National Artists

For Dance
Francisca
Reyes
Aquino
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
MAJOR WORKS
STYLE
CRITICAL RECEPTION
 Leonor
Orosa
Goquingco
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
MAJOR WORKS
STYLE
CRITICAL RECEPTION
Lucrecia
Reyes
Urtula
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
She was a choreographer, dance educator,
and researcher from Iloilo city. She spent al
most four decades in the discovery and stud
y of Philippine Folk and Ethnic Dances. She
was exposed to the indigenous groups in th
e Philippines at a very young age because of
her father’s military tours and duty.
 EDUCATION
She finished her Bachelor of Science in
Physical Education degree at the Philippine
Women’s University and pursued further
training at the Martha Graham School of
Modern Dance in New York City, the
Hanayagi School in Japan, and San
Francisco State College in the 1950’s.
 EDUCATION

She earned her Doctorate in Theater

Management in dance at the
Polytechnic University of the
Philippines in 1985.
 MAJOR WORKS
Among the widely acclaimed
dances she had staged were the
following: Singkil, a Bayanihan signature
number based on a Maranao epic poem;
Vinta, a dance honoring Filipino sailing p
rowess; Tagabili, a tale of tribal conflict ;
 MAJOR WORKS

Pagdiwata, a four-day harvest festival

condensed into a six-minute breath-
taking spectacle; Salidsid, a mountain
wedding dance; Idaw, Banga and Aires de
Verbana.
 AWARDS
She received the Republic Cultural
Heritage Award in 1963 and the
Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan
Award in 1973. She was accorded the
title of
Bai Kiokmay by the Mandaya and
Manobo tribes in 1976.
 AWARDS

She was bestowed the title “National

Artist for Dance” because of her
contribution to the enrichment of
Philippine folk and ethnic dances.
 STYLE
His Adeptness at creating well-structured
plots have earned the respect of foreign
and local writers. His crisp dialogue which
spoke of the Filipino sensibility in English
and his well-developed characters
rendered commentaries on the evolving
challenges of Filipino after the Second
World War.
CRITICAL RECEPTION
Ramon
Obusan
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Ramon Ubusan was born in June 16,
1938 and died in December 21,2006.
He was a
teacher at the Aklan National High Shool
of Fisheries before becoming a dancer
and researcher of the Bayanihan Dance
Company. He then founded the Ramon
Obusan Folkloric Group.
 EDUCATION

He was a scholar who held degrees

in marine biology and culturual
anthropology from the University
of
the Philippines.
*Kayaw ’68 and
MAJOR
Kayaw ‘74 WORKS
*Ksaysayan ng
Lahi
*Kaamulan
*Noon po sa amin
*American Ninja
*Banawe
 AWARDS

*Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan

in 1992
*The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in
1993
 STYLE

Obusan endeavoured to present

Philippine dances in an authentic
manner which included using
authentic attire and music, which
he derived from the researchers.
Alice
Reyes
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
She was born in 1940 into a
musical family her mother
Adoracion was a noted voice
teacher, while her father Ricardo
was once called Mr. Philippine Folk
Dancer—Reyes seemed
predestined for a life in dance.
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
She was in the original Bayanihan
Dance Company world tour that
performed in Brussels and on
Broadway in
New York. She was also a dancer,
choreographer, teacher, and a
director from Manila. She grew up in
an artistic
 EDUCATION
She took up lessons in classical ballet under
Rosalia Merino while studying at Maryknoll
College where she completed a Bachelor of
Arts degree in History and Foreign Services.
Soon after, she took post-graduate studies at
Ateneo de Manila University. She further
trained under the guidance of Leonor Orosa
Goquingco and Ricardo Casell of the
Philippine Women's University (PWU).
 EDUCATION
In addition, she took up folk dance at
the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk
Dance Company. Thinking of
deepening her professional studies,
she went to America and enrolled in
formal courses in modern dance and
jazz.
 EDUCATION
She received a scholarship from the Music
Promotion Foundation of the Philippines, and
subsequently garnered Hanya Holm and
Sarah Lawrence scholarship as well as
grants
from the JDR III Fund, enabling her to
complete a master’s degree in fine arts,
major in dance at the Sarah Lawrence
College. Her
 MAJOR WORKS
*Amada (1969)
*At a Maranaw Gathering (1970)
*Itim-Asu (1971)
*Tales of the Manuvu (1977)
*Rama Hari (1980)
*Bayanihan Remembered (1987)
 AWARDS
She receives numerous awards,
including Chevalier des Ordre des
Arts et Lettres from French
Government, the Gold Medal of
Culture from Taiwan, and the
Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining in
1989.
 AWARDS

She then received last June 20,

2014 from President Aquino the
highest award in the Arts, National
Artist of the Philippines.
 AWARDS

Obusan endeavoured to present

Philippine dances in an authentic
manner which included using
authentic attire and music, which
he derived from the researchers.
 STYLE
She was chiefly responsible in
popularizing contemporary dance
as she organized Ballet Philippines
and staged the first modern dance
concert at the Cultural Center of
the Philippines Main Theater on
February, 1970.
 STYLE
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
National Artists
For Theater
Lamberto
V.
Avellana
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
 EDUCATION
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 MAJOR WORKS
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 AWARDS
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 STYLE
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 CRITICAL RECEPTION
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
Honorata
“Atang”
de la
Rama
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 EDUCATION
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 MAJOR WORKS
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 AWARDS
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 STYLE
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
 CRITICAL RECEPTION
She is best known for "Bungkos
Suite", "Carmen", "Carmina
Burana", "Romeo and Juliet",
"Rama Hari", "Cinderella"—all
nuanced with Filipino culture,
gesture and grace.
Wilfrido
Ma.
Guerrero
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
He was a playwright, director,
teacher and theatre artist from
Ermita, Manila. Guerrero wrote
well over 100 plays, 41 of which
have been published. His
unpublished plays have either
been broadcast over the radio or
staged in various parts of the
 EDUCATION

He studied at the Ateneo de

Manila University, at the University
of the Philippines, and briefly, at
Columbia University.
 MAJOR WORKS
His plays can be found in various
anthologies: 13 plays (first
published in 1947), 8 other plays
(1952), 7 more plays (1962), 12
new plays (1975) , my favorite 11
plays(1976), 4 latest plays(1980),
and Retribution and eight other
selected plays(1990).
 MAJOR WORKS
Guerrero also published a family
memoir, The Guerreros of
Ermita(1988). Half an Hour in a
Convent, Wanted: A Chaperon,
Condemned, Deep in my Heart,
Three Rats, Our Strange Ways, and
The Forsaken House.
 AWARDS

Guerrero received three national

awards, the Rizal Pro-Patria Award
in 1961, the Araw ng Maynila
Award in 1969, and the Republic
Cultural Heritage Award in 1972.
 AWARDS

The U.P. Mobile Theater received

two awards when he was director,
The Citizen's Council for Mass
Media Trophy (1966) and the
Balagtas Award (1969).
 STYLE
His Adeptness at creating well-
structured plots have earned the
respect of foreign and local writers. His
crisp dialogue which spoke of the
Filipino sensibility in English and his
well-developed characters rendered
commentaries on the evolving
challenges of Filipino after the Second
World War.
CRITICAL RECEPTION
Rolando
S.
Tinio
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
He is a Philippine National Artist for
Theater and Literature, he was born
in Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila on
March 5, 1937. His contribution to
Philippine literature and theater is
immense. His contributions include
establishing the Filipino Department
of Ateneo de Manila.
 EDUCATION
He graduated as with honors (a
magna cum laude achiever) with a
degree in Philosophy from the
Royal and the Pontifical University
of Santo Tomas at age 18 in 1955
and an M.F.A degree in creative
writing: Poetry from the State
University of Iowa.
 MAJOR WORKS
Among his works are : Now and
Forever, Gamitin mo Ako, Bayad
Puri, Milagros, Ang Mestisa, Ako,
Ang Kiri, Ana Maria, Orosman at
Zafira, and Larawan the Musical.
He recognized for his excellent
works. He wrote “Rage and
Ritual”(poot at ritwal).
 AWARDS
Carlos Palanca Memorial Award
for:
Poetry(1973), one-act
play(1984,1975,1973), One-act
play in Filipino (1972), Poetry in
Filipino (1989), Essay in
Filipino(1989), Full-Length Play
(1993), Screenplay in Filipino
 STYLE
In the 60’s , he explored using
Tagalog for his works and came to
be known as the prime mover of
”Taglish” through his famous poem
“Valediction sa Hillcrest” and ”Sa
Poetry”.
 STYLE
He was known for his translation
of classical Western plays into
Tagalog which was staged by
Teatro Filipino where he was
artistic director from 1975 to
19992.
 CRITICAL RECEPTION
He translated works of
Euripedes, Shakespeare,
Chekhov, Camus, Wilde,
Ionesco, and other well-known
drama classics.
 Daisy
Avellana
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Daisy H. Avellana was born on
January 6, 1917 in Roxas City,
Philippines as Daisy Hontiveros.
She is known for her work on A
Portrait of the Artist as Filipino
(1965), Pag-asa (1951) and Sakay
(1939).
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
She was married to Lamberto V.
Avellana. She died on May 12,
2013 in Manila, Philippines. She is
one of our country’s great theater
couple along with his husband. An
actress, director, and playwright,
Ms. Avellana was known as
Philippine Theater’s First Lady.
 EDUCATION
She earned an arts degree in
Philosophy from the University of
the Philippines in 1937, and the
following year earned a Master of
Arts degree in Literature from the
University of Santo Tomas (UST).
 MAJOR WORKS
Her biological book, The Drama of
It: A Life on Film and Theater.
She performed in plays like
Othello, Macbeth in Black, and for
local productions, including Pag-
asa (1951) and Kundiman ng Lahi
(1959).
 MAJOR WORKS

She collaborated with her husband

in projects like the film version of
A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino
and sakay which won accolades
from various award-giving bodies.
 MAJOR WORKS

She directed the opera Diego

Silang (1968) and the zarzuela
Walang Sugat (1971).
 AWARDS
*National Artist Awards for theater and film
*FAMAS Awards Best Actress: A portrait of
the Artist as Filipino. (1965)
*Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award
(1966)
*The Tandang Sora Award for Theater
(1981),
 AWARDS
*Gintong Ina for Theater (1988),
*Gawad CCP para sa Sining (Dulaan)
1990
*CCP Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas
Parangal Sentenyal Sa Sining at Kultura
(1999).
 STYLE
Aside from acting, she was also a
director. According to the CCP
Encyclopedia for the Arts, Ms.
Avellana directed, acted, produced
and adapted plays for radio, TV
and the stage for the Guild.
Severino
Montano
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
He is considered as one of the
Titans of Philippine Theater. He
was a playwright, director, actor
and theater organizer with an
output of one novel, 150 poems
and 50 plays in his 65-year
lifetime.
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Through the foundation of the
Arena Theater, Montano
institutionalized “legitimate
theater” in the Philippines. He also
have lifetime achievement award
as part of National Artist of the
Philippines.
 EDUCATION

He studied at the University of the

Philippines. He was conferred a
Master of Fine Arts degree in
playwriting and production by Yale
University.
 EDUCATION
In1946, he went to London to
become a student of economist
Harold Laski of the London School
of Economics. Not long after, he
was offered a teaching job at the
American University in
Washington, D.C.
 EDUCATION
There, he finished his M.A. in
Economic and Ph.D. in
management and public
administration, at the same time
leading a playwriting-drama
program as professor, playwright
and play director.
 MAJOR WORKS
His published works include: The
Love of Leonor Rivera, But Not My
Sons Any Longer, Gabriela Silang,
The Merry Wives of manila, The
Ladies and the Senator, and
Parting at Calamba.
 AWARDS
His awards include the Kalinangan
Award from the city of Manila
(1968), the Presidential Award for
Merit in Drama and Theater
(1961), the Citizen’s Committee
for Mass Media Award (1967 and
1968),
 AWARDS

the Pamulinawen Award (1981),

and the National Artist Award
(2001). The last two awards were
given posthumously.
Salvador
F. Bernal
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
He is a theater designer, he was
born on Jan. 7, 1945 in Dagupan
City,
Pangasinan. He designed more
than 300 productions
distinguished
for their originality since 1969.
 EDUCATION

He earned a philosophy degree in

1966 from the Ateneo de Manila.
 MAJOR WORKS
Among his groundbreaking
designs for the theater was the
sets he did for “Dalagang Bukid”
by Hermogenes Ilagan, where he
recreated prewar Manila rendered
in Art Nouveau, complete with a
full-scale, working tranvia.
 MAJOR WORKS

Before his death, Bernal was

working on the design for “King
Lear” with the Philippine
Educational Theater Association
(Peta).
 MAJOR WORKS
Bernal organized the Philippine
Association of Theatre Designers
and Technicians (Patdat) in 1995,
through which he introduced
Philippine theater design to the
world.
 MAJOR WORKS

He also designs costumes for films

like Peque Gallaga’s Oro, Plata,
Mata, and Gumising Ka, Maruja.
 MAJOR WORKS
His major set designs were Rama,
Hari, Pilipinas Circa 1907,
Dalagang Bukid, Banaag at Sikat,
Rajah Sulayman, Abaniko, La
Traviata, Tomaneg at Aniway and
Pagkahaba-haba man ng Prusisyon
sa Simbahan din ang Tuloy.
 AWARDS

National Artist Award in 2003

 STYLE
He was known for using
indigenous and locally available
materials for his stage designs,
such as bamboo, abaca fabric,
twice-raw hemp and rattan chain
links.