Traditional Art: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan ( GAMABA)

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What is GAMABA?
The word GAMABA stands for GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN ( National Living Treasures). It
is an award given to recognize the outstanding work of the artists in the Philippines. The given award was established
in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7355 until 2012. There were thirteen finest folk artists of the land who have received
this distinction for their dedication in creating the craft, using skills, and indigenous methods and materials. Artists who
received the recognition for preserving the traditional art of the Philippines which kept the art alive even in the
contemporary period (Sandagan&Sayseng 2016).
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Who are the GAMABA awardees? What are their qualifications?
The GAMABA awardees are the people who have adopts a program that will ensure the transfer of their skills
to others. They undertake measures to promote a genuine appreciation of traditional craft and art and instil pride among
our people about the skill of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA). Filipinos conferred as the forefront of the
practice, preservation, and promotion of the nation’s traditional folk arts.
To become a GAMABA awardees is same as joining a contest there are mechanics and guidelines to follow.
1. Must be 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. Must have engaged in a folk-art tradition that has been in existence and documented for at least
fifty (50) years.
3. Must have consistently performed or produced over a significant period, works of superior and
distinctive quality.
4. He/she/group 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. 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.

SOME OF GAMABA AWARDEES

Uwang Ahadas, musician

A Yakan of Lamitan, Basilan was awarded for his dexterity in playing Yakan musical instruments
such as the kwintangan, gabbang, agung, kwintangankayu, tuntungan among others. He has a deep
knowledge of the aesthetic possibilities and social contexts of those instruments. In spite of the
dimming of his eyesight, he has devoted his life to the teaching of Yakan musical traditions Yakan
musical instruments are not the easiest or most affordable to maintain, but Uwang Ahadas of
Lamitan, Basilan made it his life’s work to master them. From an early age, he and his siblings were
encouraged to play these instruments, and he developed a passion for them, training himself by observing older
members of the community. At age 20, he broke tradition by reaching excellence in playing the kwintangan, an
instrument typically played by a woman. The instrument, made up of logs arranged beneath a tree near a rice field, is
used to call for abundant grains and rice growth. He is also dedicated to sharing his knowledge to younger folk; his
teaching style is hands-on and supportive, giving his students his full attention. He was awarded in 2000.

Magdalena Gamayo, textile weaver

Based in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, Magdalena Gamayo took up weaving when she was 16,
guided by her aunt’s patterns. She received her first loom from her father three years later, which
she would end up using for 30 years. She taught herself traditional patterns, such as kusikus
(whirlwind), marurup (Milky Way), and sinanpaddaktipusa (cat’s pawprint), building on the more
common inuritan (geometric design) and sinan-sabong (flowers)
.Gamayo’s skill and instinct are none more apparent than they are in her ability to replicate designs
she’s only seen once. Her binakol, or woven cloth, continues to draw praise and awe for its above-average thread
count and uniform weave. To keep Ilocos’ abel weaving tradition alive, she teaches her practice to her cousin’s
daughter-in-law and sister-in-law. She was awarded in 2012.

Eduardo Mutuc, metalsmith, and artist

A Kapampangan from Central Luzon is recognized for reviving the Spanish colonial-era craft of
Plateria. This self-taught master craftsman found his calling in producing religious and secular
art in silver, bronze, and wood. In doing so, and in his pursuit of perfection for himself and his
apprentices, he assures the continuity of this rich tradition.Having finished up to elementary
school, Eduardo Mutuc, a farmer at the time, became an apprentice to furniture carvers to earn
additional income. He had no prior knowledge of the work he was getting into,
but this did not stop him from expanding his experience and becoming one of the most respected creators of religious
and secular art today. He uses wood, silver, and bronze to create exquisitely detailed and lifelike pieces of varying sizes:
altars, mirrors, retablos, and even carosas. Mutuc is based in Apalit, Pampanga. He was awarded in 2004.

Lang Dulay,T’nalak weaver

A T'boli of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, was awarded for weaving the abaca ikat cloth
called t'nalak . She has produced creations which remain faithful to the T’boli tradition as
manifested in the complexity of her design, fineness of workmanship and quality of finish. In
Lang Dulay’s family, the weaving of the t’nalak (a fine abaca cloth) took place before or after
farm work, when the weather was cool and the conditions were better for the product. Dulay,
who grew up in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, was taught to weave by her mother when she was
12. As demand grew for new designs, she persisted and kept working with traditional patterns, even though they were
harder to complete — she knew around a hundred, including bulinglangit (clouds), kabangi (butterfly), crocodiles, and
flowers. She valued purity, so much so that she never washed her t’nalak with soap. She was awarded in 1998 and died
in 2015.

SamaonSulaiman, musician

A Maguindanaon of Mamasapano, Maguindanao. He was awarded for his outstanding

artistry and dedication to his chosen instrument, the Magindanao kutyapi. Kutyapi is a two-
stringed plucked lute, regarded as one of the most technically demanding and difficult to
master among Filipino traditional.

Musician Samaon Sulaiman was a master of the kutyapi, a two-stringed lute that requires highly technical skill
to play. The Maganoy, Maguindanao native learned from his uncle, Pinagunay, at age 13, developing and learning
different forms and styles of playing the instrument.
The sound is melodic and rhythmic, its effect meditative and captivating. He was also proficient in playing
instruments such as the kulintang, agong (a suspended gong with a wide rim), gandingan (a gong with a narrow rim),
and tambul. Sulaiman’s fascination for his craft led him to become an influential teacher. He was awarded in 1993
and died in 2011.

Haja Amina Appi, Pandan mat weaver

Lives in Ungos Matata, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi,. She is recognized as the master mat
weaver among the Sama indigenous community of Ungos Matata. Her colorful mats with their
complex geometric patterns exhibit her precise sense of design, proportion and symmetry and
sensitivity to color.
Weaving pandan mats is a long and difficult process that is handed down from woman to woman across
generations: Pandan leaves are harvested and made into narrow, long strips, sun-dried, pressed, and dyed before finally
becoming suitable for weaving. The resulting mats are used for sleeping and saying prayers or given as gifts to newly-
weds.Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi created intricate mats that boast beautiful geometric
designs, vibrant colors, and fine symmetry. She was awarded National Living Treasure in 2004. She experimented with
her work and developed her own tints to create the hues she had in mind. Appi died in 2013, but her art lives on through
her children and other young women in her community.
 Federico Caballero, chanter and educator
A Panay-Bukidnon of Calinog, lloilo was awarded for his mastery of chanting the Sugidanon,
the epic tradition of Central Panay. He ceaselessly worked for the documentation of the epics of
his people painstakingly piecing together the elements of this oral tradition nearly lost. He was
best known for his expertise in the Sugidanon, a Central Panay epic traditionally chanted while
lying on a hammock, and his work in the preservation of oral literature, documenting 10 Panay-
Bukidnon epics in an extinct language with close ties to Kinaray-a.His love of folklore began when he was young,
hearing tales of grand adventures as bedtime stories, and his mother taught him to recite epics in lieu of doing household
chores. In his spare time, he also works with the Department of Education’s Bureau of Non-Formal Education, teaching
elders to read and write. He was awarded in 2000.
Ginaw Bilog, poet
A Hanunuo Mangyan of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. Awarded for faithfully preserving the Hanunuo
Mangyan script and Ambahan poetry. He has promoted the local script and poetry so that the art will not be lost but
preserved.The Mangyan script is one of the four remaining syllabic scripts in the country, and GinawBilog’s work has
been crucial to its preservation. Based in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, the poet was known for
writing Ambahan(a metaphoric poem comprising seven-syllable lines), first in a notebook, then on
traditionally used bamboo tubes.The poems, often recited with music at social gatherings and used to
convey messages among the Hanunuo Mangyan, had topics like advising the young, bidding a friend
goodbye, and asking for a place to stay. Bilog, who was awarded in 1993, died in 2003.

Salinta Monon, textile weaver

A GAMABA awardee of Tagabawa Bagobo of Bansalan, Davao del Sur. She
was awarded for fully demonstrating the creative and expressive aspects of the Bagobo abaca ikat
weaving called Inabal at a time when such art is threatened with extinction. Salinta Monon was 12
when she began learning to weave the Inabal, a traditional Bagobo textile. In her home in Bansalan,
Davao del Sur, Monon would isolate herself from family to be able to concentrate on creating her
cloths and skirts, which took three to four months to finish, respectively.
Her favorite pattern, despite or because of its difficulty, was the Binuwaya (crocodile), and she continued
weaving until her death in 2009. For her, not only was it a source of income, it was a source of pride as well. She and
her younger sister were the only Bagobo weavers left in their community, and she dreamt of having a structure built for
teaching new would-be weavers. She was awarded in 1998.
Darhata Sawabi, textile weaver

A GAMABA awardee of barangay Parang, Jolo Island, Sulu province. Has preserved the
art of PisSyabit weaving. It is difficult art of tapestry weaving that creates the traditional squares
used by the Tausug for ornamentation. Despite the conflict in Jolo, Sawabi’s dedication to her art
enhanced the preservation of traditional Tausug designs. DarhataSawabi’s mission was to lead
young women towards making a living out of her craft. The Parang, Sulu-based textile weaver’s
primary creation was the headpiece PisSiyabit — pis stands for the pattern, which is said to be
derived from India’s mandala, depicting spirituality through geometric forms,
and Siyabit refers to the hook and technique. She gained recognition for the precision of her work and her passion for
preserving traditional designs, as well as teaching the youth and was awarded in 2004. She died in 2005.

Teofilo Garcia, gourd hatmaker

A GAMABA awardee of San Quintin Abra who have discovered and popularized the
durable Tabungaw out of enlarged upo or gourd. He hollowed out the upo / tabungaw, varnished
and polished it to make it more durable and unique yellow sheen.In San Quintin, Abra, Teofilo
Garcia would often walk around town wearing his gourd casques. Through word of mouth and
his participation in the annual local harvest festival, Garcia was able to introduce the Tabungaw
plant as a good and sturdy material for functional, elegant, and protective hats.
He produces everything he needs — planting and harvesting the gourds, splitting, and refining rattan for the lining, and
weaving Nito and bamboo for accents himself — and usually takes seven days to finish a hat. Awarded in 2012, he
continues to experiment and work on new designs.

Alonzo Saclag, traditional dancer and musician

A Kalinga of Lubuagan, Kalinga was awarded for his mastery of the Kalinga dance and the
performing arts. He was also recognized for his persistence to create and nurture a greater
consciousness and appreciation of Kalinga culture among the Kalinga themselves and beyond their borders. It was
through observation, time, and experience — rather than education or training or any kind — that Alonzo Saclag of
Lubuagan, Kalinga mastered local musical instruments, along with dance patterns associated with rituals. Some of these
are rarely performed, but done so with special purposes, whether it’s preparing for retaliation, a victorious vindication
for the community, or forging successful peace pacts. Saclag understands the importance of his practice and is a strong
advocate of passing on his knowledge and continuing the use of traditional dress and adornments. His efforts have
included formal education, reaching radio stations, and the formation of the Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe. He was
awarded in 2000.

Masino Intaray, chanter and musician

A Pala'wan of Brookes Point, Palawan. He was awarded for his exemplary skills in basal
or gong music ensemble. He was also recognized for his versatility as musician, poet, epic
chanter, and storyteller of the Kulilal and Bagit traditions of the Pala'wan. A member of the
Pala’wan tribe, musician and epic chanter Masino Intaray was a master of the basal, a gong music
ensemble played during rice cooking (tambilaw) and sharing (tinapay) rituals, which gather the
community as they serve offerings to Pala’wan rice god Ampo’tParay. Intaray also
performed the Kulilal, a lyrical poem expressing love, accompanied by two-stringed lute and bamboo zither, and the
bagit, an instrumental piece about nature. His memory and determination guided him in chanting through many
successive nights, reciting epics, stories, myths of origin, and the teachings of ancestors. Intaray, who was awarded in
1993, died in 2013.

National Artists of the Philippines and their Contribution

What is National Artist Award?

Among the different honors and acknowledgment instruments, the National Artists Award (NAA) presents the
most elevated type of acknowledgment to Filipino craftsmen for their noteworthy commitments in expressions of the
human experience and letters.

It is the highest national acknowledgment given to Filipino people who have made noteworthy commitments to
the improvement of Philippine expressions; in particular, Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film,
Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied Arts. The request is mutually directed by the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and gave by the President of the
Philippines upon suggestion by the two organizations.

It has a similar glory as the GAMABA and the National Scientist Award. The honor is presented at regular
intervals through a thorough consultation and determination process mutually encouraged by two significant social
workplaces, the National Commission on Culture and expressions of the human experience and the social focal point of
the Philippines.

NAA was built up in 1972 under Presidential Decree No. 1001 gave by then President Ferdinand Marcos. The
first was Fernando Amorsolo, who was presented the honor after death. Much has changed since the organization of the
honor. As of this composition, the list has included 66 awardees from seven disciplinal zones, to be specific: engineering,
structure and associated expressions, film and communicate expressions, visual expressions, writing, move, music, and
theater.

Criteria for a National Artist

1. Living artists who have been Filipino citizens for the last ten years prior to nomination as well as those who
have died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of their death.
2. Artists who have helped build a Filipino sense of nationhood through the content and form of their works.
3. Artists who have distinguished themselves by pioneering in a mode of creative expression or style, making an
impact on succeeding generations of artists.
4. Artists who have created a significant body of works and/or have consistently displayed excellence in the
practice of their art form, enriching artistic expression or style; and
5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through prestigious national and/or international recognition, awards in
prestigious national and/or international events, critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works, and/or respect,
and esteem from peers within an artistic discipline.
Some of the Philippines' National Artist
1. PABLO S. ANTONIO - National Artist for Architecture (1976)
His basic design is grounded on simplicity, no clutter. The lines are clean and smooth, and where there are
curves, these are made integral to the structure. Antonio’s major works include the following: Far Eastern
University Administration and Science buildings; Manila Polo Club; Ideal Theater; Lyric Theater; Galaxy
Theater; Capitan Luis Gonzaga Building; Boulevard-Alhambra (now Bel-Air) apartments; Ramon Roces
Publications Building (now Guzman Institute of Electronics2. LEANDRO V. LOCSIN- National Artist
for Architecture, 1990

He reshaped the urban landscape with a distinctive architecture reflective of Philippine Art and
Culture. He believes that the true Philippine Architecture is “the product of two great streams of culture, the
oriental and the occidental… to produce a new object of profound harmony.” It is this synthesis that underlies
all his works, with his achievements in concrete reflecting his mastery of space and scale.
Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of Brunei, which has a floor
area of 2.2 million square feet. The CCP Complex itself is a virtual Locsin Complex with all five buildings
designed by him — the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International
Convention Center, Philcite and The Westin Hotel (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza

3. ILDEFONSO P. SANTOS, JR.- National Artist for Architecture, 2006

Ildefonso Paez Santos, Jr., distinguished himself by pioneering the practice of landscape
architecture–an allied field of architecture–in the Philippines and then producing four decades of exemplary
and engaging work that has included hundreds of parks, plazas, gardens, and a wide range of outdoor settings
that have enhanced contemporary Filipino life.
Santos, Jr., who grew up in Malabon, made his first mark with the Makati Commercial Center where
he introduced a new concept of outdoor shopping with landscaped walks, fountains and sculptures as accents.
Santos, Jr.’s contribution to modern Filipino landscape architecture was the seminal public landscape in Paco
Park.Santos, Jr.’s most recent projects were the Tagaytay Highland Resort, the Mt. Malarayat Golf and
Country Club in Lipa, Batangas, and the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Imus, Cavite.

4. LAMBERTO V. AVELLANA- National Artist for Theater and Film (1976)

Lamberto V. Avellana, director for theater and film, has the distinction of being called “The
Boy Wonder of Philippine Movies” as early as 1939. He was the first to use the motion picture camera
to establish a point-of-view, a move that revolutionized the techniques of film narration.

Sakay was declared the best picture of 1939 by critics and journalists alike and set the tone for
Avellana’s career in film that would be capped by such distinctive achievements as the Grand Prix at
the Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong for Anak Dalita (1956); Best Director of Asia award in Tokyo
for Badjao, among others. Avellana was also the first filmmaker to have his film KandelerongPilak
shown at the Cannes International Film Festival. Among the films he directed for worldwide release
were Sergeant Hasan (1967), Destination Vietnam (1969), and The Evil Within (1970).

5. LINO BROCKA- National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts (1997)

Catalino “Lino” Ortiz Brocka, director for film and broadcast arts, espoused the term “freedom of
expression” in the Philippine Constitution. Brocka took his social activist spirit to the screen leaving behind
66 films which breathed life and hope for the marginalized sectors of society — slum-dwellers, prostitutes,
construction workers, etc. He also directed for theater with equal zeal and served in organizations that offer
alternative visions, like the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and the Concerned Artists of
 the Philippines (CAP). At the same time, he garnered awards and recognition from institutions like the
CCP, FAMAS, TOYM, and Cannes Film Festival.
To name a few, Brocka’s films include the following: “Santiago” (1970), “Wanted: Perfect Mother”
(1970), “TubogsaGinto” (1971), “Stardoom” (1971), “Tinimbang Ka NgunitKulang” (1974), “Maynila:
Sa Kuko ng Liwanag” (1975), “Insiang” (1976), “Jaguar” (1979), “Bona” (1980), “Macho Dancer”
(1989), “Orapronobis” (1989), “Makiusap Ka saDiyos” (1991).

6. FERNANDO POE, JR. - National Artist for Cinema (2006)

Ronald Allan K. Poe, popularly known as Fernando Poe, Jr., was a cultural icon of tremendous
audience impact and cinema artist and craftsman–as actor, director, writer and producer. *

The image of the underdog was projected in his films such as Apollo Robles(1961), Batang Maynila
(1962), MgaAlaboksaLupa (1967), Batang Matador and BatangEstibador (1969), Ako ang Katarungan
(1974), Tatak ng Alipin(1975), Totoy Bato (1977), Asedillo (1981), Partida (1985),
and Ang Probisyano (1996), among many others. The mythical hero, on the other hand, was highlighted in
Ang Alamat (1972), Ang Pagbabalik ng Lawin (1975) including his Panday series (1980, 1981, 1982,
1984) and the action adventure films
adapted from komiks materials such as Ang Kampanasa Santa
Quiteria(1971), Santo Domingo (1972), and AlupihangDagat (1975),
among others.Poe was born in Manila on August 20, 1939. After the death
of his father, he dropped out of the University of the East in his sophomore
year to support his family. He was the second of six siblings. He married
actress Susan Roces in a civil ceremony in December 1968. He died on December 14, 2004.

7. FERNANDO AMORSOLO- National Artist for Visual Arts

Fernando C. Amorsolo the first National Artist awardee. He was titled “Grand Old Man of
Philippine Art” was bestowed on Amorsolo when the Manila Hilton inaugurated its art center on January
23, 1969, with an exhibit of a selection of his works.
Among others, his major works include the following: Maiden in a Stream(1921)-GSIS collection; El
Ciego (1928)-Central Bank of the Philippines collection; Dalagang Bukid (1936) – Club Filipino
collection; The Mestiza (1943) – National Museum of the Philippines collection; Planting Rice (1946)-
UCPB collection; Sunday Morning Going to Town (1958)-Ayala Museum Collection.

8. DAISY H. AVELLANA
National Artist for Theater (1999)

Daisy H. Avellana, is an actor, director, and writer. Born in Roxas

City, Capiz on January 26, 1917, she elevated legitimate theater and dramatic
arts to a new level of excellence by staging and performing in breakthrough
productions of classic Filipino and foreign plays and by encouraging the
establishment of performing groups and the professionalization of Filipino theater. Together with her
husband, National Artist LambertoAvellana and other artists, she co-founded the Barangay Theatre Guild in
1939 which paved the way for the popularization of theatre and dramatic arts in the country, utilizing radio
and television.

9. LEANDRO V. LOCSIN- National Artist for Architecture, 1990

He reshaped the urban landscape with a distinctive architecture reflective of Philippine Art and
Culture. He believes that the true Philippine Architecture is “the product of two great streams of culture, the
oriental and the occidental… to produce a new object of profound harmony.” It is this synthesis that
underlies all his works, with his achievements in concrete reflecting his mastery of space and scale.
Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of Brunei, which has a floor
area of 2.2 million square feet. The CCP Complex itself is a virtual Locsin Complex with all five buildings
designed by him — the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International
Convention Center, Philcite and The Westin Hotel (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza

10. ISHMAEL BERNAL- National Artist for Cinema (2001)

Ishmael Bernal was a filmmaker of the first order and one of the very few who can be truly called
a maestro. Critics have hailed him as “the genius of Philippine cinema.”
Among his notable films are “Pahiram ng Isang Umaga” (1989), “Broken Marriage” (1983),
“Himala” (1982), “City After Dark” (1980), and “NunalsaTubig” (1976).He was recognized as the
Director of the Decade of the 1970s by the Catholic Mass Media Awards; four-time Best Director by the
Urian Awards (1989, 1985, 1983, and 1977); and given the ASEAN Cultural Award in Communication
Arts in 1993.

11. GUILLERMO TOLENTINO- National Artist for Sculpture (1973)

Guillermo Estrella Tolentino is a product of the Revival period in Philippine art. The result was the
UP Oblation that became the symbol of freedom at the campus. Acknowledged as his masterpiece and
completed in 1933, The Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan stands as an enduring symbol of the Filipinos’ cry
for freedom Other works include the bronze figures of President Quezon at Quezon Memorial, life-size
busts of Jose Rizal at UP and UE, marble statue of Ramon Magsaysay in GSIS Building; granolithics of
heroic statues representing education, medicine, forestry, veterinary science, fine arts and music at UP.He also
designed the gold and bronze medals for the Ramon Magsaysay Award and did the seal of the Republic of
the Philippines.
Portrait, Night Glows,Grand Finale, Cities of the Past, Imaginary Landscapes. His mural painting
Black and White is displayed in the lobby of the CCP’s Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco (Little Theater). His
sculpture of a stainless steel cube is located in front of the Benguet Mining Corporation Building in Pasig.
12. BIENVENIDO LUMBERA- National Artist for Literature (2006)
BienvenidoLumbera, is a poet, librettist, and scholar. As a poet, he introduced to Tagalog literature what is
now known as Bagay poetry, a landmark aesthetic tendency that has helped to change the vernacular poetic
tradition. He is the author of the following works: LikhangDila, LikhangDiwa (poems in Filipino and
English), 1993; Balaybay, MgaTulangLunot at Manibalang, 2002; Sa Sariling Bayan, ApatnaDulang
May Musika, 2004; “Agunyassa Hacienda Luisita,” Pakikiramay, 2004.

13. CARLOS QUIRINO

National Artist for Historical Literature (1997)
Carlos Quirino, a biographer, has the distinction of having written one of the earliest biographies of Jose
Rizal titled The Great Malayan. Quirino’s books and articles span the whole gamut of Philippine history and
culture–from Bonifacio’s trial to Aguinaldo’s biography, from Philippine cartography to culinary arts, from
cash crops to tycoons and president’s lives, among so many subjects. In 1997, Pres. Fidel Ramos created
historical literature as a new category in the National Artist Awards and Quirino was its first recipient. He
made a record earlier on when he became the very first Filipino correspondent for the United Press
Institute.His book Maps and Views of Old Manila is considered as the best book on the subject. His other books include
Quezon, Man of Destiny, Magsaysay of the Philippines, Lives of the Philippine Presidents, Philippine
Cartography, The History of Philippine Sugar Industry, Filipino Heritage: The Making of a
Nation, Filipinos
at War: The Fight for Freedom from Mactan to EDSA.

14. FRANCISCA
REYES AQUINO
National Artist for
Dance (1973)
Francisca Reyes Aquino is acknowledged as the Folk-Dance Pioneer. This Bulakeña began her
research on folk dances in the 1920s making trips to remote barrios in Central and Northern Luzon. Her
research on the unrecorded forms of local celebration, ritual, and sport resulted into a 1926 thesis titled
“Philippine Folk Dances and Games,” and arranged specifically for use by teachers and playground
instructors in public and private schools.

15. LEONOR OROSA GOQUINGCO- National Artist for Dance

Dubbed the “Trailblazer”, “Mother of Philippine Theater Dance” and “Dean of Filipino Performing
Arts Critics”, Leonor OrosaGoquingco, pioneer Filipino choreographer in balletic folkloric and Asian
styles, produced for over 50 years highly original, first-of-a-kind choreographies, mostly to her own
storylines.

16. HONORATA “ATANG” DELA RAMA-National Artist for Theater and Music (1987)
Honorata “Atang” Dela Rama was formally honored as the Queen of Kundiman in 1979,
then already 74 years old singing the same song (“Nabasagna Banga”) that she sang as a 15-year
old girl in the sarsuela’s Dalagang Bukid. Atang became the very first actress in the very first
locally produced Filipino film when she essayed the same role in the Sarsuela’s film version. As
early as age seven, Atang was already being cast in Spanish zarzuelas such as Mascota, Sueño de
un Vals, and Marina. She counts the role though of an orphan in Pangarapni Rosa as her most
rewarding and satisfying role that she played with realism, the stage sparkling with silver coins
tossed by a teary-eyed audience. Atangpassionately believes that the Sarsuela and the kundiman
expresses best the Filipino soul, and even performed kundiman and other Filipino songs for the
Aetas or Negritos of Zambales and the Sierra Madre, the Bagobos of Davao and other Lumad of
Mindanao.

Contemporary Art Forms Based on the Elements and Principles

Contemporary art is an art produced by the artist today. It is not restricted to individual
experience, but it is reflective of the world we live in. The artwork that is created by today’s
contemporary artist has a world view and sensitive to changing times
 Contemporary artists frequently go beyond these elements and values in their work, using new
ideas and techniques, in their attempts to establish meaning in today's world. The elements and concepts
for art are kind of a script. As writers, artists use phrases, pick, organize and combine lines, forms, colors
and textures in several ways to express themselves and build meaning.

Below are the elements and principles used by the contemporary artists.

1. Appropriation. It is the process of making new content by taking from another source pre-
existing image — books on art history, ads, the media — and incorporating or combining it
with new ones.
The first artist to successfully demonstrate forms of appropriation within his or her work
is widely considered to be Marcel Duchamp. He devised the concept of the ‘readymade’, which
essentially involved an item being chosen by the artist, signed by the artist and repositioned into a
gallery context. By asking the viewer to consider the object as art, Duchamp was appropriating it.
For Duchamp, the work of the artist was in selecting the object.

2. Performance art refers to art activities that are presented to a live audience and can combine
music, dance, poetry, theater, visual art and video.

3. Space is an art transforming space, for example the flash mobs, and art installations in malls
and parks. It also refers to the distances or areas surrounding, within, and within the
components of an item.

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Negative and Positive Space
Art historians use the term positive space to refer to the
subject of the piece itself—the flower vase in a painting or the
structure of a sculpture. Negative space refers to the empty
 spaces the artist has created around, between, and within the
subjects.

Below is an example of item specific art form that is performed and positioned in a specific space such as
public places.

4. Hybridity is another element and principle used by

contemporary artist in their artworks. It is a usage of
unconventional materials, mixing of unlikely materials to
produce and art work.

The concept of hybridity can be applied to two aspects of art

today.
Artists today are comfortable using whatever seems best to fully
investigate and express their ideas or concepts and often move among
different media and techniques to express new things in their work.

2. One approach to understanding art today involves identifying what media and materials the artists
chose and considering why they chose to work with them.

Look at the example below of how contemporary artists apply hybridity in their craftsmanship.

5. Technology art. refers to the use of mass production and the manipulation of the virtual world,
its tools, and programs.