Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
Philippines that has preserved
 National Living Treasures Award
 April 1992
 Conferred on Filipinos who are at the forefront of
the practice preservation and promotion of the
nation’s traditional folk arts
 Objectives: to honor and support traditional folk
artists and to see to it that their skills and crafts
are preserve
 formalized in 1992, through RA 7355 (Manlilikha
ng Bayan Act)
 award is tied w/ a program that ensures the
transfer of their skills to new generations
promotion of craft locally & internationally
 (2014) Senate Resolution No. (SNR) 765 aimed at
recognizing the accomplishments of the
country’s living treasures
 Emblem – award logo
- A representation of the human form used in
traditional cloth
- Below logo: “Manlilikha ng Bayan” in
baybayin (filipino script 16th century)
 National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA)
- Highest policy-making and coordinating body
for culture and the arts of the state
- Search for the finest traditional artists of the
land
- Adopts a program that will ensure the
transfer of their skills to others and
- Undertakes measures to promote a genuine
appreciation of and instill pride among our
people about the genius of the Manlilikha ng
Bayan
 Republic Act No. 7355
 “Manlilikha ng Bayan”
- A citizen engaged in any traditional
art uniquely Filipino
- Whose distinctive skills have reached
such a high level of technical &
artistic excellence
- Have been passed on to and widely
practiced by the present generation
in his/her community with the same
degree of technical & artistic
competence
 How does one become a Manlilikha ng Bayan?
- The candidate must possess the ff.
qualifications:
a. Inhabitant of an
indigenous/traditional cultural
community anywhere in the
indigenous customs, beliefs,
rituals and traditions and/or has
syncretized whatever external
elements that have influenced it.
b. Must have engaged in a folk art
tradition that has been in
existence and documented for
atleast 50 yrs
c. Must have consistently
performed/produced over a
significant period, works of
superior and distinctive quality
d. Must possess a mastery of tools
& mtrls. Needed by the art, and
have an established reputation in
the art as master & maker of
works of extraordinary technical
quality
e. Must have passed on and/or will
pass on to other members of the
community their skills in the folk
art for w/c the community is
traditionally known
- If age/infirmity made him/her incapable
of teaching, craft can still be recognized if
he/she:
a. Had created a significant body of
works and/or has consistently
displayed excellence in the
practice of his/her art
b. Has been instrumental in the
revitalization of his/her
community’s artistic tradition
c. Has passed on to other members
of the community skills in the
folk art for w/c the community is
traditionally known
d. His/her community has
recognized him/her as master &
teacher of his/her craft
 Categories:
 Folk architecture
 Maritime transport
 Weaving carving
 Performing arts
 Literature
 Graphic & plastic arts
 Ornament
 Textile/fiber art
 Pottery and others
Consideration be given to geographical
distribution & balance of artistic categories
 Incentives of awardee o Labaw Dunggon & Humadapnon
 Specially designed gold medallion (longest epic to recite)
 Initial grant of 100,000 pesos  Hajja Amina Appi – Mat Weaver, Sama
 10,000 pesos monthly stipend for life Tantubas, Tawi-tawi; mat is made up of
 (RA 7355: monetary grant may be pandan leaves w/c undergo tedious
increased whenever circumstances so processes
warrant) NCCA board approved an  Eduardo Mutuc – Metal Smith,
additional monthly personal allowance of Kapampangan in Apalit, Pampanga;
14,000 pesos creates religious & secular art in
 GAMABA Awardees: silver/bronze/wood
 Samaon Sulaiman – Musician in Mamasa  Magdalena Gamayo – textile weaver,
Pano, Maguindanao, 1993 ilokano in Pinili, Ilocos Norte
o Kutyapi (2-stringed plucked lute, one o Abel – textile weaving of Ilokano
of the most difficult) from local cotton & fibers
 Masino Intaray - Musician & Storyteller in  Teofilo Garcia – Casque maker, Ilokano in
Pala’wan Brookes Point, Palawan, 1993 San Quintin, Abra
o Kulilal, Bagit, Basal (musical o Tabungaw – gourd hat uniquely
ensemble played during “tambilaw”, distinct in craftmanship
ritual of rice sharing for Lord of Rice
and during “tinapay”, rice wine
drinking
 Ginaw Bilog - Poet in Hanunuo Mangyan
Panaytayan, Oriental Mindoro, 1993
o Ambahan (poem with 7 syllable
lines usually messages of love &
friendship)
 Lang Dulay – Textile weaver in T’boli,
Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
o T’nalak (fabric made up of fine
abaca fibers weaved w/ diff.
designs)
 Salinta Monon – textile weaver in
Tagabawa Bagobo, Bansalan, Davao del
Sur; started 12 yrs old; used to wear
traditional hand woven tube skirt of the
Bagobo (sinukla & bandula)
 Alonzo Saclag – musician & dancer in
Lubugan, Kalinga; master of dance and
performing arts; founder of Kalinga
Budong Dance Troupe
 Uwang Ahadas – Musician Yakan (their
instrumental music is connected with
spiritual realm)in Lamitan, Basilan
o Kwintangan Kayu (5 wooden logs
hung horizontally, from shortest-
longest) – played to serenade the
palay
 Darhata Sawabi – textile weaver Tausug
in Parang, Sulu
o Pis Syabit – traditional cloth
tapestry worn as a headcovering
 Federico Caballero – Epic chanter, Sulod-
Bukidnon, Calinog, Iloilo; documentation
of the oral literature