The following are some of the significant contributions of the artists through

their arts.

1. Unique Identity.
Traditional arts reflect our diverse heritage and cultural traditions. This is
evident in all arts created by the artists who receive the GAMABA award. One of
these arts is weaving. Though weaving has long been part of our traditions, the
use of different materials and the different tedious process make each art unique.
Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata, Tawi-Tawi shows how pandan can be
weaved into mats with vibrant colors, beautiful geometric designs and fine
symmetry. These mats are usually used by their people for prayer or as a gift to
the newly-weds.
In Luzon, weaving is preserved through Magdalena Gamayo who used
traditional patterns. Her work is marked by her ability to replicate designs with
excellence and consistency.
Another artwork of the same kind is t’nalak (a fine abaca cloth) by Lang
Dulay of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. She worked on traditional designs like
bulinglangit (clouds), kabangi (butterfly), crocodiles, and flowers.
As you can see, though these artists worked on the same art (weaving),
their artworks in their community is still uniquely created showing the identity of
their community (Estrella, 2020).

2. Exemplary Skills.
The artwork of Eduardo Mutuc from Pampanga shows how his skills
developed from being a farmer to one of the furniture carvers. To earn an income,
he really practiced his skills and became one of the most respected creators of
religious and secular arts today. He was awarded in 2004 for his detailed and
lifelike pieces of varying sizes: altars, mirrors, retablos, and carosas made with
wood, silver, and bronze.
Uwang Ahadas, on the other hand, shows his exemplary skill in music. At a
young age, he learned to play music with his siblings. Though kwintangan was
usually played by a woman, he mastered playing it. It is made of logs used to call
abundant harvest of grains.
Another musician who has shown superb skills is musician Samaon
Sulaiman who was a master of the kutyapi, a two-stringed lute. He was also
proficient in playing other instruments such as the kulintang, agong (a suspended
gong with a wide rim), gandingan (agong with a narrow rim), and tambul.

3. Way of Life
 Alonzo Saclag of Lubuagan, Kalinga mastered local musical instruments,
along with dance patterns associated with rituals. These performances are
performed during celebrations or communal agreement such as peace pacts. To
pass this tradition, Saclag took a formal education reaching radio stations and
creating Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe.
Hearing the tales as told by his mother, epic chanter Federico Caballero
of Calinog, Iloilo learned Suguidanon, a Central Panay epic. Though Central Panay
is located in the mountains, the epic tells about characters and settings that
reflect that his people might have lived once in seashores in the past. Also, this
epic was usually chanted by a binukot, a woman of high status. Regardless of
education and social status, women were not given authority. Instead, they were
trained for embroidery and memorization of epic. Caballero is known to keep the
local oral traditions through his chants (Gowey, 2016).

4. Enduring Values
Values are usually reflected in literary arts such as poem. Thus, the
Mangyan script is one of the four remaining syllabic scripts in the country which
was preserved through Ginaw Bilog of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. He was most
popular in writing ambahan (a metaphoric poem comprising seven-syllable lines)
on traditionally used bamboo tubes. His poems about advising the young, bidding
a friend goodbye, and asking for a place to stay show how Filipinos express their
affection to their family and friends.
Values is not only reflected in the art product but also on the process in
which it is created. In textile weaving, we can see the artists’ dedication to their
work as they intricately put different elements of arts such as color, harmony and
shape to create a distinct and vibrant 3 design. Spirituality is also evident among
Filipino artists as they use subjects related to their faith such as the textile designs
by Darhata Sawabi of Sulu and carvings by Eduardo Mutuc.
There are countless values that are reflected on the artists’ work but one
thing that is evident to their works is their unselfish desire to share their
knowledge and skills to the next generations to enjoy and to see as part of their
beings as Filipinos. 5. Vision.
The traditional art shows the artist’s vision. Moreover, it also inspires us to
make the existing art as an inspiration to enhance the art or create our own
artwork. Teofilo Garcia is a gourd hatmaker from San Quintin, Abra. Since he is a
farmer, he sees the need of gourd casques. He used the tabungaw (gourd) plant
for useful protective hats to help the farmers overcome heat during farming.
Because the hat was made creatively and finely, he joined a festival to show his
artwork. Who would have thought that a simple hat to help our farmers would
soon become a recognized art? He did.
Also, Salinta Monon, a respected textile weaver from Davao Del Sur,
isolated herself from her family for months to finish her art. She once dreamt of
establishing the art through teaching new would-be weavers.
In conclusion, the artworks of our GAMABA awardees are indeed living
treasures. Their arts do not only express an idea or feelings but they also carry
significant contributions that are imbibed through generations. and inspired the
contemporary arts that we use and see today.