Contemporary Arts in

the Philippines

JOAN M. TORRERES
Teacher II
 National Artist Award

The National Artist Award is the highest

distinction bestowed upon Filipino Artists
whose body of work is recognized by their
peers and more importantly by their
countrymen as sublime expression of
Philippine music, dance, theatre, visual
arts, literature, film and media, arts,
architecture and design.
 Criteria
• 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;
• Artists who have helped build a Filipino sense of
nationhood through the content and form of their works;
• Artists who have distinguished themselves by pioneering
in a mode of creative expression or style, making an
impact on succeeding generations of artists;
• 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
• 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.
List of National Artists in the Philippines
Painting
Fernando Amorsolo Paco, Manila 1972 (++)
Carlos V. Francisco Angono, Rizal 1973 (++)
Victorio C. Edades Dagupan, Pangasinan 1976 (+)
Vicente S. Manansala Macabebe, Pampanga 1981 (++)
Jeremias Elizalde Antique 1999 (++)
Navarro
Jose T. Joya Manila 2003 (++)
 Fernando Amorsolo y
Cueto (May 30, 1892 –
April 24, 1972) was one
of the most important
artists in the history of
painting in the
Philippines. Amorsolo
was a portraitist and
painter of rural
Philippine landscapes.
He is popularly known
for his craftsmanship
Fernando Amorsolo and mastery in the use
of light.
  Carlos V. Francisco
(1912-1969), popularly
known as "Botong“.He
went to School of Fine
Arts in University of the
Philippines, although he
came from the same
school of arts as
Amorsolo, he did not
follow the traditional
style but developed a
modernist style.
 He was the second
Filipino who received
the title of National
Artist in Painting in
Carlos V. Francisco1973 after Fernando
Amorsolo.
 Visual
Art F. Legazpi
Cesar Tondo, Manila 1990 (+)
Hernando R. Ocampo Sta. Cruz, Manila 1991 (++)
Arturo R. Luz Manila 1997
Ang Kiukok (Ang Hwa Shing) Davao City 2001 (+)
Benedicto R. Cabrera Malabon 2006
(BenCab)
Abdulmari Asia Imao Siasi, Sulu 2006
(painting/sculptor)
Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Sta. Cruz, Manila 2009 (+)
Francisco V. Coching Buting, Pasig 2014 (++)
 A pioneer “Neo-Realist”
of the country, Cesar
Legaspi is remembered
for his singular
achievement of refining
cubism in the Philippine
context. Legaspi
belonged to the so-called
“Thirteen Moderns” and
later, the “Neo-realists”.
Cesar F. Legazpi His distinctive style and
daring themes
contributed significantly
to the advent and
eventual acceptance of
modern art in the
Philippines.
 Ocampo’s acknowledged masterpiece
Genesis served as the basis of the curtain
design of the Cultural Center of the
Philippines Main Theater. His other major
works include Ina ng Balon, Calvary, Slum
Dwellers, Nude with Candle and Flower,
Man and Carabao, Angel’s Kiss, Palayok at
Kalan, Ancestors,Isda at Mangga, The
Hernando R. Ocampo Resurrection, Fifty-three “Q”, Backdrop,
Fiesta.
Sculptur
e
Guillermo E. Tolentino Malolos, Bulacan 1973 (+)
Napoleon V. Abueva Tagbilaran, Bohol 1976

Dance
Francisca R. Aquino Lolomboy, Bocaue, 1973 (+)
Bulacan
Leonor O. Goquingco Jolo, Sulu 1976 (+)
Lucrecia R. Urtula Iloilo City 1988 (+)
Ramon A. Obusan Camarines Norte 2006 (+)
Alice Reyes 2014
 Guillermo Estrella Tolentino is a
product of the Revival period in
Philippine art. Returning from Europe
(where he was enrolled at the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts, Rome) in 1925,
he was appointed as professor at the
UP School of Fine Arts where the idea
also of executing a monument for
national heroes struck him. The result
was the UP Oblation that became the
symbol of freedom at the campus.
Acknowledged as his masterpiece and
Guillermo E. Tolentino completed in 1933, The Bonifacio
Monument in Caloocan stands as an
enduring symbol of the Filipinos’ cry for
freedom.
 Napoleon V. Abueva is
known as the "Father of
Modern Philippine
Sculpture" and recipient of
the most prestigious award,
National Artist of the
Philippines in 1976 in the
fields of Visual Arts
(sculpture). He is known
also as master of both
academic representational
style and modern abstract.
Transfiguration, 1979
at Eternal Gardens
Memorial Park
 Literatur
e
Amado V. Hernandez Hagonoy, Bulacan 1973 (++)
Jose Garcia Villa Singalong, Manila 1973 (+)
Nick M. Joaquin Paco, Manila 1976 (+)
Carlos P. Romulo Intramuros, Manila 1982 (+)
Francisco Arcellana Sta. Cruz, Manila 1990 (+)
N.V.M Gonzales Romblon 1997 (++)
(Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez)

Carlos Quirino 1997 (+)

(Historical Literature)
Edith L. Tiempo Bayombong, 1999 (+)
Nueva Vizcaya
F. Sionil Jose Rosales, 2001
(Francisco) Pangasinan
Virgilio S. Almario San Miguel, 2003
Bulacan
Alejandro R. Roces Manila 2003 (+)
Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera Lipa, Batangas 2006
Lazaro Francisco Orani, Bataan 2009 (++)
Cirilo F. Bautista 2014
Amado V. Hernandez, poet, playwright, and novelist,
is among the Filipino writers who practiced
“committed art”. In his view, the function of the writer
is to act as the conscience of society and to affirm the
greatness of the human spirit in the face of inequity
and oppression.
His novel Mga Ibong Mandaragit, first written by
Hernandez while in prison, is the first Filipino socio-
political novel that exposes the ills of the society as
evident in the agrarian problems of the 50s.

Hernandez’s other works include Bayang Malaya,

Isang Dipang Langit, Luha ng Buwaya, Amado V.
Hernandez: Tudla at Tudling: Katipunan ng mga
Nalathalang Tula 1921-1970, Langaw sa Isang Basong
Gatas at Iba Pang Kuwento ni Amado V. Hernandez,
Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol at Iba Pang Akda
ni Amado V. Hernandez.
Jose Garcia Villa is considered as one of the finest
contemporary poets regardless of race or language.
Villa, who lived in Singalong, Manila, introduced the
reversed consonance rime scheme, including the
comma poems that made full use of the
punctuation mark in an innovative, poetic way. The
first of his poems “Have Come, Am Here” received
critical recognition when it appeared in New York in
1942 that, soon enough, honors and fellowships
were heaped on him: Guggenheim, Bollingen, the
American Academy of Arts and Letters Awards. He
used Doveglion (Dove, Eagle, Lion) as penname, the
very characters he attributed to himself, and the
same ones explored by e.e. cummings in the poem
he wrote for Villa (Doveglion, Adventures in Value).
Villa is also known for the tartness of his tongue.
Carlos P. Romulo‘s multifaceted career spanned 50
years of public service as educator, soldier,
university president, journalist and diplomat. It is
common knowledge that he was the first Asian
president of the United Nations General Assembly,
then Philippine Ambassador to Washington, D.C., and
later minister of foreign affairs. Essentially though,
Romulo was very much into writing: he was a
reporter at 16, a newspaper editor by the age of 20,
and a publisher at 32. He was the only Asian to win
America’s coveted Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for a
series of articles predicting the outbreak of World
War II. Romulo, in all, wrote and published 18 books,
a range of literary works which included The United
(novel), I Walked with Heroes (autobiography), I Saw
the Fall of the Philippines, Mother America, I See the
Nick Joaquin, is regarded by many as the most
distinguished Filipino writer in English writing so
variedly and so well about so many aspects of the
Filipino.
Among his voluminous works are The Woman Who
Had Two Navels, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,
Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young, The
Ballad of the Five Battles, Rizal in Saga, Almanac for
Manileños, Cave and Shadows. His body of work
extends from short stories to poems to essays which
includes journalism, and reportage. He used the
name Guerre Quijano de Manila as journalist
Music
Antonio J. Molina Quiapo, 1973 (+)
Manila
Jovita Fuentes Capiz, Capiz 1976 (+)
Province
Antonino R. Buenaventura Baliuag, 1988 (+)
Bulacan
Lucresia R. Kasilag San 1989 (+)
Fernando, La
Union
Lucio D. San Pedro Angono, Rizal 1991 (+)
Felipe P. De Leon Peñaranda, 1997 (++)
Nueva Ecija
Jose M. Maceda Manila 1997 (+)
Levi Celerio Tondo, 1997 (+)
Manila
Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion Manila 1999 (+)
Ernani J. Cuenco Malolos, 1999 (++)
Bulacan
Francisco F. Feliciano Morong, 2014
Bataan
Ramon P. Santos Pasig, Rizal 2014

Lamberto V. Avellana Bondoc, Mt. 1976 (+)

(Theater & Film) Province
Manuel Conde Daet, 2009 (++)
Camarines
Norte
Antonio J. Molina, versatile musician, composer,
music educator was the last of the musical
triumvirate, two of whom were Nicanor Abelardo
and Francisco Santiago, who elevated music
beyond the realm of folk music. At an early age, he
took to playing the violoncello and played it so well
it did not take long before he was playing as
orchestra soloist for the Manila Grand Opera House.
Molina is credited for introducing such innovations
as the whole tone scale, pentatonic scale,
exuberance of dominant ninths and eleventh cords,
and linear counterpoints. As a member of the
faculty of the UP Conservatory, he had taught
many of the country’s leading musical personalities
and educators like Lucresia Kasilag and Felipe de
Leon.
Francisco Feliciano’s corpus of creative work attests to
the exceptional talent of the Filipino as an artist. His
lifetime conscientiousness in bringing out the
“Asianness” in his music, whether as a composer,
conductor, or educator, contributed to bringing the
awareness of people all over the world to view the
Asian culture as a rich source of inspiration and a
celebration of our ethnicity, particularly the
Philippines. He brought out the unique sounds of our
indigenous music in compositions that have high
technical demands equal to the compositions of
masters in the western world. By his numerous
creative outputs, he has elevated the Filipino artistry
into one that is highly esteemed by the people all over
the world.
Film
Lamberto V. Avellana Bondoc, Mt. 1976 (+)
(Theater & Film) Province
Manuel Conde Daet, 2009 (++)
Camarines
Norte

Cinema
Gerardo de Leon Manila 1982 (++)
Lino O. Brocka Pilar, 1997 (++)
Sorsogon
Ishmael Bernal Manila 2001 (++)
Eddie S. Romero Dumaguete 2003 (+)
(Cinema & Broadcast Arts) City
Fernando Poe Jr. Manila 2006 (++)
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.
Avellana, who at 20 portrayed Joan of Arc in time for Ateneo’s diamond
jubilee, initially set out to establish a Filipino theater. Together with Daisy
Hontiveros, star of many UP plays and his future wife, he formed the
Barangay Theater Guild which had, among others, Leon Ma .Guerrero
and Raul Manglapus as members. It was after seeing such plays that
Carlos P. Romulo, then president of Philippine Films, encouraged him to
try his hand at directing films. In his first film Sakay, Avellana
demonstrated a kind of visual rhythm that established a new filmic
language.
Gerardo “Gerry” De Leon, film director, belongs to the Ilagan clan and as
such grew up in an atmosphere rich in theater. Significantly, De Leon’s first
job — while in still in high school — was as a piano player at Cine Moderno
in Quiapo playing the musical accompaniment to the silent films that were
being shown at that time. The silent movies served as De Leon’s “very good”
training ground because the pictures told the story. His first directorial job
was “Ama’t Anak” in which he directed himself and his brother Tito Arevalo.
The movie got good reviews. De Leon’s biggest pre-war hit was “Ang
Maestra” which starred Rogelio de la Rosa and Rosa del Rosario with the
still unknown Eddie Romero as writer.
n the 50s and 60s, he produced many films that are now considered classics
including “Daigdig ng Mga Api,” “Noli Me Tangere,” “El
Filibusterismo,” and “Sisa.” Among a long list of films are “Sawa
sa Lumang Simboryo,” “Dyesebel,” “The Gold Bikini,” “Banaue,”
“The Brides of Blood Island.”.
Architecture
Juan F. Nakpil Quiapo, Manila 1973 (+)
Pablo S. Antonio Binondo, 1976 (++)
Manila
Leandro V. Locsin Silay, Negros 1990 (+)
Occidental
Archt. Ildefonso P. Santos Malabon 2006 (+)
(Landscape Architecture)
Jose Maria V. Zaragoza Quiapo, 2014 (++)
Manila
Juan F. Nakpil designed the
1937 International
Eucharistic Congress altar
and reconstructed the
Quiapo Church in 1930.
Nakpil is also known as the
artistic mind behind the
Geronimo de los Reyes
Building, Magsaysay
Building, Rizal Theater,
Capitol Theater, Captain
Pepe Building, Manila Jockey
Club, Rufino Building,
Philippine village hotel,
University of the Philippines
Administration building
(quezon hall) and University
Library(Gonzales hall), and
Pablo S. Antonio is one of
the leaders in modern
Philippine architecture. His
works are simple and
functional. Most of his
designs used clean and
smooth lines. If he used
curves, these were made
integral to the structure.
Moreover, Antonio’s forms
maximized the use of natural
light and cross ventilation.
Some of his famous projects
include the Far Eastern
University Administration and
Science buildings, Manila Polo
Club,Ideal Theater, Lyric
Theater, Galaxy theater,
Fashion Design
Ramon O. Valera Abra 2006 (++)

Theater Design
Salvador F. Bernal Dagupan City 2003

Theater
Honorata “Atang” dela Tondo, 1987 (++)
Rama (Theater & Music) Manila
Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Ermita, 1997 (++)
Manila
Rolando S. Tinio (Theater Gagalangin, 1997 (++)
& Literature) Tondo,
Manila
National Artist for Fashion Design (2006)
(August 31, 1912 – May 25, 1972)

The contribution of Ramon Valera, whose family hails

from Abra, lies in the tradition of excellence of his
works, and his committment to his profession,
performing his magical seminal innovations on the
Philippine terno.

In the early 40s, Valera produced a single piece of

clothing from a four-piece ensemble consisting of a
blouse, skirt, overskirt, and long scarf. He unified the
components of the baro’t saya into a single dress with
exaggerated bell sleeves, cinched at the waist, grazing
the ankle, and zipped up at the back. Using zipper in
place of hooks was already a radical change for the
country’s elite then. Dropping the panuelo–the long
folded scarf hanging down the chest, thus serving as
Daisy H. Avellana Capiz 1999 (+)
Severino R. Montano Laoag, Ilocos 2001 (+)
Norte
 GaMaBa Awards
(Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan)
• The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, or
the 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.
• 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.
• 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 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;
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;
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;
– He / she should have created a significant
body of work and has contributed to the
development of the tradition and craft
– He / she should have played a role in the
preservation and revitalization of the artistic
tradition in the community.
– He/ she has been recognized as a master of
his / her craft and admired for his character and
integrity in his / her community.
List of Awardees
Ginaw Bilog is a Hanunoo
Mangyan poet from
Mansalay, Oriental
Mindoro.
He is considered as a master
of the Ambahan poetry.
This wisdom is his key to
the understanding of the
Mangyan soul.
In 1993, he was given the
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan award.
 Ambahan
• Ambahan is a poetic literary form composed
of seven-syllable lines used to convey
messages through metaphors and images.
• The ambahan is sung and its messages
range from courtship, giving advice to the
young, asking for a place to stay, saying
goodbye to a dear friend and so on.
• Such an oral tradition is common place
among indigenous cultural groups but the
ambahan has remained in existence today
chiefly because it is etched on bamboo tubes
using ancient Southeast Asian, pre-colonial
script called surat Mangyan.
Masino Intaray was born
near Makagwa Valley. He
was a skilled and
proficient player of the
basal (gong), aroding
(mouth harp), and
babarak (ring flute).
He was also well-versed in
kulilal (songs) and bagit
(vocal music).
In 1993, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Samaon Sulaiman is
kutyapi master and
teacher of his instrument
in Libutan and other
barangays
of Maganoy town,
Mindanao.
He is proficient
in kulintang, agong,
gandingan, palendag,
and tambul.
In 1993, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Lang Dulay is a T'boli artist
from Lake Sebu, South
Cotabato. She is
considered as a traditional
weaver of "t'nalak" or
"tinalak" cloth. Her art is
considered excellent
because of the “fine even
quality of the yarn, the
close interweaving of the
warp and weft, the
traditional forms and
patterns, the chromatic
integrity of the dye, and the
consistency of the finish”
In 1998, she was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Salinta Monon was a
Tagabawa-Bagobo
weaver from Bansalan,
Davao del Sur. She was
cited for demonstrating the
creative and expressive
aspects of the Bagobo
abaca ikat weaving called
inabal at the time when it
was threatened with
extinction.
In 1998, she was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Alonzo Saclag is a Kalinga
master of dance and the
performing arts from
Lubuagan, Kalinga. 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.
In 2000, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Federico Caballero is a Sulod-
Bukidnon epic chanter
from Kalinog, Iloilo. He
ceaselessly work for the
documentation of the oral
literature, particularly the
epics, of his people.
He is considered as a bantugan.
He strives to dispense justice
in the community through his
work as a manughusay – an
arbiter of conflicts.
In 2000, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Uwang Ahadas is
from Lamitan, Basilan.
He is a Yakan, a people to
whom instrumental music
is of much significance,
connected as it is with
both the agricultural cycle
and the social realm.
He is a hands-on-teacher to
those who wants to learn
playing Yakan instruments
including the
kwintangan, kayu,
and tuntungan.
In 2000, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan” award.
Darhata Sawabi is a
weaver of pis syabit -
the traditional cloth
tapestry worn as a
head covering by the
Tausug of Jolo, from
Barangay Parang, in
the island of Jolo, Sulu.
In 2005, she was given
the “Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan”
award.
Eduardo Mutuc is
from Apalit, Pampanga.
He has dedicated his
life to creating religious
and secular art in silver,
bronze and wood.
In 2005, he was given
the “Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan”
award.
Haja Amina Appi was
recognized as the
master mat weaver
among the Sama
indigenous
community of Ungos
Matata, Tandubas,
Tawi-Tawi.
In 2005, she was given
the “Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan”
award.
Teopilo Garcia is a hat
weaver from San
Quintin, Abra. He is
known for tabungaw,
which can last up to
three to four
generations if taken
care of properly.
In 2012, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha
ng Bayan” award.
Magdalena Gamis a
Filipino master
weaver who makes
“inabel”, an Ilokano
handwoven cloth.
In 2012, she was given
the “Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan”
award.
 Other Recognized Awards for Filipinos
Ani ng Dangal or "Harvest of Honors" is a
state recognition given by the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts under
the Office of the President of the Republic
of the Philippines. It is an annual event in
the Philippines celebrated as a highlight
and concluding rite of the Philippine Arts
Festival.
The Ani ng Dangal is given to a natural-born
Filipino artist or group that has reaped top
honors in international events.
The Palanca Awards aims to develop
Philippine Literature in the following
manner:
• By providing incentives for writers to craft
their most outstanding literary works;
• By being a treasury of the Philippine’s
literary gems from our gifted writers; and
• To assist in their eventual dissemination to
our people, particularly students.
The Philippine National Book Awards, or
simply the National Book Awards, is
a Philippine literary award sponsored by
the NBDB (National Book Development
Board) and the MCC (Manila Critics'
Circle).
The yearly awards have been given since
1982 by the Manila Critics' Circle, starting
in 2008 the administration of the award
changed to the NBDB.
The Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas is
an award given by the Unyon ng mga
Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL).
UMPIL is the Writers' Union of the
Philippines (Filipino: Unyon ng mga
Manunulat sa Pilipinas, UMPIL) is an
organization of Filipino writers in the
Philippines.
Established in 1974, the organization was first
known by the English version of its name, the
Writers' Union of the Philippines.
It has the primary goal of promoting Philippine
literature, uniting writers in the Philippines, and
providing seminars, workshops, and symposia.
Ang Pedro Bucaneg Award ang
pinakamataas na pagkilalang iginagawad
ng Gunglo Dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano iti
Filipinas (GUMIL Filipinas) sa mga lalaking
manunulat na Ilokano. Iginagawad ito
doon sa mga tinitingalang lalaking
manunulat na Ilokano na nakapagbigay ng
natatanging ambag sa pag-unlad ng
panitikang Iluko.
 Thoughts to think about?
• What other artist awards are
existing in the Philippines? In the
regions?
• Are there other arts forms and artists
that are still unrecognized? Can we
identify them?
sa pagbabahagi ng
kaalaman
Mabuhay ang
SINING!