Contemporary Philippine Arts: Introduction
Definition and a Bit of a History
What is Art?
FORMS of ART
★ Picture (Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, and
Photography) - This is a two-dimensional image of
various subjects ranging from real-life images to the
visually abstract.
★ Sculpture - This is a three-dimensional artwork
that may be created using stone, marble, wood,
and concrete.
★ Architecture - These are structures that meant to
be used as a shelter. It relies on the design and
purpose of the structure.
★ Music - This is the art form that appeals to the
sense of hearing.
★ Literature - Thi is the art form of language
through the combined used of words, creating
meaning and experience.
★ Theater - This is the art form of performance.
★ Cinema - This is a technological translation of
theater.
★ Dance - This is the art of the human form
through grace and space.
★ Victorio Edades- was the first to break the rules
Contemporary Art
This pertains to the works of artist that moved or
desolate themselves from the conventional.
What is the difference between Contemporary and
Modern Art?
Modern Art refers to the specific span of time after
the colonization where art flourished together with
the modern technology.
Contemporary Art points to what is new.
Contemporary Art
They are not confined in a museum. They are also
found in galleries, art, school, side street, and public
spaces like train or bus stations, shopping centers
or parks.
Contemporary Artists
of art. He did not show natural forms nor
perspective and used bold strokes and bright colors.
★ Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco and Galo Ocampo - are
contemporary artists that was influenced by the
Western artists.
★ Hernando Ocampo - used geometric forms in
strong red colors overlapping with shades of yellow
to brown.
★ Vicente Manansala - painted in abstract cubism
his human forms engaged in genre such as those in
his market scene.
★ Cesar Legaspi - used his art as a commentary to
the state of hard labor in the Philippines.
★ Mona Alcudia - used paper to produced solid
forms.
★ Geovanni Abing - used colorful papers to make a
collage portrait of Monroe.
Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art
★ Abstract Expressionism - is a painting style in
which the artist applies paint in a manner that
expresses emotions and feelings in a spontaneous
way.
★ Kinetic Art - is a sculpture that moves with the
wind or is powered by a machine or electricity.
★ Op Art - uses lines or images repeatedly to create
an optical illusion.
★ Performance Art - combines a variety of media
and the human body to execute an artistic
theatrical expression before a live audience.
★ Environment Art - involves the artistic creation
or manipulation of space such as landscape or
architectural design that may enclose its audience.
★ Feminist Art - emerged from concerns of femle
artists expressed through art.
★ Minimalism - had a stripped-down, pre-
fabricatted looked, free of details and often with
flat surface but expresses a specific content or
statement.
★ Video Art - consists of images that are recorded
through video and viewed through television,
computer, or projection screen.
★ Graffiti Art - is a drawing, inscription or sketch
done hastily on a wall or other surface made to be
seen by the public.
★ Postmodern Art - carries modern styles to
extreme practices, often expressing an idea through
a mix of materials such as found objects welded
together.
★ Body Art - is an art form that uses the body as
the medium or main materialIt can be painted or
clothed and used to perform artistic act in public.
★ Digital Art - is done with the aid of computer to
create an image or design composed of bits and
bytes. It can be printed on paper, tarpaulin, or
other mediums.
Skills, Techniques and Production in Contemporary
Art
★ Collage - is made by adhering flat elements such
as newspaper or magazine cut-outs, printed text,
illustrations, pictures to a flat surface to create thick
layer that is almost like a relief sculpture.
★ Decalcomania - is the process of applying
gouache to paper or glass then transferring a
reversal of that image onto canvass or other flat
materials.
★ Decoupage - is done by adhering cut-outs of
paper and then coating these with one or more
coats or transparent coating of varnish.
★ Frottage - is the technique of rubbing crayon on
a piece of paper which has been placed over an
object or image.
★ Montage - is used for photography or film where
a pictorial image is juxtaposed or placed
overlapping to make another picture or design.
★ Trapunto Painting - is the technique used by
Pacita Abad where her canvases are padded, sewn,
and often filled with sequins, beads, sells, buttons,
tiny mirrors, bits of glass and other things she picks
up on her travels.
★ Digital Applications
National Artists of the Philippines
Role of a Contemporary Artist
“(They are) creating art that will contribute to social
change by enlightening viewers and audiences
about the nature and causes of the problems they
face as Filipinos today.”
- Dr. Nicanor Tiongson
First National Artist
In 1972, the Philippines named its first national
artist - world-class painter Fernando Amorsolo.
Presidential Proclamation No. 1001 S. 1972 “The
Award and the Decoration of National Artist” to
acknowledge the outstanding contributions to
Philippine arts and letters.
National Artist Insignia
It is a Grand Collar adorned by circular links
representing the arts. The main medallion
commemorates the sun and the colors of the
Philippine flag. The highly stylized three letter Ks
stand for “katotohanan, kabutihan, at kagandahan”
(the true, the good, and the beautiful.)
Presidential no: 1001 s 1972
- “The award and decoration of National
Artist” to acknowledge the outstanding
contributions to Philippine Arts
Dr. Patrick Flores
The feeling (is) that all is possible in the
contemporary, conceived as a constantly extending
and deepening constellation of art.”
Executive Order No. 118
Presidential Commission on Culture and the Arts in
1987
Republic Act 7356
National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA)
Art Promotion and Preservation: Importance of
having an art center in the Philippines
Nation’s Pride
Art is the heritage that is essential in building the
nation and ensuring democracy.
What are the different institutions of art in the
country?
National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA)
The NCCA is the country’s “over-all policy making
body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the
preservation, development, and promotion of the
Philippine arts and culture.”
This serves as the state’s initiative to promote and
develop art and culture awareness in the country.
There are 6 arts and cultural government agencies
under NCCA.
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
CCP has been serving as the premier venue in the
Philippines for culture and arts. It is responsible for
bringing together the different arts from various
regions to the entire country and the whole world.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP)
The NHCP was created with a vision of “a Filipino
society with citizens informed of their history, who
love their country and are proud of their cultural
heritage.”
It carries out its mandate by promoting “Philippine
history and cultural heritage through research,
dissemination, conservation, sites management,
and heraldry works.
National Museum of the Philippines
This is the country’s repository of archaeological
artifacts, national treasures, and rare specimens
found and produced in the country.
The main task of this institution is to solicit,
document, preserve, exhibit, and promote the
natural and artificial wonders of the Philippines.
National Library of the Philippines (NLP)
The NLP was then called the American Circulating
Library to serve as “memorial to American
servicemen who died in Philippine soil.”
Their mandate at present is a “repository of the
printed and recorded cultural heritage of the
country and other intellectual literary and
information sources.”
National Archives of the Philippines (NAP)
The NAP is guardian to over 400 documents from
the Spanish era dating 1552-1900 and various
records from the American period to the Republic.
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF)
This was created via Republic Act No. 7104:
“Congress shall establish a national language
commission composed of representatives of various
regions and disciplines which shall undertake,
coordinate, and promote researches for the
development, propagation, and preservation of
Filipino and other Philippine languages.”
NATIONAL ARTIST
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
1. Living artists who are natural-born 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. Filipinos who have lost and re-acquired
Filipino citizenship, through dual citizenship status
for at least the minimum period of five years shall
be eligible for nomination.
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
significant body of works and/or consistently
displayed excellence in the practice of their art
form thus enriching artistic expression or style.
5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through:5.1
prestigious national and/or international
recognition, such as the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining,
CCP Thirteen Artists Award and NCCA Alab ng
Haraya
5.2 critical acclaim and/or reviews of their
works
5.3 respect and esteem from peers
HONORS AND PRIVILEGES
1. The rank and title of National Artist, as
proclaimed by the President of the Philippines;
2. The National Artist gold-plated medallion
minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
and citation.
3. Lifetime emolument and material and physical
benefits comparable in value to those received
by the highest officers of the land such as:3.1. A
minimum cash award of Two Hundred Thousand
Pesos (P200,000.00), net of taxes for living
awardees and a minimum cash award of One
Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P150,000.00),
net of taxes for posthumous awardees, payable
to legal heir/s;
3.2 A minimum lifetime personal monthly
stipend of Thirty Thousand Pesos
(P30,000.00) The above-mentioned
privileges shall be given effective January
1, 2013.
3.3 Life insurance coverage for Awardees who
are still insurable;
3.4 A State Funeral benefit not exceeding
P500,000.00.
4. A place of honor, in line with protoculture
precedence, in state functions, national
commemoration ceremonies and all other
cultural presentations.
New Set of National Artists Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (VISUAL ARTS)
Manuel Conde (FILM) He is known mainly for his gestural paintings in
acrylic and oil, as well as sketches in ink, watercolor
Conde dared to recreate on screen the grand
and pencil. He was also a sculptor of note and has
narratives of larger-than-life figures from world
rendered abstract and figurative works in ceramics,
history and literature, like Genghis Khan and
tapestries and even in relief sculptures made of
Sigfredo. In doing films on these world figures,
paper and mixed media, which he simply calls
Conde had in effect forced the Filipino moviegoer
“Alcuazaics.”
out of the parochial and predictable concerns of the
run-of-the-mill formulaic film and thrust him into a Larry Alcala (VISUAL ARTS)
larger world where visions and emotions were
Editorial cartoonist and illustrator Alcala’s pen
loftier and nobler and very very far from the
brought to life the cartoon series Slice of Life in the
pedestrian whims and sentiments that constituted
Weekend Magazine, Mang Ambo in the Weekly
the Filipino moviegoer’s usual fare.
Graphic, and Kalabog en Bosyo, the first comic strip
Lamberto Avellana (FILM) where characters spoke in Taglish. His many works
portrayed the idiosyncrasies of the Filipino,
He was the first to use the motion picture camera
especially our ability to laugh at ourselves in the
to establish a point-of-view, a move that
face of great adversity, as personified in the
revolutionized the techniques of film narration.
character of Mang Ambo.
Avellana, who at 20 portrayed Joan of Arc in time
for Ateneo’s diamond jubilee, initially set out to Ramo Valera (FASHION DESIGN)
establish a Filipino theater.
Valera is said to have given the country its visual
Kidlat Tahimik (FILM) icon to the world via the terno. He unified the
components of the baro’t saya into a single dress
Widely regarded as the father of independent
with exaggerated bell sleeves, cinched at the waist,
Philippine cinema, Kidlat Tahimik (real name: Eric
grazing the ankle, and zipped up at the back. Using
de Guia) is known for creating films that
zipper in place of hooks was already a radical
humorously but evocatively critique
change for the country’s elite then. Dropping the
neocolonialism. A native of Baguio City, Tahimik has
panuelo–the long folded scarf hanging down the
garnered numerous international and local awards
chest, thus serving as the Filipina’s gesture of
for his films. His first, Perfumed Nightmare (1977),
modesty–from the entire ensemble became a
won the International Critics Award at the Berlin
bigger shock for the women then.
Film Festival.
Ramon Muzores (LITERATURE)
He is best known for his Hiligaynon novel
Margosatubig: The Story of Salagunting, about a
fictional Muslim state in Mindanao and the
struggles of its hero, Salagunting, to wrest it from
the clutches of usurpers. A tale that combines
intrigue, romance, pre-colonial lore, fantasy, and
adventure, it unfolded as a series in the Hiligaynon
magazine Yuhum.
Amelia Lapena Bonifacio (THEATER)
For her work in writing plays, promoting children’s
theater, and puppetry, Bonifacio has been called
the “Grande Dame of Southeast Asian Children’s
Theater.” She has penned 40 plays, 20 books, and
30 stories, and was chairperson of the University of
the Philippines’ Creative Writing Program. She
founded Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas, a children’s
theater and puppetry troupe based in UP
Resil Mojares (LITERATURE)
His works include Origins and Rise of the Filipino
Novel, The War Against the Americans, and books
about eminent Filipinos, such as Vicente Sotto,
Pedro Paterno, Isabelo delos Reyes, and Trinidad
Pardo de Tavera. He has won several National Book
Awards from the Manila Critics Circle and founded
the Cebuano Studies Center, a library and research
center dedicated to Cebuano culture and history.
Ryan Cayabyab (MUSIC)
He has composed musical scores for award-winning
films, 10 full-length Filipino musicals, full-length
ballets, a major opera, and a plethora of songs,
including beloved classics like “Tuwing Umuulan at
Kapiling Ka” and “Da Coconut Nut.” A force for
original Pilipino music, he has spearheaded the
Philippine Popular Music Festival and served as
judge in talent shows, like Philippine Idol and
Philippine Dream Academy. He leads the 7-member
Ryan Cayabyab Singers.
Francisco “Bobby” Manosa (ARCHITECTURE)
The architect known for his modern interpretation
of Philippine architectural design and use of
indigenous materials is behind the Coconut Palace,
world-famous Amanpulo Resort in Palawan, Pearl
Farm in Samal Island, Shangri-La Hotel in Mactan,
and the San Miguel building in Mandaluyong,
among others.

NATIONAL ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES:
LITERATURE
Francisco Arcellana
He is one the greatest poets of his generation. He is also
one of the pioneers of modern Filipino short story in
English. They are often lyrical prose-poetic form.
N. V. M. Gonzalez
Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez is a famed poet, short
story writer, essayist, professor, and recipient of
numerous recognition. His works have been published in
several languages including Filipino, English, Chinese,
German, Russian, and Indonesian.
Nick Joaquin
He is considered by many as the people’s writer because
his passion for writing embraced the manifold being of
Filipinos. He worked as a journalist for most of his life,
pioneering literary journalism. Literary journalism is the
reportage of actual events that employs literary
techniques.
F. Sionil Jose
He is a prolific Filipino writer whose works have been
translated in more than 20 languages. His literary works
represents the social underpinnings of class struggles
and colonialism in the society.
Jose Garcia Villa
Many people think that his personality and writing are
eccentric. If you will notice his works, you will notice that
he used comma in every word. This style is called
pointillism which refers to painting technique in which
that artist uses small, distinct dots of pure color to create
an image.
Edith L. Tiempo
She is also a recipient of the Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awards for Literature for the short story “The Black
Monkey” in 1951. Together with her husband, she
founded the Silliman University National Writers
Workshop which modelled after the Iowa Writers
Workshop in the University of Iowa. Silliman University
National Writers Workshop is Asia’s longest running
writer’s workshop here in the city of Dumaguete.
Virgilio S. Almario
He is also known as Rio Alma who is a Filipino poet and
historian. He has translate for theater production some
of the famous plays of Nick Joaquin and international
literary artists. His translations of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo were considered by the Manila
Critics Circle as the best version.
Amado V. Hernandez
He is well-known for his disapproval of social injustices in
the country. He was later imprisoned for his participation
in the communist movement. He was also married to
another National Artist, Filipino actress Atang de la
Rama.
Carlos P. Romulo
He was an envoy, statesman, soldier, correspondent,
writer, and founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
He was already a reporter at the age of 16 and a
publisher at 32. He was the only Asian to be awarded
Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for a series of articles
forecasting the outbreak of World War II.
Carlos L. Quirino
He is one of the most talented biographers of his time.
He was the first Filipino to be recognized as the National
Artist in Historical Literature. He helped the President
Elpidio Quirino as his assistant. Most of his topics
covered war, politics, art, business, and agriculture.
Alejandro R. Roces
He was an exceptional writer of comic short stories. He
wrote several newspaper columns. He has always
focused on the derelict aspects of the country’s cultural
heritage.
Lazaro Francisco
He is considered to be an icon in Tagalog writing through
his nationalist and social criticisms. In 1958, he founded
the Kapatiran ng mga Alagad ng Wikang Pilipino
(KAWIKA).
Bienvenido Lumbrera
He is an award-winning poet, librettist, and scholar. His
scholarly work in the field of literary history and criticism
are foundational texts in Philippine colleges and
universities.
Cirilo F. Bautista
He is a highly praised poet, fictionist, and essayist. He is
also a Palanca Hall of Famer, winning countless awards
and honors. He was named winner of the Philippine
Centennial Prize for Epic Poetry.
ARCHITECTURE
Pablo S. Antonio
He 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. His
forms maximized the use of natural light and cross
ventilation.
Leandro V. Locsin
He is the visionary behind the Istana Nurul Iman--the
palace of the Sultan of Brunei which has a floor area of
almost 22 million square feet. He has also changed the
city with his distinguishing architecture reflective of
Philippine art and culture. His style of floating volume,
and the duality of light and heavy is unparalleled with
other artists.
Juan F. Nakpil
He had a strong faith in the Filipino architect, with the
“belief that there is such a thing as Philippine
Architecture, espousing architecture reflective of
Philippine traditions and culture.”
Ildefonso P. Santos Jr.
He is one of the most recognized landscape architects in
the country. Landscape architecture enhances outdoor
public spaces, landmarks, and structures by contouring
the environment.
Jose Maria Zaragoza
He is the country’s 82nd licensed architect. His works
have been recognized by Gerard Lico, head of National
Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts of the NCCA,
to have “ advanced the progressive ideas of modernism
in rebuilding the Philippines from the ashes of war in the
mid-20th century.”

National Living Treasures Award:
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAWAD)
Preserving Our Indigenous and Tribal Culture
Save from Modernity
When the modernity has threatened
the tribal cultural and artistic heritage
of the Philippines, NCCA tried to
come up of a way where people who
thrived to preserve their rituals,
continue in enriching our past
culture.
Republic Act no. 7355
Through this law, the NCCA “conducts the 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.”
Qualifications
To become a “Manlilikha ng Bayan”, the candidate must
possess the following qualifications:
A. He/she is 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.
B. He/she must have engaged in a folk art tradition that
has been in existence and documented for at least fifty
(50) years.
C. He/she must have consistently performed or produced
over a significant period, works of superior and
distinctive quality.
D. He/she must possess a mastery of tools and materials
needed by the art, and must have
an established reputation in the art as master and maker
of works of extraordinary technical quality.
E. He/she must 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.
A traditional artist who possesses all the qualities of a
Manlilikha ng Bayan candidate,
but due to age or infirmity has left him/her incapable of
teaching further his/her craft,
may still be recognized if:
A. He/she had created a significant body of works and/or
has consistently displayed excellence in the practice of
his/her art, thus achieving important
contributions for its development.
B. He/she has been instrumental in the revitalization of
his/her community’s artistic tradition.
C. He/she has passed on to the other members of the
community skills in the folk art for which the community
is traditionally known.
D. His/her community has recognized him/her as master
and teacher of his/her craft.
What do they get as National Living Treasures?
These are the following incentives that are granted to
them:
A. receives a specially designed gold medallion, an initial
grant of P100,000 and P10,000 monthly stipend for life
B. approves an additional monthly personal allowance of
P14,000 for the awardees if they will need it for certain
circumstances
C. maximum cumulative amount of P750,000 medical
and hospitalization benefits annually similar to that
received by the National Artists and funeral
assistance/tribute fit for a National Living Treasure
National Living Treasures Award:
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
Literature
GINAW BILOG
Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro
Ambahan is a form of poetic literature
which is made up of seven-syllable lines used to
communicate messages through metaphors and
imagery.
Ginaw Bilog took it upon himself to
incessantly record the ambahan poetry
by the use of bamboo tubes and old,
dog-eared notebooks passed on to him
by family and friends.
FEDERICO CABALLERO
CALINOG, ILOILO
He is a known epic chanter from Iloilo.
Caballero’s contribution is in the recording of the dying
oral tradition of epics. He was able to document 10 epics
in a language that is no longer spoken.
He worked with the Bureau of Nonformal Education
and has traveled to many places to promote the
importance of reading and writing.
He is often known as a bantugan, a person
manughusay, an intermediary of conflicts.
Performance
Masino Intaray
Makagwa Valley, Brookes Point, Palawan
He was not just an exceptional poet but also a musician,
an epic chanter, and a storyteller. He can play basal,
kulilal, and bagit.
He has given major contribution in countless tuturan
(myth), tultul (epics), and sudsungit (narratives).
Samaon Sulaiman
Maguindanao, Mindanao
He was a master of and teacher of kudyapi in Libutan
and other barangays of Maganoy town. His expertise in
the kudyapi was evident in his broad repertoire that
included binalig, linapu, minna, and dinadalay. His
contribution is to teach others how to play the kudyapi.
He was also a popular town barber and served as an
imam in the Libutan mosque.
Alonzo Saclag
Lubugan, Kalinga
He is a master of dance and performance arts. The
Kalinga people take pride in his incredible skills and
talents because he has mastered not only the Kalinga
musical instruments but also the dance movements
associated with his people’s practice.
His contribution to folk art and culture is heading the
establishment of the prestigious Kalinga Budong Dance
Troupe.
Uwang Ahadas
Lamitan, Basilan
He belongs to the tribe of Yakan, an indigenous tribe
with high reverence to instrumental music as it is related
to life and agricultural cycles, and social
undertakings. He has near-blindness, has not
hindered him but made him love music more.
Instruments like kwintangan, kayu, and tuntungan were
also his expertise.
Crafts
Lang Dulay
South Cotabato
She was a master weaver. She started honing at the
young age of 12. She was famous for using traditional
Filipino materials such as abaca fibers weaved into
T’nalak cloth.
She was widely known for her distinct designs such as
the kabangi (butterfly), bankiring (hair bangs), and the
bulinglangit (clouds). The weaving of Lang Dulay and her
people inspired the 2014 Cinemalaya film K’na the
Dreamwaver.
Salinta Monon
Bagobo, Davao Del Sur
She was also an excellent weaver that used abaca-ikat
weaving, weaving using fiber from the abaca plant to
create very detailed ornate designs. Her designs take
three to four months to complete. The binuwaya
(crocodile) is considered to be
Monon’s beloved design. Her contribution to arts was
her dedication and perseverance in creating
weaving that represented the Bagobo culture.
Darhata Sawabi
Jolo, Sulu
She was a textile weaver from the humble barangay of
Parang. She was a Tausug for the pis syabit, which is a
customary cloth worn as a hood by the Filipino Tausugs.
The pis syabit is a challenging textile to weave that takes
three days to do. Her choice of colors, consistency of
weave, and use of traditional designs made her an
excellent artist. She does her best to transfer her
knowledge with the women in her community.
Eduardo Mutuc
Pampanga
He is an exceptional Filipino sculptor who works with
silver, bronze, and wood, crafting religious and layman
artworks. His works include intricate church retablos,
ornately designed mirrors, grand altars, and breathtaking
carosas used in churches or procured by collectors. His
contribution is in his
opulent craftsmanship that graces the places of worship
of many Filipino faithful.
Haja Amina Appi
Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi
She was the master mat weaver from the small
community of Ungos Matata. Her flamboyant mats with
her intricate geometric arrangements displayed her
particular sense of proportion and color sensitivity.
The art of mat making in the Sama community is
assigned and restricted to women. The harvesting, dying,
designing, and weaving of the mats are for women which
was featured in Brillante Mendoza’s film Thy Womb.
Teofilo Garcia
San Quintin, Abra
He is a master artisan, farmer, and innovator. He is
recognized for his beautifully crafted casque or
tabungaw, a distinctive and functional headpiece that he
made to safeguard him from the harsh rays of sun and
from the rain. His creations are made of
hollowed-out native gourd which he polishes and
varnishes, then the interior is made of rattan. His
contribution is the integration of his craft in harvest
festivals.
Magdalena Gamayo
Ilocos
She is an Ilocano textile weaver of the abel, the
traditional blanket. Her works are the finest quality,
using very high thread count and incorporating
intricate designs. Her accuracy in color spacing makes
her blankets sought after. She has mastered the
traditional patterns of sinan-sabong (flowers), kusikos
(spirals), and the binakol inuritan (geometric).
Yabing Masalon Dulo
Polomok, South cotabato
Yabing Dulo, also known as Fu Yabing, is a master of the
craft of Mabal Tabih, a craft belonging to the B’laan tribe
in Polomolok, South Cotabato. She learned the craft at
the age of 10. Tabih is a woven textile made from abaca
and natural dyes. Spiritually important to the B’laan,
Tabih is used to make blankets, traditional skirts, and
long-sleeved blouses. It makes use of designs inspired
from nature or dreams.
Ambalang Ausalin
Lamitan
Apuh Ambalang, as she is called, is famous in her
hometown of Lamitan and beyond for her mastery of
even the most intricate of Yakan weaving styles. She is
particularly unique for her seputangan creations.
Seputangan is a special cloth placed on the shoulders of
brides and grooms during weddings and boasts intricate
designs. Apuh Ambalang can execute even the smallest
designs, from the dawen-dawen (leaf-like) to the dinglu
or mata (diamond/eye) patterns.
Estelita Bantilan
Sarangani
Bantilan, who hails from Sarangani, is recognized for her
exemplary execution of B’laan mat or igem weaving
techniques. B’laan mats, created using only deft hands,
feature brilliantly-colored geometric designs and
patterns made from dyed leaf strips.