positive and negative effects of recognition?”
What Does It Take to Be a National Artist?
The qualifications for a Filipino to be nominated and selected are very stringent. Here are the
qualifications for the National Artist award.

1. Living artists who are natural-born Filipino citizens at the time of nomination, as well as those
who died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of their
death. Filipinos who have lost and reacquired Filipino citizenship, through dual citizenship status for at
least the minimum period of five years, shall be eligible for nomination.

2. Artists who through the content and form of their works have contributed in building a Filipino
sense of nationhood.

3. Artists who have pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style, thus earning distinction
and making an impact on succeeding generations of artists.

4. Artists who have created a substantial and significant body of works and/or consistently
displayed excellence in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic expression or style.

5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through the following:

5.1. Prestigious national and/or international recognition, such as the Gawad CCP para
sa Sining, CCP Thirteen Artists Award, and NCCA Alab ng Haraya

5.2. Critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works

5.3. Respect and esteem from peers

What Does The Award Give?
As national artist of the Philippines, the individual is recognized of his or her contribution to
Philippine arts. According to the NCCA, the national artist will be given the following:

1. The rank and the title of the National Artist, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines.

2. The National Artist gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
and citation.

3. Lifetime emolument and material and physical benefits comparable in value to those received
by the highest officers of the land such as the following:

3.1. A minimum cash award of two hundred thousand pesos (Php 200,000.00), net of
taxes for living awardees, and a minimum cash award of one hundred fifty thousand pesos (Php
150,000.00), net of taxes for posthumous awardees, payable to legal heir(s)

3.2. A minimum lifetime personal monthly stipend of thirty thousand pesos (Php
30,000.00)

3.3. Life insurance coverage for awardees who are still insurable

3.4. A state funeral benefit not exceeding Php 500,000.00

4. A place of honor, in line with protocolar precedence, in state functions, national

commemoration ceremonies, and all other cultural presentations.
Reflect upon!

Put yourselves in the shoes of a National Artist. How would you feel if you were one? What would you do
to promote the arts?

The National Artist Insignia

On the right is the insignia of the Order of
National Artists. It is a Grand Collar adorned by
circular links representing the arts. The main
medallion commemorates the sun and the colors of
the Philippine flag. The highly stylized three letter
Ks (I) stand for “katotohanan, kabutihan at
kagandahan”

Insignia of the Order of the National

Artist
The Order of National Artists aims to recognize:

1.The Filipino artists who have made significant contributions to the cultural
heritage of the country.
2.The Filipino artistic accomplishment at its highest level and to promote creative
expression as significant to the development of a national cultural identity.
3.The Filipino artists who have dedicated their lives to their works to forge new
paths and directions for future generations of Filipino artists.

The following are the seven categories under which National Artists can be
recognized:

1. Literature – poetry, fiction, essay, playwriting, journalism and/or literary

criticism.
2. Film and Broadcasting / Broadcast Arts – direction, writing, production
design, cinematography, editing, camera work, and/or performance; and
3. Architecture, Design and Allied Arts– architecture design, interior design,
industrial arts design, landscape architecture and fashion design.
4. Music - singing, composition, direction, and/or performance.
5. Dance - choreography, direction and/or performance.
6. Theater – direction, performance and/or production design.
7. Visual Arts – painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation
art, mixed media works, illustration, graphic arts, performance art and/or
imaging;

Who Are Named National Artists of the Philippines?

The following are the talented Filipino artists in the fields of music, dance, theater, visual arts,
literature, film, broadcast arts, and architecture given the honor of being part of the National Artists:
Reflect upon!

“Which art form do you think should have the most number of National Artist Awardees? Why?”