FILIPINO ARTISTS and THEIR

CONTRIBUTION TO
CONTEMOPORARY ARTS
CONTEMPORARY ARTS: OBJECTIVES
Ø Explain how traditions becomes contemporary and
vice versa through the practices of artist awardees
of Gawad sa Manlilkha ng Bayan (GAMABA) Awards.
Ø Identify the works of National Artists and recognize
their contributions to Philippine art and culture.
Ø Appreciate the value of the National artists
awardees through painting, drawing or
performance.
The Contemporary in
Traditional Art: Gawad
sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
(GAMABA)
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.
Thirteen finest folk artists of the land have
received the recognition for preserving the
traditional art of the Philippines which kept
the art alive even in the contemporary
period (Sandagan & Sayseng 2016).

üdedication in creating the craft, using skills

and indigenous methods and materials.
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.
ü They undertake measures to promote a genuine
appreciation of traditional craft and art and instill pride
among our people about the skill of the Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA)

ü Filipinos conferred as the forefront

of the practice, preservation, and
promotion of the nation’s
traditional folk arts
Mechanics and guidelines for GAMABA awardees:

üMust 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.
Mechanics and guidelines for GAMABA awardees:

üMust have engaged in a folk-art

tradition that has been in existence and
documented for at least fifty (50) years.
ü Must have consistently performed or
produced over a significant period,
works of superior and distinctive quality.
Mechanics and guidelines for GAMABA awardees:

üHe/she/group must possess a mastery

of tools and materials needed bythe art
and must have an established
reputation in the art as master and
maker of works of extraordinary
technical quality.
Mechanics and guidelines for GAMABA awardees:

üMust 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
GAMABA
Awardees
01
UWANG AHADAS, musician

ü A Yakan of Lamitan, Basilan was awarded for his

dexterity in playing Yakan musical instruments such
as the kwintangan, gabbang, agung, kwintangan kayu,
tuntungan and among others.
ü He has a deep knowledge of the aesthetic
possibilities and social contexts of those instruments.
ü In spite of the dimming of his eyesight, he has
devoted his life to the teaching of Yakan musical
traditions.
UWANG AHADAS, musician

ü 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.
ü At age 20, he broke tradition by reaching
excellence in playing the kwintangan, an
instrument typically played by a woman
ü He was awarded in 2000
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02

Samaon Sulaiman,
musician
Samaon Sulaiman,
musician
ü A Maguindanaon of Mamasapano,
Maguindanao.
ü He was awarded for his outstanding artistry and
dedication to his chosen instrument, the
Magindanao kutyapi.
ü Kutyapi is a two-stringed plucked lute, regarded
as one of the most technically demanding and
difficult to master among Filipino traditional.
Samaon Sulaiman,
musician
ü Musician Samaon Sulaiman was a master of the
kutyapi, a two-stringed lute that requires highly
technical skill to play.
ü The Maganoy, Maguindanao native learned
from his uncle, Pinagunay, at age 13, developing
and learning different forms and styles of
playing the instrument.
ü The sound is melodic and rhythmic, its effect meditative
and captivating.
ü 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.
Samaon Sulaiman,
musician

ü Sulaiman’s fascination for his craft led him to

become an influential teacher.
ü He was awarded in 1993 and died in 2011.
03
ALONZO SACLAG
traditional dancer and musician

ü A Kalinga of Lubuagan, Kalinga was

awarded for his mastery of the Kalinga
dance and the performing arts.
ü 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.
ALONZO SACLAG
traditional dancer and musician

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.
ALONZO SACLAG
traditional dancer and musician
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.
ALONZO SACLAG
traditional dancer and musician
Ø 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.
Ø His efforts have included formal
education, reaching radio stations, and
the formation of the Kalinga Budong
Dance Troupe.
Ø He was awarded in 2000.
MAGDALENA GAMAYO,
Textile weaver
MAGDALENA GAMAYO, Textile weaver
ü Magdalena, Gamayo of Pinili, Ilocos Norte,
took up weaving at the age of 16
ü She taught herself traditional patterns, such
as:
ü kusikus (whirlwind),
ü marurup (Milky Way), and
ü sinan paddak ti pusa (cat’s pawprint),
ü building on the more common inuritan
(geometric design)
ü sinan-sabong (flowers)
 MAGDALENA GAMAYO,
Textile weaver
ü Gamayo’s skill and instinct are none more
apparent than they are in her ability to
replicate designs she’s only seen once.
ü Her binakol, or woven cloth, continues to
draw praise and awe for its above-average
thread count and uniform weave.
ü She teaches her practice to her cousin’s
daughter-in-law and sister-in-law.
ü She was awarded in 2012.
Eduardo Mutuc, metalsmith, and artist
Eduardo Mutuc, metalsmith, and artist
ü A Kapampangan from Central Luzon is
recognized for reviving the Spanish
colonial-era craft of Plateria.
ü He is producing religious and secular
art in silver, bronze,and wood.
ü In his pursuit of perfection for himself
and his apprentices, he assures the
continuity of this rich tradition.
ü He finished elementary
school, Eduardo Mutuc, a
farmer at the time, became
an apprentice to furniture
carvers to earn additional
income.
ü He had no prior knowledge of
the work , but he did not stop
from expanding his experience
and become one of the most
respected creators of religious
and secular art today.
ü He uses wood, silver, and
bronze to create exquisitely
detailed and life like pieces
of varying sizes: altars,
mirrors, retablos, and even
carosas.
ü Mutuc is based in Apalit,
Pampanga.
ü He was awarded in 2004.
Lang Dulay,
T’nalak weaver
ü A T'boli of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato,
was awarded for weaving the abaca ikat
cloth called T'nalak .
ü She has produced T’boli tradition as
manifested in the complexity of her
design, fineness of workmanship and
quality of finish.

Lang Dulay,
T’nalak weaver
ü 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.
ü grew up in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato,
taught to weave by her mother when she
was 12.
Lang Dulay,
T’nalak weaver
 Lang Dulay,
T’nalak weaver
ü she kept working with traditional
patterns — she knew around a hundred,
including bulinglangit (clouds), kabangi
(butterfly), crocodiles, and flowers.
ü She was awarded in 1998 and died in 2015
 Masino Intaray,
chanter and musician

ü was a Filipino poet, bard

artist, and musician who is a
Palawan native known for his
performance of the local
traditions of basal, kulilal and
bagit
Masino Intaray,
chanter and musician
ü 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’t Paray
Masino Intaray,
chanter and musician
ü he performed the Kulilal,
a lyrical poem expressing
love, accompanied by
two-stringed lute and
bamboo zither, and the
bagit, an instrumental
piece about nature

ü Awarded in 1993 and died in 2013

 Darhata Sawabi,
textile weaver

ü A GAMABA awardee of
barangay Parang, Jolo Island,
Sulu province

ü Has preserved the art of Pis

Syabit weaving
 Darhata Sawabi,
textile weaver

ü She gained recognition for

the precision of her work
and her passion for
preserving traditional
Tausug designs, as well as
teaching the youth
ü She was awarded in 2004,
died in 2005.
Salinta Monon, ü A GAMABA awrdee of Tagabawa
textile weaver Bagobo of Bansalan, Davao del Sur

ü She was awarded for fully

demonstrating the creative and
expressive aspects of the Bagobo
abaca ikat weaving called Inabal

ü at her young age of 12, she

began learning to weave the
Inabal, a traditional Bagobo
textile
Salinta Monon,
textile weaver

ü it took 3 to 4
months to finish
creating her cloths
and skirts

ü Her famous artworks was the Binuwaya (crocodile) and the Inabal
ü 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
Salinta Monon,
textile weaver
ü Awarded in 1998
and continued
weaving until her
death in 2009.
“Pandan mat weaver”
 She was recognized as the
master mat weaver among the
Lives in Ungos Matata, Sama indigenous community of
Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi. Ungos Matata.

Pandan leaves are harvested and made into narrow, long strips, sun-
dried, pressed, and dyed before finally becoming suitable for weaving
Haja Amina Appi,
Pandan Mat Weaver

She created intricate mats that boast beautiful geometric designs, vibrant
colors, and fine symmetry

Mats finish products are

used for sleeping and
prayers or given as gifts
She was awarded National Living Treasure in 2004.

She experimented with her work Appi died in 2013, but her art lives
and developed her own tints to on through her children and other
create the hues she had in mind 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 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 mother taught him to recite epics in lieu of doing household
chores.

he works with the Department of Education’s Bureau of Non-Formal

Education, teaching elders to read and write. He was awarded in 2000
“Poet”
 Ginaw Bilog
“Poet”
A Hanunuo Mangyan of Mansalay,
Oriental Mindoro. Awarded for
faithfully preserving the Hanunuo
Mangyan script and Ambahan poetry.

He promoted the local script and

poetry so the art will not be lost but
preserved.
Ginaw Bilog Based in Mansalay, Oriental
“Poet” 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.

He was awarded in 1993, died in 2003.

“gourd hat maker”
A GAMABA awardee of San Quintin
Abra who have discovered and
popularized the durable Tabungaw
hat 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.
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.