NATIONAL ARTIST
Criteria for the Order of National Artist
Order of National Artists
(Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining)
- Highest national recognition given to Filipino
individuals who have made significant contributions
to the development of Philippine arts; namely
Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature,
Film, Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied
Arts
- Jointly administered by the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural
Center of the Philippines upon recommendation by
both institutions
- A rank, a title, and a wearable award that
represent the highest national recognition given
to Filipinos who have made distinct contributions
in the field of arts and letters.
- significant body of work and/or consistently
Grand Collar
- Insignia of the Order of the National Artists;
circular links portrays the arts, and an eight-
pointed conventionalized sunburst suspended from
a sampaguita wreath in green and white enamel.
- Divided into three equal portions: red, white, and
blue  Philippine flag with three Ks–the “KKK” for
CCP’s motto: “katotohanan, kabutihan, at
kagandahan”
- Composition of the Grand Collar is silver gilt
bronze
- In place of a rosette, there is an enameled pin in
the form of the insignia of the order
National Artist Categories
 Music
 Dance
 Theater
 Film
 Literature
 Architecture
 Visual Arts
A. The National Artist Awarding Process
B.
According to the rules of the National Commission on
Culture and the Arts, the Order of National Artists
should be conferred every three years.
1. Living artists who are Filipino citizens at the
time of nomination, as well as those who died
after the establishment of the award in 1972
but were Filipino citizens at the time of their
death;
2. Artists who, through the content and form of
their works, have contributed in building a
Filipino sense of nationhood;
3. Artists who have pioneered in a mode of
creative expression or style, thus earning
distinction and making an impact on succeeding
generations of artists;
4. Artists who have created a substantial and
displayed excellence in the practice of their
art form thus enriching artistic expression or
style
Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through:
 Prestigious national and/or international
recognition, such as the Gawad CCP Para sa
Sining, CCP Thirteen Artists Award and NCCA
Alab ng Haraya;
 Critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works;
 Respect and esteem from peers
C. Honors and Privileges of Members of the
Order of National Artist
1. The rank and title of National Artist, as
proclaimed by the President of the
Philippines;
2. The insignia of a National Artist and a
citation;
3. A lifetime emolument and material and
physical benefits comparable in value to those
received by the highest officers of the land
such as:
a. Cash award of One Hundred Thousand
Pesos (P100,000.00) net of taxes, for
living awardees;
b. Cash award of Seventy-Five Thousand
Pesos (P75,000.00) net of taxes, for
posthumous awardees, payable to legal
heir/s;
c. A monthly life pension, medical and
hospitalization benefits; d. life
insurance coverage for Awardees who
are still insurable; e. a state funeral
and burial at the Libingan ng mga
Bayani;
d. A place of honor, in line with
prolocular precedence, at national
state functions, and recognition at
cultural events.
National Artist Awardees
A. Architecture
 Pablo Sebero Antonio
o Pioneered modern Philippine
architecture
o Championed the use of Natural Lighting
in the structures he Designed.
 Juan F. Nakpil
o Architect, teacher and civic leader, is
a pioneer and innovator in Philippine
architecture
o Espoused architecture style reflective
of Philippine Tradition and Culture
 Leandro V. Locsin
o He is a National Artist for
Architecture who is touted as the one
who reshaped the urban landscape with
a distinctive architecture reflective of
Philippine Art and Culture.
 Jose Maria Zaragoza
o He is an architect defined by a
significant body of modern edifices
that address spiritual and secular
requirements. His name is synonymous
to modern ecclesiastical architecture.
 Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr.
o The Father of Philippine Landscape
Architecture created hundreds of
parks, plazas, gardens, and outdoor
sites.
o Helped establish the first university
programs in landscape architecture, as
well as the Philippine Association of
Landscape Architects
B. Fashion
• Ramon Valera
o National artist for fashion design and
is said to have given the country its
visual icon to the world via the terno.
C. Film/Cinema
 Catalino “Lino” Brocka
o The director for film and broadcast
arts, espoused the term “freedom of
expression” in the Philippine
Constitution
 Salvador F. Bernal
o The National Artist for Theatre who
has designed more than 300
productions distinguished for their
originality since 1969.
 Ishmael Bernal
o Hailed as “The Genius of Philippine
Cinema.”
 Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana
o A National Artist for Film who
together with her husband, National
Artist Lamberto Avellana and other
artists, co-founded the Barangay
Theatre Guild in 1939.
 Fernando Poe Jr.
o He is a film actor and director whose
career as an action film star earned
him the nickname "King of Philippine
Movies"
 Gerardo “Gerry” V. De Leon
o He is the national artist for film who
believed that the silent movie industry
was a “very good” training ground
because the pictures told the story
 Manuel Conde
o He innovated the traditional cinematic
genres of his time
o He opened the local Philippine cinema
to a global audience
D. Performing Arts
 Honorata “Atang” Dela Rama
o She is formally honored as the Queen
of Kundiman in 1979, then already 74
years old singing the same song
(“Nabasag na Banga”) that she sang as
a 15-year old girl in the sarsuela
Dalagang Bukid.
 Lucrecia Reyes Ortula
o She is a choreographer, dance
educator and a researcher.
o She spent almost four decades in the
discovery and study of Philippine folk
and ethnic dances
 Leonor Orosa-Goquingco
o Dubbed as the trailblazer, MOTHER
OF PHILIPPINE THEATRE DANCE
and the DEAN OF FILIPINO
PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC.
E. Theatre
 Severino Montano
o He is the forerunner in
institutionalizing “legitimate theater”
in the Philippines
 Ronaldo S. Tinio
o He is a national artist known for
playwright, thespian, poet, teacher,
critic and translator, marked his
career with prolific artistic
productions.