THE NATIONAL LIVING TREASURES OF THE
PHILIPPINES / GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG
BAYAN)
The National Living Treasures Award,
alternatively known as the Gawad sa Manlilikha
ng Bayan (GAMABA) is conferred to a person or
group of artists recognized by the Government
of the Philippines for their contributions to the
country's intangible and tangible cultural
heritage. The National Living Treasures
institutionalized in 1992 through Republic Act
No. 7355. Award was
The National Commission for Culture and the
Arts (NCCA), which is the highest policy-making
and coordinating body of the Philippines for
culture and the arts, was tasked with the
implementation.
ABSTRACTION:
A recipient of the award, known as a National
Living Treasures or Manlilikha ng Bayan is
defined as "a Filipino citizen or group of Filipino
citizens engaged in any traditional art uniquely
Filipino, whose distinctive skills have reached
such a high level of technical and artistic
excellence and have been passed on to and
widely practiced by the present generations in
their community with the same degree of
technical and artistic competence."
CATEGORIES OF THE GAMABA
1. Folk architecture
2.Maritime transport
3. Weaving
4. Carving
5. Performing arts
6. Literature
7. Graphic and Plastic art
8. Ornament
9. Textile or fiber art
10. Pottery
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF NATIONAL LIVING
TREASURES
1. He/she is 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.
2. He/she must have engaged in a folk art
tradition that has been in existence and
documented for at least fifty (50) years.
3. He/she must have consistently performed or
produced over a significant period, works of
superior and distinctive quality.
4. He/she 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.
5. He/she 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.
PRIVILEGES OF A GAMABA
Citation
Uwang Ahadas is the exemplary musician of the
Yakan of Lamitan, Basilan whose expertise dwell
in playing the indigenous instrument called
kulintangan.
Uwang Ahadas teaches his community people
the skill of playing the kulintangan to preserve
the indigenous music. He started at teaching his
children and later on to his community. Despite
of having a defect in his eyesight and dimming
vision, he managed to preserve and promote
the music of the Yakan.

Gold plated medal

Cash Award AMBALANG AUSALIN

200,000-living awardee Year of Conferment: 2016

150,00 - posthumous Tribe:Yakan

50,000 monthly pension Origin: Parangbasak, Lamitan City, Basilan

750,000-yearly medical & hospitalization Expertise: Tennun Weaving

benefits
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving
Life Insurance
The Yakans of Basilan are known to be among
Funeral & Burial Expenses the finest weavers in the Southern Mindanao.
Weaving is an extremely important craft in the
Place of honor at the state function.
Yakan community. With this, the Yakan weaving
tradition is best personified by a weaver in the
name of Ambalang Ausalin.
THE GAMABA AWARDEES
Ausalin is a Tennun weaver. The word Tennun
UWANG AHADAS generally means wooven cloth, and used in
making the Yakan dress. To preserve this art,
Year of Conferment: 2000
Ausalin is teaching the young generation of this
Tribe: Yakan art.

Origin: Lamitan, Basilan, Mindanao

Manlilikha ng Bayan for Traditional Performing GINAW BILOG

Arts
Year of Conferment: 1993

Tribe: Hanunuo Mangyan

Origin: Oriental Mindoro, Visayas
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Folk Literature And
Performing Arts
Ginaw Bilog is an advocate of preserving the
traditional poetry of his tribe called Ambahan.
Ambahan is a kind of poem consisting of seven-
syllable lines most of the time contains
messages of love and friendship. This poem is
passed on from generation using singing the
lines or etching them on bamboo tubes.
MASINO INTARAY
Year of Conferment: 1993
Tribe: Pala'wan
Origin: Brookes Point, Palawan, Visayas
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Traditional Performing
Arts
Masino Intaray came from the indigenous
community in southern Palawan called the
Pala'wan. Intaray was a musician and poet with
expertise in the basal, kulilal, and bagit.
Basal - (or gong) is a kind of musical ensemble
played during the Tambilaw - a ritual of rice
sharing among the Palawan people as an
offering to the Lord of Rice, and Tinapay - a rice
wine-drinking ceremony.
Kulilal - is a lyrical poem about love being sung
to the accompaniment of kusyapi, two-stringed
lute.
Bagit - an instrumental music reflecting the
sound and movement of nature.
SAMAON SULAIMAN
Year of Conferment: 1993
Tribe: Maguindanaoan
Origin: Mamasapano, Mindanao
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Traditional Performing
Arts
Samaon Sulaiman is a Maguindanaon musicial
from Mamasapano, Maguindanao. He is a
master in playing the kutyapi, a two- stringed
plucked lute
The kutyapi is one of the most difficult to
master indigenous Filipino instrument, but
Samaon Sulaiman was able to play it with grace
and exemplary talent. He influenced and taught
other community people to play the kutyapi as
well which kept the playing alive in Mindanao.
LANG DULAY (Dream Weaver)
Year of Conferment: 1996
Tribe:T'boli
Origin: Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Mindanao
Manlilika ng Bayan for Textile Weaving
Lang Dulay is a T'nalak weaver from the
indigenous community of the T'Boli in Lake
Sebu, South Cotabato. She started weaving at
the age of 12 and became master weaver who
passed on the art of T'nalak weaving to her
grandchildren.
T'nalak is a kind of fabric made up of fine abaca
fibers weaved with different designs that reflect
the T'Boli tradition.
SALINTA MONON FEDERICO CABALLERO

Year of Conferment: 1998 Year of Conferment: 2000

Tribe:Tagabawa Bagobo Tribe: Sulod Bukidnon

Origin: Bansalan, Davao Del Sur, Mindanao Origin: Iloilo, Visayas

Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving Manlilikha ng Bayan for Literature

Salinta Monon is a Bagobo textile weaver from
Bansalan, Davao del Sur. She started weaving at
the age of 12 through the guidance of her
mother.
The traditional Bagobo fabrics which are made
up of abaca fibers is the product of Salita. Due
to her high quality textiles and their intricate
designs, Salita garnered the reputation of being
the best weaver in her community.
Federico Caballero is a Sulod-Bukidnon epic
chanter who preserved his community's oral
tradition by tediously documenting 10 epics of
his ancestors that are in near danger of
disappearance. These epics, which tell stories
about mythical heroes and their marvelous
adventures, reflects the rich cultural heritage of
Panay-Bukidnon.
10 EPICS OF THE SULOK-BUKIDNON

1. Tikum Kadlum

ALONZO SACLAG 2. Amburukuy

Year of Conferment: 2000 3. Derikaryong Pada

Tribe: Kalinga 4. Balanakon

Origin: Lubuagan, Kalinga, Luzon Expertise: 5. Kalampay

Kalinga Performing Arts
6. Pahagunong
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Traditional Performing
Arts 7. Sinagnayan

Alonzo Saclag is a master of dance and 8. Humadapnon

performing arts from Kalinga. 9. Nagbuhis
Through his efforts of lobbying to the local 10.Alayaw
government for about two years, he managed
to convince the to convert the abandoned
provincial capitol building into a museum that
DARHATA SAWABI
contains Kalinga artifacts including traditional
musical instruments. He also campaigned for Year of Conferment: 2004
the use of local costumes to school events.
Tribe: Tausug
Origin: Parang, Sulu, Mindanao
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving
Darhata Sawabi is a pis siyabit weaver from
Barangay Parang, Jolo, Sulu. Pis siyabit is a
square multi-colored traditional cloth that serve
as the head cover of the Tausug of Jolo.
Traditionally, it is used as clothing ornament or
headdress of the Tausug men that symbolizes
the weaver's rank in the society. However, in
the contemporary period, even women wear
the cloth accessories in traditional functions.
EDUARDO MUTUC
Year of Conferment: 2004
Tribe: Kapampangan
Origin: Apalit, Pampanga, Luzon
Expertise: Metalsmith/religious sculptor
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Metal Work
Eduardo Mutuc is a metalsmith from Apalit,
Pampanga, who created numerous wood-
carving and metal art with religious and secular
themes. He started woodcarving house
furniture when he was 29. Mutuc's artworks
added splendor to the Church design. He
perfected his art and transferred the skills to his
students.
HAJA AMINA APPI
Year of Conferment: 2004
Tribe: Sama
Origin: Tanduban, Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao
Expertise: Mat Weaving
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving
Haja Amina Appi is the master mat weaver of
the Sama indigenous community from Tawi-
tawi. Mat weaving is one of the treasured
traditions of the Sama people.
Their mat is made up of Pandan leaves which
undergo tedious processes from stripping to
sun drying, to dyeing up to weaving. The
traditional mat weaving of Sama will never be
lost because Haja Amina already taught her
female descendants the art of mat weaving.
TEOFILO GARCIA
Year of Conferment: 2012
Tribe: Ilocano
Origin: San Quintin, Abra, Luzon
Expertise: Tabungaw
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Hat Weaving
Teofilo Garcia is an Ilocano casque maker from
San Quintin, Abra. He is known for crating high
quality and functional headpiece called
tabungaw.
The tabungaw that Teofilo makes is made up of
native gourd called upo, rattan, and bamboo. To
pass on the art of making tabungaws, Teofilo
teaches his children the skills in making the
craft.
MAGDALENA GAMAYO
Year of Conferment: 2012
Tribe: Ilocano community's burning passion. She also mentors
young weavers in her community.
Origin: Pinili, Ilocos Norte, Luzon

Expertise: Abel Weaving

Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving
Magdalena Gamayo is an Ilocano master
weaver who came from Pinili, Ilocos Norte. Her
expertise dwell in weaving high quality Ilocos'
textile called inabel.
Inabel is a kind of blanket made up of cotton
weaved in different patterns. To preserve the
art of abel weaving in Ilocos, she mentored
community people including her cousin's
daughter-in- law and her sister-in-law.
ESTELITA BANTILLAN
YABING MASALON DULO
Year of Conferment: 2018
Tribe: B'laan
Origin: Mount Matutum, Polomolok, South
Cotabato, Mindanao
Expertise: Mabal Tabih Weaving
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving
At the age of 14, Fu Yabing created two
masterpieces of "ikat" Both in good condition,
her masterpieces are either displayed at the
National Museum or kept in her possession.

Year of Conferment: 2018 Fu Yabing did not just transfer the craft of ikat
to her only daughter, but also to a few women
Tribe: Blaan who want to preserve the tradition of weaving
in their community.
Origin: Malapatan, Saranggani, Mindanao
Fu Yabing is the last known living Ikat cultural
Expertise: B'laan Weaving master in South Cotabato.
Manlilikha ng Bayan for Textile Weaving

Estelita Tumandan Bantilan hails from

Sarangani. Bantilan started showing her interest
in B'laan weaving. Since then, she has been
creating exceptional mats using naturally dyed
romblon leaves.

In her old age, Estelita began to be called by a

new nickname, Princess; a worthy avatar of the
entire community's artistic heritage. Princess
does not separate herself from the rest while
she knows she is good. The art of B'laan
weaving is still being practiced and thus it
produces more products because of her