CHAPTER 4

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Region

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Understand the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Award
(GAMABA)
 Cite Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living
Treasure Artist on their contribution in the Philippine
Contemporary Art
 Appreciate the roles of the artist in the development,
preservation, and promotion of the Philippine arts
 Familiarize themselves with the different art forms, elements,
and principal employed by the different artist
 GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN
OR
NATIONAL LIVING TREASURES AWARD
Is Conferred on Filipinos who are at the forefront of the
practice preservation, and promotion of the nation’s
traditional folk arts.
Objectives
to honor and support traditional folk artists and to
see to it that their skills and crafts are preserve.
• Formalized in 1992, through Republic Act No. 7355, the
Manlilikha ng Bayan Act.
• The National Commission for the Culture and the Arts oversees
its implementation.
• The award is tied with a program that ensures the transfer of
their skills to new generations and the promotion of the craft both
locally and internationally
• In 2014, the Senate of the Philippines adopted Senate Resolution
No. (SRN)765 aimed at recognizing the accomplishments of the
country’s living treasures.
 EMBLEM
• The award logo is a representation
of the human form used in traditional
cloth. Below the logo is the phrase
“Manlilikha ng Bayan” written in
Baybayin,an ancient Filipino script
used in the Philippines in the
16th century.
 CRITERIA
1. Should be a Filipino citizen or a group of citizens
belonging to an indigenous / traditional cultural
community anywhere in the Philippines, engaged in
Filipino traditional art in the following categories: 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;
 CRITERIA
2. Should have been engaged in the tradition and craft for
a significant period of time with at least 50 years of
existence and documentation;
3. Should have produced and performed of artistic,
distinctive, and superior quality;
4. Should possess mastery of the tools and materials that
are needed for the art and must have a reputation for being
an art master and craft maker in the community where he /
she belongs;
 CRITERIA
5. Should have passed on and/ or will pass on the traditional crafts
and skills to other members of the community by virtue of
teaching;
6. In case when a Manlilikha ng Bayan candidate is incapable of
teaching further his/ her craft and skill due to age or infirmity;
A. He / she should have created a significant body of work and
has contributed to the development of the tradition and craft
B. He / she should have played a role in the preservation and
revitalization of the artistic tradition in the community.
C. He/ she has been recognized as a master of his / her craft
and admired for his character and integrity in his / her
community.
GAMABA AWARDEE
 GINAW BILOG
Poet, Hanunuo Mangyan
Panaytayan,Oriental Mindoro (1993)
• Ambahan – is a kind of poem
consisting of seven syllable lines
which most of the time contains
messages of love and friendship.
 MASINO INTARAY
• Musician and Storyteller, Pala’wan
Brookes Point, Palawan (1993)
• A musician and a poet whose
Expertise were the Basal, Kulilal,
and Bagit.
• Basal – is 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 during the “tinapay”, a rice
wine drinking.
 SAMAON SULAIMAN
• Musician, Mamasa Pano, Maguindanao
(1993)
• Master in playing the kutyapi,
a 2-stringed plucked lute. The Kutyapi
Is one of the most difficult to master indi-
genous Filipino instrument.
 LANG DULAY
• Textile weaver, T’boli, Lake Sebu,
South Cotabato
Tnalak – a kind of fabric made up
of fine abaca fibers weaved with
different designs which reflect the
traditions of the Tboli.
 SALINTA MONON
• Textile Weaver, Tagabawa Bagobo,
Bansalan, Davao del Sur
• Start weaving at the of 12 through the
Guidance of her mother.
• She used to wear the traditional hand
Woven tube skirt of the Bagobo.
(sinukla and bandura)
 ALONZO SACLAG
• Musician and Dancer, Lubugan, Kalinga
A master of dance and performing arts.
he has also mastered the dance patterns
and movements associated with his
people’s ritual. He is the founder of the
Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe to ensure
that the music and dance of his ancestor
are passed to the younger generations.
 FEDERICO CABALLERO

• Epic Chanter, Sulod-Bukidnon, Calinog, Iloilo

Work for the documentation of the oral literature,
Particularly the epics of his People.
Labaw Dunggon and Humadapnon. One epic
could take as much as 162 hours to recite and
Humadapnon is the longest epic to recite. 2 months
of daily performances are required for it to be
completely chanted
 UWANG AHADAS
• Musician, Yakan Lamitan, Basilan
• Is a Yakan, a people to whom
instrumental music is closely connected
to the spiritual realm.
Kwintangan kayu – consisting of five
wooden logs hung horizontally, from the
shortest to the longest. Played to serenade
the palay , as lover woos his beloved.
 DARHATA SAWABI

• Textile Weaver, Tausug, Parang, Sulu

• Weaving the Pis Syabit, the traditional
cloth tapestry worn as a head covering
by the Tausug of
Jolo.
 EDUARDO MUTUC

• Metal smith, Kapampangan, Apalit, Pampanga

• Creating religious and secular art in silver, bronze
and wood.
 HAJA AMINA APPI
Mat Weaver, Sama Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi
The mat weaving is one of the treasured
traditions of the Sama People. Their mat is
made up of Pandan Leaves w/c undergo
tedious processes from Stripping, to sun
dying, to dyeing up to weaving.
 TEOFILO GARCIA
Casque maker, Ilokano, San
Quintin, Abra He make to wear
Tabungaw, the gourd hat he
makes and wears, is uniquely
distinct in craftsmanship.
 WHANG-OD OGGAY
Only Surviving Kalinga
Traditional Tattoo artist with
distinguished title of
“MAMBABATOK” or a
master Tattooist of “BATEK,”
the folk skin inscriptions of
Kalinga.
 ACTIVITY 2: SUMMING UP!

You have already discovered the famous

GAMABA awardees and their works and
expertise. This time let us try how far your
learning is. What you are going to do is to fill in
the table with the important information of all
GAMABA awardees.
 REFLECT
1. What is the essence of GAMABA? Do you think having two national
credits for human expressions emphasize the gap between independent
articulations and regular, network-based ceremonies and works of art?
2. How traditions become contemporary and contemporary becomes
traditional.
3. Contemporary art is an art of today, as a senior high school student do
you consider yourself a contemporary artist or a traditional one? How
and why?