Philippine National Artists

strA deillA dna erutcetihcrA dna ,strA tsacdaorB ,mliF ,erutaretiL ,strA lausiV ,retaehT ,ecnaD ,cisuM
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ARTIST

WHAT IS A NATIONAL ARTIST?
A National Artist is a Filipino citizen who has been given the rank and title of National Artist in
recognition of his or her significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and
letters.
The rank and title of National Artist is conferred by means of a Presidential Proclamation. It
recognizes excellence in the fields of Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film and
Broadcast Arts, and Architecture or Allied Arts.
WHAT IS THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS?
Those who have been proclaimed National Artists are given a Grand Collar symbolizing their
status. Recipients of this Grand Collar make up the Order of National Artists. The Order of National
Artists (Orden ng Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is thus a rank, a title, and a wearable
award that represents the highest national recognition given to Filipinos who have made distinct
contributions in the field of arts and letters. It is jointly administered by the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and is conferred
by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.
As one of the Honors of the Philippines, it embodies the nation’s highest ideals in humanism and
aesthetic expression through the distinct achievements of individual citizens. The Order of
National Artists shares similarities with orders, decorations, and medals of other countries
recognizing contributions to their national culture such as, the U.S. National Medal for the Arts,
and the Order of Culture of Japan.
According to the rules of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the Order of National
Artists should be conferred every three years.
THE INSIGNIA OF THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS
The insignia of the Order of the National Artists is composed of a

Grand Collar featuring circular links portraying the arts, and an eight-
pointed conventionalized sunburst suspended from a sampaguita
wreath in green and white enamel. The central badge is a medallion
divided into three equal portions, red, white, and blue, recalling the
Philippine flag, with three stylized letter Ks—the “KKK” stands for the
CCP’s motto: “katotohanan, kabutihan, at kagandahan” (“the true, the
good, and the beautiful”), as coined by then first lady Mrs. Imelda
Romualdez Marcos, the CCP’s founder. The 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.
The Order of National Artists | GOVPH. (n.d.). The Order of National Artists | Official Gazette of the
Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/the-order-of-national-artists/
VISUAL ARTS
FERNANDO AMORSOLO
( May 30, 1892 - April 24, 1972 )
was a portraitist and painter of rural

Philippine landscapes. Nicknamed the
“Grand Old Man of Philippine Art”, he
was the first-ever to be recognized as a
National Artist of the Philippines. He was
recognized as such for his “pioneering
use of impressionistic technique” as well
as his skill in the use of lightning and
backlighting in his paintings, “significant
not only in the development of Philippine
art but also in the formation of Filipino
notions of self and identity”.
MAJOR WORK
Amorsolo’s major works, such as Maiden
in a Stream (1921), The Conversion of
the Filipinos (1931), The Bombing of
Intendencia (1942), The Rape of Manila
(1942), Defense of a Filipina Woman’s
Honor (1945), and Sunday Morning
Going to Town (1958), relate to distinct
events in Philippine history.
The Conversion of the

Filipinos (1931)
Maiden in a Stream (1921)
The Bombing of Intendencia

(1942)
AWARDS:
Order of National Artists of the Philippines

CARLOS V. FRANCISCO
(November 4, 1912 - March 31, 1969)
Carlos V. Francisco, better known as

Botong, was responsible for
revolutionising the fine arts landscape
of the Philippines. He departed from
the prevailing style of the Amorsolo
academic and launched the modernist
movement with his fellow founders of
the Modern Triumvirate, Victorio
Edades and Galo Ocampo. Francisco
was a most distinguished practitioner
of mural painting for many decades
and best known for his historical
pieces.
MAJOR WORK
Most famous masterpiece was probably
the commissioned mural on the Filipino
struggle for freedom located at the
Bulwagang Katipunan of the Manila City
Hall. Received the Republic Cultural
Heritage Award in 1964. Declared
Philippines National Artist posthumously
in 1973.
AWARDS:
Republic Cultural Heritage Award in

1964
Declared Philippines National Artist
posthumously in 1973.
VICTORIO C. EDADES
(December 23, 1895 - March 7, 1985)
Victorio Candido Edades was a Filipino
painter. He led the revolutionary
Thirteen Moderns, who engaged their
classical compatriots in heated debate
over the nature and function of art. He
was named a National Artist in 1976.
The history names Victorio Edades as
“the father of Modern Philippine Art”.
Schooled in the US upon his return he
introduced an entirely new way of
thinking about art. He argued that art
can be more than representation of
reality, it can be representation of
reality as seen through the mind and
emotions of the artists.
MAJOR WORK
"The Builders" (1928) is one of Victorio
Edades' major works that he exhibited in
1928 during his one-man show. Edades
executed this upon his return to the
Philippines from studies in the United
States.
AWARDS:
Edades received the Pro Patria Award

during the Rizal Centennial Celebration
in 1961
Patnubay ng sinsing at Kalinangan
award from the City of Manila in 1964.
He was proclaimed National Artist in
painting in 1976.
VICENTE S. MANANSALA
(December 23, 1895 - March 7, 1985)
Vicente Manansala‘s paintings are
described as visions of reality teetering
on the edge of abstraction. As a young
boy, his talent was revealed through the
copies he made of the Sagrada Familia
and his mother’s portrait that he copied
from a photograph. After finishing the
fine arts course from the University of
the Philippines, he ran away from home
and later found himself at the Philippines
Herald as an illustrator. It was there that
Manansala developed a close
association with Hernando R. Ocampo,
Cesar Legaspi, and Carlos Botong
Francisco, the latter being the first he
admired most.
MAJOR WORK
Manansala’s works include A Cluster of
Nipa Hut, San Francisco Del Monte,
Banaklaot, I Believe in God, Market
Venders, Madonna of the Slums, Still Life
with Green Guitar, Via Crucis, Whirr,
Nude.
A Cluster of Nipa Hut

Madonna of
the Slums
AWARDS:
Edades received the Pro Patria Award
during the Rizal Centennial Celebration
in 1961
Patnubay ng sinsing at Kalinangan
award from the City of Manila in 1964.
painting in 1976.
CESAR LEGASPI
(December 23, 1895 - March 7, 1985)
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”.
His distinctive style and daring themes
contributed significantly to the advent
and eventual acceptance of modern art
in the Philippines. Legaspi made use of
the geometric fragmentation technique,
weaving social comment and juxtaposing
the mythical and modern into his
overlapping, interacting forms with
disturbing power and intensity.
MAJOR WORK
Sea of Gold , 1990
Magellan and Lapu-Lapu, 1962
Mystic Seaport, Mass., USA, 1979
Ritual , 1951
Abstract, 1970
Sea of Gold , 1990 Magellan and

Lapu-Lapu,
AWARDS: 1962
Legaspi's awards from the Art Association of
the Philippines are:
fourth prize, Sick Child, 1948, first prize,
Gadgets, 1944;
fourth prize, PIanters, 1949; and
third prize, Ritual, 1951.
He won first prize for Stairway to Heaven in
the Manila club Art Exhibition in 1949.
painting in 1990.
HERNANDO R. OCAMPO (April 28, 1911 – December 28, 1978)
A self-taught painter, Hernando R. Ocampo
was a leading member of the pre-war
Thirteen Moderns, the group that charted
the course of modern art in the Philippines.
His works provided an understanding and
awareness of the harsh social realities in the
country immediately after the Second World
War and contributed significantly to the rise
of the nationalist spirit in the post-war era. It
was, however, his abstract works that left
an indelible mark on Philippine modern art.
His canvases evoked the lush Philippine
landscape, its flora and fauna, under the
sun and rain in fierce and bold colors. He
also played a pivotal role in sustaining the
Philippine Art Gallery, the country’s first.
MAJOR WORK
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
Resurrection, Fifty-three “Q”,
Backdrop, and Fiesta.
AWARDS:
·He received the Patnubay ng Sining at
Kalinangan Award, 1969, and the Diwa ng
Lahi Award, 1976, both from the City of
Manila.
·He was awarded the Gawad CCP para sa
Sining in 1979.
·He was proclaimed as National Artist in
Visual Arts in 1991.
ARTURO ROGERIO DIMAYUGA LUZ
(November 26, 1926 – May 26, 2021)
a painter, printmaker, sculptor, and
instructor in the fine arts, known for his
abstract paintings of geometric forms and
lines, and sculptures made from hardwood
and metal. He became founding director of
the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 1976,
which he held until 1986. He has
participated in several exhibitions and
biennales worldwide, including the
Philippine Cultural Exhibition in New York
(1953), Arte de America y España (1963),
the 11th São Paolo Biennial (1971), the
Tokyo International Print Biennial in (1974),
and the 8th British International Print
Biennale (1984).
MAJOR WORK
Cities of the Past Imaginary

Landscapes
Bagong Taon, 1997 Vendador de

Flores
AWARDS:
·1950s-1960s Three 1st Prize Awards at
the Art Association of the Philippines
Annual Competition, California Art
Association award
·1976 Founding director of the
Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 1976
·1989 Gawad CCP para sa Sining (CCP
Awards for the Arts), from the Cultural
Center of the Philippines
·1997 Philippine National Artist and ect.
J. ELIZALDE NAVARRO (May 22, 1924 – June 10, 1999)
was born on May 22, 1924 in Antique. He is

a versatile artist, being both a proficient
painter and sculptor. His devotion to the
visual arts spanned 40 years of drawing,
printmaking, graphic designing, painting
and sculpting. His masks carved in
hardwood merge the human and the animal;
his paintings consists of abstracts and
figures in oil and watercolor, and his
assemblages fuse found objects and metal
parts.
MAJOR WORK
Totems of My
Emma, 1980 Forefathers, 1993
Balinese Fantasy, 1995 The Face of the

Awakening God,
AWARDS:
1993
··1967 – represented the Philippines in
Sculpture Category, São Paulo Beinnale Brazil
·1970 – represented the Philippines in
Sculpture Category, São Paulo Beinnale, Brazil
·1972 – represented the Philippines at the
Biennale de art Graphiques, Brno,
Czechoslovakia
·1980 – First Filipino artist to be represented at
YAYASAN Bali, Indonesia
·1999 – Philippine National Artist
·2014 – Leon Art Gallery Auction House "The
Kingly Treasures"
(May 22, 1924 – June 10, 1999)
ANG KIUKOK
Born to immigrant Chinese parents Vicente
Ang and Chin Lim, Ang Kiukok is one of the
most vital and dynamic figures who
emerged during the 60s. As one of those
who came at the heels of the pioneering
modernists during that decade, Ang Kiukok
blazed a formal and iconographic path of
his own through expressionistic works of
high visual impact and compelling meaning.
He crystallized in vivid, cubistic figures the
terror and angst of the times. Shaped in the
furnace of the political turmoil of those
times, Ang Kiukok pursued an expression
imbued with nationalist fervor and
sociological agenda.
MAJOR WORK
Some of his works include Geometric
Landscape (1969); Pieta, which won for him the
bronze medal in the 1st International Art
Exhibition held in Saigon (1962); and the
Seated Figure (1979), auctioned at Sotheby’s in
Singapore.
AWARDS:
In 1976, Ang was awarded the Outstanding
Citizen Award which led to the 1978 Patnubay
ng Sining at Kalinangan Award
2001, he was awarded the Pambansang
Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas (National Artists
of the Philippines) order, the highest honor
bestowed for artistic achievement in the
Philippines.
JOSE JOYA (June 3, 1931 – May 11, 1995)
Jose Joya is considered the pioneer and
foremost abstract expressionist painter of
the Philippines. His work is “characterized
by calligraphic gestures and linear forces,
and a sense of color vibrancy emanating
from an Oriental sensibility.”
MAJOR WORK
Ligawan, 1948
Barter of Panay, 1948
Hidalgo Studies, 1951
Christ Stripped of His Clothes, 1954
Granadean Arabesque, 1958
Space Transfiguration, 1959
Dimensions of Fear, 1965
Ang Tutubi, 1967
Cityscape, 1972 and others
AWARDS:
1953 - First Magna Cum Laude graduate of
the University of the Philippines College of
Fine Arts
1954 - Scholarship award by the Spanish
government to study at the Instituto de
Cultura Hispanica.
1957 - MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art
1967 - John D. Rockefeller III Fund and Ford
Foundation grant
1967 - Chevalier dans I’ Ordre des Arts et
Lettres
2003 - National Artist For Visual Arts
awarded by President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo
BENEDICTO CABRERA
(April 10, 1942)
Benedicto R. Cabrera, who signs his
paintings “Bencab,” upheld the primacy of
drawing over the decorative color. Bencab
started his career in the mid-sixties as a
lyrical expressionist. His solitary figures of
scavengers emerging from a dark landscape
were piercing stabs at the social conscience
of a people long inured to poverty and
dereliction. Bencab, who was born in
Malabon, has christened the emblematic
scavenger figure “Sabel.” For Bencab, Sabel
is a melancholic symbol of dislocation,
despair, and isolation–the personification of
human dignity threatened by life’s
vicissitudes, and the vast inequities of
Philippine society.*
MAJOR WORK
Crisis in Humanity Sabel Edo Gesture
AWARDS:
1992 - Gawad CCP Para sa Sining

(Philippines)
2006 - National Artist for Visual Arts
(Philippines)
2006 - Most Creative Force (Philippine Tatler
Ball)
National Artist for Visual Arts (2006)
ABDULMARI ASIA IMAO (January 14, 1936 – December 16, 2014)
A native of Sulu, Abdulmari Asia Imao is a
sculptor, painter, photographer, ceramist,
documentary filmmaker, cultural
researcher, writer, and articulator of
Philippine Muslim art and culture. Through
his works, the indigenous ukkil, sarimanok
and naga motifs have been popularized and
instilled in the consciousness of the Filipino
nation and other peoples as original Filipino
creations. His U.P. art education introduced
him to Filipino masters like Guillermo
Tolentino and Napoleon Abueva, who were
among his mentors.
MAJOR WORK
Industry Brass Mural, Philippine
National Bank, San Fernando, La
Union
Mural Relief on Filmmaking, Manila
City Hall
Industrial Mural, Central Bank of the
Philippines, San Fernando, La Union
Sulu Warriors (statues of Panglima
Unaid and Captain Abdurahim Imao), 6
ft., Sulu Provincial Capitol
AWARDS:
Abdulmari Asia Imao (January 14, 1936 –
December 16, 2014) was a Filipino painter and
sculptor. Imao was named National Artist of
the Philippines for Visual Arts in 2006. A
Tausūg, Imao is the first Moro to receive the
recognition.
FEDERICO AGUILAR Y ALCUAZ
(June 6, 1932 – February 2, 2011)
Alcuaz was conferred the title of National
Artist for Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture
and Mixed Media in 2009. However, four
nominees for the award other than Alcuaz
became embroiled in the 2009 National
Artist of the Philippines Controversy, which
led the Supreme Court of the Philippines to
temporarily issue a status quo order on
August 25, 2009, blocking the conferment
of the awards on all seven nominees -
despite the fact that no objections were
ever raised regarding the conferment of the
award to Alcuaz and two other nominees.
MAJOR WORK
Lemons, Pears, Tropical Fruit,

Still Life and Still Life, Table
Landscape and Landscape
AWARDS:
1st Prize, UPCFA Art Competition,
1953
1ST Prize, Roadside Squatters, 4th
SNSAC Modern Painting Category,
1954
1st Prize, Montcada Award Barcelona,
1957
Francisco Goya Award, Cercle Maillol
Barcelona, 1958
Republic Cultural Heritage Award,
1965
2nd Prize Prix Vancell, 4th Biennial of
Terrassa (Barcelona Spain),1959
FRANCISCO COCHING
(January 29, 1919 – September 1, 1998)
He dedicated his life to his family and to the
art of writing and illustrating comics novels
for four decades. Mostly a self-taught artist,
Coching started with pen-and-ink drawings
and later graduated to storytelling, via
comics illustrations.
MAJOR WORK
Valentines Mendiola Street

Special, dated
1972
AWARDS:
1959 Nominee FAMAS Award_Best

Story - Laban sa lahat
Story - Talipandas
Story - Condenado
Story - Gumuhong bantayog
DANCE
FRANCISCA R. AQUINO
( March 9, 1899 - November 21, 1983)
was a Filipino folk dancer and
academic noted for her research on
Philippine folk dance. As
Superintendent of Physical Education
in the University of the Philippines, her
sustained work of 40 years has made a
vital contribution to the foundation of
the country's performing arts. On this
foundation, several Filipino dance
troupes have developed to win critical
and popular acclaim abroad.
MAJOR WORK
Reyes-Aquino’s research produced a
number of books. She’s the author of
Philippine Folk Dances and Games
(1927), Philippine National Dances
(1946), Gymnastics for Girls (1947),
Fundamental Dance Steps and Music
(1948), Foreign Folk Dances (1949),
Dances for All Occasions (195),
Playground Demonstration (1951),
Philippine Folk Dances in 6 volumes
(1951-1979), Rhythmic Activities (1952),
and Philippine Folk Dances and Songs as
co-author in 1966.
AWARDS:
An honorary doctor of science in physical

education degree from Boston University in
1949;
The Republic of the Philippines award of
merit "for outstanding contribution toward
the advancement of Filipino culture" in 1954;
An honorary doctor of humanities degree
from Far Eastern University;
A certificate of award from the UNESCO
National Commission;
A presidential citation for distinguished
service to the 10th World Jamboree from the
Boy Scouts of the Philippines in 1959;
The Rizal Pro Patria Award in 1961; and
Ramon Magsaysay Award for government
service in 1962.
LEONOR O. GOQUINGCO
(July 24, 1917 - July 15, 2005)
Leonor Orosa Goquingco was a Filipino
national artist in creative dance, who
was also known for breaking tradition
within dance. She played the piano,
drew art, designed scenery and
costumes, sculpted, acted, directed,
danced and choreographed. Her pen
name was Cristina Luna and she was
known as Trailblazer, Mother of
Philippine Theater Dance and Dean of
Filipino Performing Arts Critics. She
died on July 15, 2005 of cardiac arrest
following a cerebro-vascular accident
at the age of 87
MAJOR WORK
Trend: Return to Native, 1941
Filipinescas: Philippine Life, Legend
and Lore in Dance, 1961
Philippine Youth in Ballet
Noli Dance Suite
The Magic Garden
Sabong
VINTA!
The Clowns
Firebird
The Flagellant
The Creation
AWARDS:
Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award,

1961
Rizal Centennial Award, 1962
Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award and
Republic Cultural Heritage Award, 1964
Presidential Award of Merit, 1970
Tandang Sora Award, 1975
Columbia University Alumni Association
Award, 1975
National Artist Award in Dance, 1976
LUCRECIA ROCES URTULA
(June 29, 1929 – August 4, 1999)
Lucrecia Faustino Reyes-Urtula (June
29, 1929 – August 4, 1999) was a
Filipino choreographer, theater
director, teacher, author and
researcher on ethnic dance. She was
the founding director of the Bayanihan
Philippine National Folk Dance
Company and was named National
Artist of the Philippines for dance in
1988. She worked to translate folk
dancing into the realm of theater. She
adapted indigenous dance traditions to
the demands of the modern stage, and
performances of her works received
international attention.
MAJOR WORK
Among the widely acclaimed dances she
had staged were the following:
Singkil, a Bayanihan signature number
based on a Maranao epic poem;
Vinta, a dance honoring Filipino sailing
prowess;
Tagabili, a tale of tribal conflict;
Pagdiwata, a four-day harvest festival
condensed into a six-minute breath-
taking spectacle;
Salidsid, a mountain wedding dance ;
Idaw, Banga and Aires de Verbena.
AWARDS:
·ASEAN Tourism Association for the Best ASEAN
Cultural Effort, Pattayas, Thailand (1990)
·Tandang Sora Award for the Arts (1982)
·Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from
the City of Man ila (1973)
·International Women's Award in UNAP's Women
of Distinction (1963)
·Republic Cultural Heritage Award for Research
in Folk Dance (1963)
·Conferred a title, "Bai Kiokmay" (means, most
active princess in the Arts)) in a ritual performed
by the Mandaya tribe of Davao, attended by the
tribes of Agusan participated in by 16 datus.
(1963)
RAMON OBUSAN
(June 16, 1938 – December 21, 2006)
Ramon Obusan was a dancer,

choreographer, stage designer, and
artistic director. He achieved
phenomenal success in Philippine
dance and cultural work.* He was also
acknowledged as a researcher,
archivist and documentary filmmaker
who broadened and deepened the
Filipino understanding of his own
cultural life and expressions. Through
the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Grop
(ROFG), he had effected cultural and
diplomatic exchanges using the
multifarious aspects and dimensions of
the art of dance.
MAJOR WORK
“Vamos a Belen! Series” (1998-2004)
Philippine Dances Tradition
“Noon Po sa Amin,” tableaux of Philippine
History in song, drama and dance
“Obra Maestra,” a collection of Ramon
Obusan’s dance masterpieces
“Unpublished Dances of the Philippines,”
Series I-IV
“Water, Fire and Life, Philippine Dances and
Music–A Celebration of Life
Saludo sa Sentenyal”
“Glimpses of ASEAN, Dances and Music of
the ASEAN-Member Countries”
“Saplot (Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group):
Philippines Costumes in Dance”
AWARDS:
Among the awards Obusan received was the

Patnubay ng Kalinangan award by the City of
Manila in 1992, the Gawad CCP Para sa
Sining award in 1993 and the prestigious
National Artist of the Philippines for dance in
May 2006.
ALICE REYES
(October 14, 1942)
Her mother Adoracion was a noted
voice teacher, while her father Ricardo
was once called Mr. Philippine Folk
Dancer—Reyes seemed predestined for
a life in dance.Alice Reyes is the
visionary founder of ballet. who
propelled the company into a national
arts institution we can all be proud of.
In the Philippines, she established
regular season concerts,
professionalized dance as a career,
and played a major role in the
phenomenal development of dance in
the country.She continued to shine
even brighter as she grew up. Way
before she started the company that
was to become Ballet Philippines, she
had started contributing tothe
household by dancing and creating
dances for the stage and television.
MAJOR WORK
Alice Reyes is the visionary founder of
Ballet Philippines. As a dancer,
choreographer, teacher, and director, her
work has helped establish dance as a
professional career path in the country.
AWARDS:
She presented the first major summer dance

workshop in Manila and developed a
yearlong program for professional dance.
With her dedicated efforts, she created and
personally supervised for 20 years what is
now renowned as Southeast Asia’s longest-
running professional dance company,
counting 46 years of dance. In essence, she
created the mold of our professional dance
practice and training.
LITERATURE
AMADO V. HERNANDEZ
(September 13, 1903 - March 24, 1970)
was a Filipino writer and labor leader
who was known for his criticism of
social injustices in the Philippines and
was later imprisoned for his
involvement in the communist
movement. He was the central figure
in a landmark legal case that took 13
years to settle. One of the most
famous nationalist writers in the
Philippines. His poetry, fiction and
plays stoked the flames against US
imperialism, the workers' poverty, and
a feudal land tenancy system.
MAJOR WORK
He wrote Isang Dipang Langit (A Stretch
of Heaven), which later won a Republic
Cultural Heritage Award, and Bayang
Malaya (Free Nation), which later won a
Balagtas Award. Also written in prison
was his masterpiece Luha ng Buwaya
(Tears of the Crocodile).
AWARDS:
Republic Cultural Heritage Award in

1964
Declared Philippines National Artist
posthumously in 1973.
JOSE GARCIA VILLA
(August 5, 1908 - February 7, 1997)
José García Villa (August 5, 1908 –
February 7, 1997) was a Filipino poet,
literary critic, short story writer, and
painter. He was awarded the National
Artist of the Philippines title for
literature in 1973, as well as the
Guggenheim Fellowship in creative
writing by Conrad Aiken.Villa has won
numerous awards, including the 1973
National Artist of the Philippines for
literature. His work in both poetry and
challenging traditional poetic style
continues to have an impact in
modern poetry, both for members of
the poetry community and other
Asian American writers.
MAJOR WORK
His notable works include The Anchored
Angel, The Emperor's New Sonnet, and
Footnote to Youth.
AWARDS:
His awards and honors include a

Guggenheim Fellowship (1942)
Bollingen Foundation Fellowship (1951-52)
Shelley Memorial Award (1958)
Philippines Pro Patria Award (1961),
Philippines Cultural Heritage Award
(1962), and
Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship (1963).
NICK JOAQUIN
(May 4, 1917 - April 29, 2004)
Nicomedes “Nick” Marquez Joaquin

was a Filipino writer and journalist
best known for his short stories and
novels in the English language. He
also wrote using the pen name
Quijano de Manila. Joaquin was
conferred the rank and title of
Literature. He has been considered
one of the most important Filipino
writers, along with Jose Rizal and
Claro M. Recto. Unlike Rizal and
Recto, whose works were written in
Spanish, Joaquin’s major works were
written in English despite being a
native Spanish speaker.
MAJOR WORK
The following are Joaquin's published books:
Prose and Poems (1952)
The Woman Who Had Two Navels (1961)
Selected Stories (1962)
La Naval de Manila and Other Essays
(1964)
The Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (1966)
Tropical Gothic (1972)
The Complete Poems and Plays of Jose
Rizal (1976)
Reportage on Crime (1977)
Reportage on Lovers (1977)
Nora Aunor and Other Profiles (1977)
Ronnie Poe and Other Silhouettes (1977)
AWARDS:
Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1961);

Stonehill Award for the Novel (1960);
first prize, Philippines Free Press Short
Story Contest (1949);
first prize, Palance Memorial Award (1957-
58);
Jose Garcia Villa's honor roll (1940);
and the National Artist Award (1976).
CARLOS P. ROMULO
(January 14, 1899 – December 15, 1985)
Carlos P. Romulo‘s multifaceted career
spanned 50 years of public service as an
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.
MAJOR WORK
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 Philippines Rise (war-time
memoirs).
His other books include his memoirs of his
many years’ affiliations with United Nations
(UN), Forty Years: A Third World Soldier at
the UN, and The Philippine Presidents, his
oral history of his experiences serving all
the Philippine presidents.
AWARDS:
Boy Scouts of America Silver Buffalo
Award. Presidential Unit Citation with Two
Oak Leaf Clusters.
Pulitzer Prize in Correspondence, 1942.
World Government News First Annual Gold
Nadal Award (for work in the United
Nations for peace and world government),
March 1947.
National Artist for Literature (1982)
(September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002)
FRANCISCO ARCELLANA
was born on September 6, 1916. He
already had ambitions of becoming a
writer early in his childhood. His actual
writing, however, started when he
became a member of The Torres Torch
Organization during his high school
years. Arcellana continued writing in
various school papers at the University of
the Philippines Diliman. Later on he
received a Rockefeller Grant and became
a fellow in Creative Writing at the
University of Iowa and at the Breadloaf
Writers' Conference from 1956– 1957.
MAJOR WORK
Arcellana’s published books are
Selected Stories (1962),
Poetry and Politics: The State of
Original Writing in English in the
Philippines Today (1977),
The Francisco Arcellana
Sampler(1990).
AWARDS:
Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Short
Story 1951 · The Flowers of May
ROLANDO S. TINIO
(March 5, 1937 – July 7, 1997)
playwright, thespian, poet, teacher, critic,
and translator marked his career with
prolific artistic productions. Tinio’s chief
distinction is as a stage director whose
original insights into the scripts he
handled brought forth productions
notable for their visual impact and
intellectual cogency.
Subsequently, after staging productions
for the Ateneo Experimental Theater (its
organizer and administrator as well), he
took on Teatro Pilipino. It was to Teatro
Pilipino which he left a considerable
amount of work reviving traditional
Filipino drama by re-staging old theater
forms like the sarswela and opening a
treasure-house of contemporary Western
drama. It was the excellence and beauty
of his practice that claimed for theater a
place among the arts in the Philippines in
the 1960s.
MAJOR WORK
Aside from his collections of poetry (Sitsit
sa Kuliglig, Dunung – Dunungan, Kristal na
Uniberso, A Trick of Mirrors) among his
works were the following: film scripts for
Now and Forever, Gamitin Mo Ako, Bayad
Puri and Milagros; sarswelas Ang Mestisa,
Ako, Ang Kiri, Ana Maria; the komedya
Orosman at Zafira; and Larawan, the
musical.
AWARDS:
He was made a National Artist of the
Philippines for Theater and Literature in
1997.[
NESTOR VICENTE MADALI GONZALEZ
(September 8, 1915 – November 28, 1999)
. González, however, was raised in
Mansalay, a southern town of the
Philippine province of Oriental Mindoro.
González was a son of a school
supervisor and a teacher. As a teenager,
he helped his father by delivering meat
door-to-door across provincial villages
and municipalities. González was also a
musician. He played the violin and even
made four guitars by hand. He earned his
first peso by playing the violin during a
Chinese funeral in Romblon. González
attended Mindoro High School (now Jose
J. Leido Jr. Memorial National High
School) from 1927 to 1930
MAJOR WORK
The Winds of April (1941)
A Season of Grace (1956)
The Bamboo Dancers (1988)
The Land and the Rain
The Happiest Boy in The World
Bread of Sal
AWARDS:
Given a Trophy from A Jokarts company

(1997–1998)
Regents Professor at the University of
California at Los Angeles, 1998–1999
Philippines Centennial Award for
Literature, 1998
National Artist Award for Literature,
1997
Oriental Mindoro Sangguniang
The Filipino Community of California
Proclamation "honoring N.V.M.
González for seventy-eight years of
achievements," 1993
Ninoy Aquino Movement for Social and
Economic Reconstruction through
Volunteer Service award, 1991
EDITH L. TIEMPO
(April 22, 1919 – August 21, 2011)
A poet, fictionist, teacher and literary
critic, Edith L. Tiempo is one of the finest
Filipino writers in English. Her works are
characterized by a remarkable fusion of
style and substance, of craftsmanship
and insight. Born on April 22, 1919 in
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, her poems
are intricate verbal transfigurations of
significant experiences as revealed, in
two of her much anthologized pieces,
“The Little Marmoset” and “Bonsai”. As
fictionist, Tiempo is as morally profound.
Her language has been marked as
“descriptive but unburdened by
scrupulous detailing.” She is an influential
tradition in Philippine literature in English.
Together with her late husband, Edilberto
K. Tiempo, she founded and directed the
Silliman National Writers Workshop in
Dumaguete City, which has produced
some of the country’s best writers.
MAJOR WORK
Tiempo’s published works include the novel
A Blade of Fern (1978), The Native Coast
(1979), and The Alien Corn (1992); the
poetry collections, The Tracks of Babylon
and Other Poems (1966), and The Charmer’s
Box and Other Poems(1993); and the short
story collection Abide, Joshua, and Other
Stories (1964).
AWARDS:
National Artist Award for Literature

(1999)
Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for
Literature
Cultural Center of the Philippines (1979,
First Prize in Novel)
Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas
(1988)
F. SIONIL JOSE
(December 3, 1924 – January 6, 2022)
F(rancisco) Sionil Jose is of Ilocano
descent but was born and raised in
Rosales, Pangasinan after his forefathers
moved there from Ilocos to escape
poverty.He spend most of his childhood in
Barrio Cabugawan, where he started to
write, and it became the setting of many
of his stories. After World War II, Jose
studied at the University of Santo Tomas,
but eventually dropped out.He then went
on to edit several literary and journalistic
publications, and founded a publishing
house and his iconic Solidaridad
Bookshop on Padre Faura Street in
Ermita, Manila.Jose also established the
Philippine arm of PEN (Poets, Essayists,
and Novelists), an international
organization for writers.
MAJOR WORK
My Brother, My The God Stealer and Viajero

Executioner Other Stories
AWARDS:
·Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for
Literature
·1979 City of Manila Award for Literature
·Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism,
Literature and Creative Communication Arts
(1980)
·Outstanding Fulbrighters Award for Literature
(1988)
·Cultural Center of the Philippines Award
(Gawad para sa Sining) for Literature (1989)
·Cultural Center of the Philippines Centennial
Award (1999)
·Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres
(2000)
VIRGILIO S. ALMARIO
(MARCH 9,1944)
Virgilio Senadrin Almario, better known by
his pen name Rio Alma, is a Filipino artist,
poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher,
and cultural manager. He is a National
Artist of the Philippines and currently
serves as the chairman of the Komisyon
sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the government
agency mandated to promote and
standardize the use of the Filipino
language.
MAJOR WORK
Palipad-Hangin. (1985)
Katon Para sa Limang Pandama. (1987)
Sentimental. (2004)
Estremelenggoles. (2004)
Memo Mulang Gimokudan. (2005)
Dust Devils. (2005)
Sonetos Postumos, book of poems with
translation by Marne Kilates and
paintings by National Artist Ang Kiukok.
(2006)
AWARDS:
Almario has been a recipient of numerous
awards such as several Palanca Awards, two
grand prizes from the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, the Makata ng Taon of the
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the TOYM for
literature, and the Southeast Asia Write Award
of Bangkok.
ALEJANDRO ROCES
(July 13, 1924 – May 23, 2011)
Peculiar Chicken.” In his innumerable
newspaper columns, he has always
focused on the neglected aspects of the
Filipino cultural heritage. His works have
been published in various international
magazines and have received national
and international awards.
Ever the champion of Filipino culture,
Roces brought to public attention to the
aesthetics of the country’s fiestas. He was
instrumental in popularizing several local
fiestas, notably, Moriones and Ati-atihan.
He personally led the campaign to change
the country’s Independence Day from July
4 to June 12, and caused the change of
language from English to Filipino in the
country’s stamps, currency, and
passports, and recovered Jose Rizal’s
manuscripts when they were stolen from
the National Archives.
MAJOR WORK
Roces did not only focus on short stories

alone, as he also published books such as Of
Cocks and Kites (1959), Fiesta (1980), and
Something to Crow About (2005). Of Cocks
and Kites earned him the reputation as the
country's best writer of humorous stories.
AWARDS:
Rizal Pro Patria Award
Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award
(1970)
Diwa ng Lahi Award(1988)
Tanging Parangal of the Gawad CCP Para sa
Sining
He was finally bestowed the honor as National
Artist of Literature on 25 June 2003.
BIENVENIDO LUMBERA
(April 11, 1932 – September 28, 2021)
*As a poet, he introduced to Tagalog
literature what is now known as Bagay
poetry, a landmark aesthetic tendency
that has helped to change the vernacular
poetic tradition. He is the author of the
following works: Likhang Dila, Likhang
Diwa (poems in Filipino and English),
1993; Balaybay, Mga Tulang Lunot at
Manibalang, 2002; Sa Sariling Bayan,
Apat na Dulang May Musika, 2004;
“Agunyas sa Hacienda Luisita,”
Pakikiramay, 2004.
MAJOR WORK
As a librettist for the Tales of the
Manuvu and Rama Hari, he pioneered
the creative fusion of fine arts and
popular imagination. As a scholar, his
major books include the following:
Tagalog Poetry, 1570-1898: Tradition
and Influences in its Development;
Philippine Literature: A History and
Anthology, Revaluation: Essays on
Philippine Literature, Writing the
Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa.
AWARDS:
National Artist, April 2006
Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism,
Literature, and Creative Communication Arts,
1993
Pambansang Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni
Balagtas, Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng
Pilipinas (UMPIL)
National Book Awards from the Manila Critics'
Circle
Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature
Visiting Professorship, Osaka University of
Foreign Studies
Professor Emeritus, University of the
Philippines
Philippine Centennial Literary Prize for Drama
Cultural Center of the Philippines Centennial
Honors for the Arts
1st Asian scholar-in-residence at the University
of Hawaii at Manoa
LAZARO FRANCISCO
(February 22, 1898 – June 17, 1980)
He established Kapatiran ng mga Alagad
ng Wikang Pilipino (KAWIKA) in 1958 to
further his advocacy about Tagalog as a
national as a national language. The
University of the Philippines recognized
his great works and contribution with a
special convocation citing him as the
“foremost Filipino novelist of his
generation” and “champion of the Filipino
writer’s struggle for national identity.”
MAJOR WORK
His famous Novels:
“Binhi at Bunga” (1925)
“Cesar” (1926)
“Ama” (1929)
“Bayang Nagpatiwakal” (1931)
“Sa Paanan ng Krus” (1934)
“Ang Pamana ng Pulubi” (1935)
“Bago Lumubog ang Araw” (1936)
“Singsing na Pangkasal” (1939)
“Ilaw sa Hilaga” (1947)
“Sugat ng Alaala” (1951)
“Maganda pa ang Daigdig” (1956)
“Daluyong” (1961)
AWARDS:
-Gold medal in Ilaw at Panitik for his “Sa
Paanan Ng Krus”Kapisanang Panitik ng
Kababaihan awarded his novel “Ilaw Sa Hilaga”
as the greatest novel of the republic from 1947
to 1950
-Gold medal from Kalipunang Pambansa ng
mga Alagad ng Sining in 1951 for his “Sugat Ng
Alaala”
-Balagtas Award in 1969
-Republic Cultural Heritage Award in 1970
-Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from
Manila in 1975
CIRILO F. BAUTISTA
(February 22, 1898 – June 17, 1980)
Cirilo F. Bautista is a poet, fictionist and
essayist with exceptional achievements
and significant contributions to the
development of the country’s literary arts.
He is acknowledged by peers and critics,
and the nation at large as the foremost
writer of his generation.
Throughout his career that spanned more
than four decades, he established a
reputation for fine and profound artistry;
his books, lectures, poetry readings and
creative writing workshops continue to
influence his peers and generations of
young writers.
MAJOR WORK
His famous Novels:
Summer suns (with Albert Casuga,
1963)
The Cave and Other Poems (1968)
The Archipelago (1970)
Charts (1973)
Telex (1981)
Sugat ng Salita (1985)
Kirot Ng Kataga (1995),
Sunlight On Broken Stones (2000)
Tinik Sa Dila: Isang Katipunan Ng Mga
Tula (2003)
The Trilogy Of Saint Lazarus (2001)
Believe and Betray: New and Collected
Poems (2007)
Third World Geography
Pedagogic (2008)
Villanelle For Old Me
AWARDS:
First Prize in Epic Writing English Category, of
the National Centennial Commission's Literary
Contests, 1998
National Book Award given by the Manila
Critics Circle five (5) times, for The
Archipelago, Sugat ng Salita, Sunlight on
Broken Stones, The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus
and Tinik sa Dila.
National Artist for Literature (2014) and more.
CARLOS QUIRINO
(January 14, 1910 – May 20, 1999)
a Philippine biographer and historian. Not
only known for his works on biographies
and history but also on varied subjects such
as the old maps of the Philippines and the
culinary legacy of the country.
He was a nephew of Philippine president
Elpidio Quirino. Quirino received his
journalism degree in 1931 from the
University of Wisconsin at Madison. Known
for his early biography of Jose Rizal entitled
"The Great Malayan" (1940), he also wrote
several works on Philippine history, as well
as biographies of President Manuel Quezon
and the painter Damian Domingo.
MAJOR WORK
·Filipinos at War, 1981
·Who’s who in Philippine History, 1995
·Chick Parsons, America’s master spy
in the Philippines. 1984.
Philippine
The Great Malayan: The Cartography,
Biography of Rizal, 1940 1320-
1899, 1959
AWARDS:
·In 1997 he was recognized as a

Historical Literature
·He was the only Filipino to twice win
the prestigious Republic Cultural
Heritage Award
MUSIC
(December 26, 1894 - January 29, 1980)
ANTONIO J. MOLINA
Antonio Jesus Naguiat Molina was a
Filipino composer, conductor and
music administrator. He was named a
his services to music. He was also
known as the Claude Debussy of the
Philippines due to his use of
impressionist themes in music,He was
one of the first composers to combine
ethnic/native instruments with
Western instruments in his works and
infuse Eastern modality with Western
harmony.
MAJOR WORK
Molina's composition is over 500. But his
most famous composition is
“Hatinggabi”, a serenade for solo violin
and piano accompaniment.His most
important orchestral works are Misa
Antoniana Grand Festival Mass (1964)
and Ang Batingaw (1972). Among his
chamber music compositions are Prelude
and Romanz for cello and piano (1928)
and Bontok Rhapsody.
AWARDS:
Antonio Molina received numerous awards

such as:
Conductor of the Year Award (1953)
from the Music Lovers’ Society, the UP
Conservatory Alumni Award
Phi Kappa Beta Award (1972), among
others. He was the first musician to be
conferred the National Artist Award
(12th June, 1972).
JOVITA FUENTES
(February 15, 1895 - August 7, 1978)
Born on February 15, 1895 to Canuto
and Dolores Flores in Capiz (now Roxas
City), and Jovita was exposed to music
at age five, when she learned to sing
habaneras and danzas. She learned to
play the piano with the help of the town
organist, after which she moved to
Manila to study at the Colegio de Santa
Isabel.In 1955, she retired from the
concert stage and focused on voice
teaching. She also became an active
advocate of music and the arts. She
founded various music associations
such as Asociacion Musical de
Filipinas, the Bach Society of the
Philippines, and the Artists' Guild of the
Philippines.
MAJOR WORK
She then went on to perform in the
Philippines, the United States, and Europe,
where her fame spread and where she
essayed the lead roles in major operas—Mimi
in Puccini's La Bohème, Iris in Mascagni's
Iris, and Salome in Strauss's Salome
AWARDS:
APresidential Medal of Merit (1958)

National Artist Award (1976)
HONORATA “ATANG” DELA RAMA
(January 11, 1902 – July 11, 1991)
was 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. Atang became the
very first actress in the very first locally
produced Filipino film when she
essayed the same role in the sarsuela’s
film version. As early as age seven,
Atang was already being cast in
Spanish zarzuelas such as Mascota,
Sueño de un Vals, and Marina. She
counts the role though of an orphan in
Pangarap ni Rosa as her most
rewarding and satisfying role that she
played with realism, the stage sparkling
with silver coins tossed by a teary-eyed
audience.
MAJOR WORK
Rama worked as a talent manager,
writer, and producer of plays. She
created plays like “Anak ni Eva” and
“Bulaklak ng Kabundukan,” among
others. In 1979, at the age of 72, she
was recognized as the Queen of the
Kundiman and the Sarsuela in honor of
her accomplishments and
contributions to the Philippine art form.
AWARDS:
In recognition of her contributions to the
enrichment of the nation's cultural
heritage, she was conferred the National
Artist Award for theater and music on June
11, 1987. Other awards she received were:
Panitik ng Kababaihan (1950),
Kababaihan ng Lahi (1975),
Presidential medal of merit (1966),
Sagisag ng Lungsod ng Maynila (1964),
Diwa ng Lahi (1974),
Reyna ng Kundiman at Mutya ng
Dulang Tagalog (1963), ect.
ANTONINO R. BUENAVENTURA
(May 4, 1904 – January 25, 1996)
vigorously pursued a musical career that
spanned seven decades of unwavering
commitment to advancing the frontiers of
Philippine music. In 1935, Buenaventura
joined Francisca Reyes-Aquino to conduct
research on folksongs and dances that led
to its popularization. Buenaventura
composed songs, compositions, for solo
instruments as well as symphonic and
orchestral works based on the folksongs of
various Philippine ethnic groups. He was
also a conductor and restored the
Philippine Army Band to its former prestige
as one of the finest military bands in the
world making it “the only band that can
sound like a symphony orchestra”.
MAJOR WORK
This once sickly boy who played the
clarinet proficiently has written several
marches such as the “Triumphal March,”
“Echoes of the Past,” “History Fantasy,”
Second Symphony in E-flat, “Echoes from
the Philippines,” “Ode to Freedom.” His
orchestral music compositions include
Concert Overture, Prelude and Fugue in G
Minor, Philippines Triumphant, Mindanao
Sketches, Symphony in C Major, among
others.
AWARDS:
Band Conductor of the Year (1951, from
the Music Lovers Society)
Republic Cultural Heritage Award for
Music (1966, for his Symphony in C)
Araw ng Maynila Cultural Award (1971)
Award of Merit for Outstanding
Contribution to Philippine Music (1976,
from the Philippine Army)
Director Emeritus of the University of the
East (1981)
National Artist of the Philippines (1988)
Doctor of Humanities (1991, from the
University of the Philippines)
Diwa ng Lahi Award (1995)
LUCRECIA R. KASILAG
(31 August 1918 – 16 August 2008)
Lucrecia R. Kasilag, an educator,

composer, performing artist, administrator
and cultural entrepreneur of national and
international caliber, had involved herself
wholly in sharpening the Filipino audience’s
appreciation of music. Kasilag’s pioneering
task to discover the Filipino roots through
ethnic music and fusing it with Western
influences has led many Filipino composers
to experiment with such an approach
MAJOR WORK
She dared to incorporate indigenous
Filipino instruments in orchestral
productions, such as the prize-winning
“Toccata for Percussions and Winds,
Divertissement and Concertante,” and the
scores of the Filiasiana, Misang Pilipino,
and De Profundis. “Tita King”, as she was
fondly called, worked closely as music
director with colleagues Lucresia Reyes-
Urtula, Isabel Santos, Jose Lardizabal and
Dr. Leticia P. de Guzman and made
Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company one
of the premier artistic and cultural groups
in the country.
Her orchestral music includes Love Songs,
Legend of the Sarimanok, Ang Pamana,
Philippine Scenes, Her Son, Jose, Sisa and
chamber music like Awit ng mga Awit Psalms,
Fantaisie on a 4-Note Theme, and East Meets
Jazz Ethnika.
AWARDS:
Presidential Award of Merit as Woman
Composer, 1956
Presidential Award of Merit and Gold Medal
for Leadership and Outstanding
Contribution to Music and the Arts, 1960
Republic Cultural Heritage Award in Music
for the Toccata for Winds and Percussion
(1960) and Misang Pilipino (1966)
National Artist of the Philippines, 1989 and
ect.
LUCIO SAN PEDRO (February 11, 1913 – March 31, 2002)
a master composer, conductor, and
teacher whose music evokes the folk
elements of the Filipino heritage. Cousin
to “Botong” Francisco, San Pedro
produced a wide-ranging body of works
that includes band music, concertos for
violin and orchestra, choral works,
cantatas, chamber music, music for violin
and piano, and songs for solo voice. He
was the conductor of the much acclaimed
Peng Kong Grand Mason Concert Band,
the San Pedro Band of Angono, his
father’s former band, and the Banda
Angono Numero Uno. His civic
commitment and work with town bands
have significantly contributed to the
development of a civic culture among
Filipino communities and opened a
creative outlet for young Filipinos.
MAJOR WORK
His orchestral music include The Devil’s
Bridge, Malakas at Maganda
Overture,Prelude and Fugue in D minor,
Hope and Ambition; choral music Easter
Cantata, Sa Mahal Kong Bayan, Rizal’s
Valedictory Poem; vocal music Lulay,Sa
Ugoy ng Duyan, In the Silence of the Night;
and band music Dance of the Fairies,
Triumphal March, Lahing Kayumanggi,
Angononian March among others.
AWARDS:
·Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan from the

City of Manila in 1984 and the Asean Award
for Music and a Papal award in 1990.
FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON
(May 1, 1912 – December 5, 1992)
composer, conductor, and scholar,
Filipinized western music forms, a feat
aspired for by Filipino composers who
preceded him. The prodigious body of De
Leon’s musical compositions, notably the
sonatas, marches, and concertos have
become the full expression of the
sentiments and aspirations of the Filipino
in times of strife and of peace, making
him the epitome of a people’s musician.
MAJOR WORK
De Leon’s orchestral music include
Mariang Makiling Overture (1939), Roca
Encantada, symphonic legend (1950),
Maynila Overture (1976),
Orchesterstuk(1981); choral music like
Payapang Daigdig, Ako’y Pilipino, Lupang
Tinubuan, Ama Namin; and songs
Bulaklak, Alitaptap, and Mutya ng Lahi.
AWARDS:
He is the recipient of various awards

and distinctions: Republic Cultural
Heritage Award, Doctor of Humanities
from UP, Rizal Pro-Patria Award,
Presidential Award of Merit, Patnubay ng
Kalinangan Award, among others.
Felipe Padilla de Leon was proclaimed
National Artist through Proclamation
No. 1115 on October 9, 1997 by former
President Fidel V. Ramos in recognition
of his rare excellence and significant
contribution to Philippine music.
(April 30, 1910 – April 2, 2002)
LEVI CELERIO
Levi Celerio is a prolific lyricist and
composer for decades. Born in Tondo,
Celerio received his scholarship at the
Academy of Music in Manila that made it
possible for him to join the Manila
Symphony Orchestra, becoming its
youngest member. He made it to the
Guinness Book of World Records as the
only person able to make music using just
a leaf.
A great number of his songs have been
written for the local movies, which earned
for him the Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Film Academy of the Philippines.
Levi Celerio, more importantly, has
enriched the Philippine music for no less
than two generations with a treasury of
more than 4,000 songs in an idiom that
has proven to appeal to all social classes.
MAJOR WORK
He effortlessly translated/wrote anew the
lyrics to traditional melodies:
“O Maliwanag Na Buwan” (Iloko),
“Ako ay May Singsing” (Pampango),
“Alibangbang” (Visaya) among others.
AWARDS:
The University of the Philippines

conferred him an honorary doctorate
degree in Humanities in 1991.
The Film Academy of the Philippines
gave Celerio the Lifetime Achievement
Award in 1989.
He is also the recipient of the CCP
Gawad Para Sa Sining in 1991, and the
Gawad Urian Award in 1993.
1985, Winner FAMAS Lifetime
Achievement Award.
Awarded as national artist for music
and literature in 1997.
(January 31, 1917 – May 5, 2004)
LEVI CELERIO
composer, musicologist, teacher and
performer, explored the musicality of the
Filipino deeply. Maceda embarked on a
life-long dedication to the understanding
and popularization of Filipino traditional
music. Maceda’s researches and
fieldwork have resulted in the collection
of an immense number of recorded music
taken from the remotest mountain
villages and farthest island communities.
He wrote papers that enlightened
scholars, both Filipino and foreign, about
the nature of Philippine traditional and
ethnic music. Maceda’s experimentation
also freed Filipino musical expression
from a strictly Eurocentric mold.
MAJOR WORK
(from painting, book, music, and others)
·Ugma-ugma (1963)
·Pagsamba (1968)
·Udlot-udlot (1975)
·Agungan
·Kubing
·Ugnayan
·Ading
·Aroding
·Siasid
·Suling-suling
AWARDS:
Among his many honours are grants from the:
Guggenheim Foundation (1957–1958) and
Rockefeller Foundation (1968), Ordre des
Palmes Académiques, France (1978) and
the University of the Philippines
Outstanding Research Award (1985). He
also received the John D. Rockefeller
Award from the Asian Cultural Council, New
York (1987), Philippine National Science
Society Achievement Award (1988),
Tanglaw ng Lahi Award, Ateneo University
(1988) and Gawad ng Lahi Award, Cultural
Center of the Philippines (1989).
ANDREA VENERACION
(July 11, 1928 – July 9, 2013)
is highly esteemed for her achievements
as choirmaster and choral arranger. Two
of her indispensable contributions in
culture and the arts include the founding
of the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the
spearheading of the development of
Philippine choral music. A former faculty
member of the UP College of Music and
honorary chair of the Philippine
Federation of Choral Music, she also
organized a cultural outreach program to
provide music education and exposure in
several provinces. Born in Manila on July
11, 1928, she is recognized as an
authority on choral music and
performance and served as adjudicator in
international music competitions.
MAJOR WORK
the founding of the Philippine
Madrigal Singers and the
spearheading of the development of
Philippine choral music.
AWARDS:
1997 – TOFIL (The Outstanding Filipino)
award
1999 – National Artist of the Philippines for
Music – currently the only awardee for
choral music.
2001 – Distinguished Alumni Service award
– awarded by Indiana University.
ERNANI J. CUENCO
(May 10, 1936 – June 11, 1988)
Ernani J. Cuenco is a seasoned musician
born on May 10, 1936 in Malolos,
Bulacan. A composer, film scorer, musical
director, and music teacher, he wrote an
outstanding and memorable body of work
that resonates with the Filipino sense of
musicality and which embody an
ingenious voice that raises the aesthetic
dimensions of contemporary Filipino
music. Cuenco played with the Filipino
Youth Symphony Orchestra and the
Manila Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to
1968, and the Manila Chamber Soloists
from 1966 to 1970. He completed a music
degree in piano and cello from the
University of Santo Tomas where he also
taught for decades until his death in
1988.
MAJOR WORK
His songs and ballads include “Nahan,
Kahit na Magtiis,” and “Diligin Mo ng
Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa,” “Pilipinas,”
“Inang Bayan,” “Isang Dalangin,” “Kalesa,”
“Bato sa Buhangin” and “Gaano Kita
Kamahal.” The latter song shows how
Cuenco has enriched the Filipino love
ballad by adding the elements of
kundiman to it.
AWARDS:
Metro Film Festival Awards, 1971
Rajah Soliman Award, 1972
11th Manila Film Festival "Best Musical
Scoring" for El Vibora
Rajah Soliman Award 1973
18th Manila Film Festival "Best Musical
Scoring" for Ang Mahiwagang Daigdig ni
Pedro Penduko
14th Pista ng mga Pelikulang Pilipino, Best
Music, Hanggang sa Kabila ng Daigdig,
1973
Metro Film Festival Awards, 1974
National Artist for Music (1999)
FRANCISCO FELICIANO
(February 19, 1941 – September 19, 2014)
Francisco Feliciano graduated from the
University of the Philippines with a
Teacher's diploma in Music (1967) and a
Masters in Music degree in Composition
(1972). In 1977, he went to the
Hochschule der Kuenste in Berlin,
Germany to obtain a diploma in Music
Composition. In 1979 he attended Yale
University School of Music and graduated
with a Master of Musical Arts and a
Doctorate in Musical Arts, Composition.
While at Yale University he conducted the
Yale Contemporary Ensemble,
considered one of the leading performing
groups in America for contemporary and
avant-garde music.[3] His teachers in
conducting were Arthur Weisberg and
Martin Behrmann, while he studied
composition under Jacob Druckman,
Isang Yun, H.W. Zimmerman and
Krzysztof Penderecki.
He died on September 19, 2014 in Manila
at the age of 73.
MAJOR WORK
Major works and arrangements include:
·Buksan mo ang aming mga labi (published
1982)
·Mass of Saint Andrew (published 1981)
·Pamugun (choral, with soprano solo.
published 2002)
·Pokpok alimpako (chorus. published 2002)
·Three Visayan folksongs: for high voice
(published 1998)
AWARDS:
Feliciano was given a John D. Rockefeller
III Award in Music Composition. One of
Asia's leading figures in liturgical music, Dr.
Feliciano composed hundreds of liturgical
pieces, mass settings, hymns, and songs
for worship.
National Artist for Music (2014)
RAMON P. SANTOS
( 25 February 1941)
Ramón Pagayon Santos is a Filipino
composer, musicologist and
ethnomusicologist. He is a National Artist
of the Philippines for music, and
University Professor Emeritus of the
composition and theory department the
College of Music of the University of the
Philippines Diliman. Santos was made a
Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres in
1987. In 2014 he was named one of six
National Artists of the Philippines,
together with five other persons.
MAJOR WORK
Rituwal ng Pasasalamat,
Likas-An,
Badiw as Kapoonan,
Awit ni Pulau,
Daragang Magayon,
Ta-O,
Sandiwaan,
Nagnit Igak G'nan Wagnwag Nila
(Alingawngaw ng Kagitingan)
AWARDS:
Santos was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre

des Arts et Lettres in 1987.
He was one of six people added to the
roster of National Artists of the Philippines
in 2014.
ARCHITECTURE
JUAN FELIPE NAKPIL Y DE JESUS
( May 26, 1899 - May 7, 1986 )
Juan Felipe Nakpil y de Jesus, known
as Juan Nakpil, was a Filipino
architect, teacher and community
leader. In 1973, he was named one of
the National Artists for architecture.
He was regarded as the Dean of
Filipino Architects.Juan F. Nakpil,
architect, teacher and civic leader, is
a pioneer and innovator in Philippine
architecture. In essence, Nakpil's
greatest contribution is his belief that
there is such a thing as Philippine
Architecture, espousing architecture
reflective of Philippine traditions and
culture.
MAJOR WORK
He is known for his works, including
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 and University
Library and the reconstructed Rizal
house in Calamba.
UNIVERSITY OF
THE PHILIPPINES LIBRARY
RIZAL SHRINE
AWARDS:
Nakpil was named one of the National
Artists for architecture in 1973. He was
regarded as the Dean of Filipino
Architects.
PABLO S. ANTONIO
(January 25, 1901 - June 14, 1975)
(January 25, 1901 – June 14, 1975)
was a Filipino architect. A pioneer of
modern Philippine architecture, he
was recognized in some quarters as
the foremost Filipino modernist
architect of his time. The rank and
title of National Artist of the
Philippines was conferred on him by
President Ferdinand Marcos in
1976.pioneered modern Philippine
architecture. His basic design is
grounded on simplicity, no clutter.
The lines are clean and smooth, and
where there are curves, these are
made integral to the structure.
MAJOR WORK
Antonio's major works include the
following: Far Eastern University
Administration and Science buildings;
Manila Polo Club; Ideal Theater;Lyric
Theater; Galaxy Theater; Capitan Luis
Gonzaga Building; Boulevard-Alhambra
(now Bel-Air) apartments; Ramon Roces
Publications Building (now Guzman
Institute of Electronics).
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

ADMINISTRATION AND SCIENCE
BUILDING IDEAL THEATER
AWARDS:
Antonio received numerous awards. In

1952, he was named Architect of the
Year by the Philippine Institute of
Architects (PIA). He was also the
recipient of the first National Award of
Merit for Architecture, an eight-year
award from 1946 to 1954 granted by the
Philippine Government.
LEANDRO V. LOCSIN
(January 25, 1901 - June 14, 1975)
Leandro V. Locsin was born August 15,
1928 in Silay City, Negros Occidental, a
grandson of the first governor of the
province. He later studied at the De La
Salle Brothers in 1935 before returning
to Negros due to the Second World War.
He returned to Manila to study Pre-Law,
before shifting to pursue a Bachelor's
Degree in Music at the University of
Santo Tomas. Although he was a
talented pianist, he later changed again
to Architecture, just a year before
graduating. He was married to Cecilia
Yulo, to which he had two children, one
of whom is also an architect.
MAJOR WORK
Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana
Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of
Brunei, which has a floor area of 2.2
million square feet. The CCP Complex
itself is a virtual Locsin Complex with all
five buildings designed by him — the
Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk
Arts Theater, Philippine International
Convention Center, Philcite and The
Westin Hotel (now Sofitel Philippine
Plaza).
ISTANA NURUL IMAN

AWARDS:

A pioneer “Neo-Realist” of the country.
Remembered for his singular
achievement of refining cubism in the
Philippine context.
He belonged to the so-called “Thirteen
Moderns” and later, the “Neo-realists”.
Combancheros, 1954 WORKERS
ILDEFONSO P. SANTOS, JR.
(September 5, 1929 – January 29, 2014)
·Ildefonso Paez Santos Jr., popularly
known simply as "IP Santos", was a
Filipino architect who was known for
being the "Father of Philippine
Landscape Architecture." He was
recognized as a National Artist of the
Philippines in the field of Architecture in
2006.·Santos graduated from the
University of Santo Tomas in 1954 with
a degree in the field of architecture. He
then pursued a second degree in
Architecture, as well as a Master of
Architecture degree at the University of
Southern California School of
Architecture
MAJOR WORK
·Among the locations that comprise IP
Santos' body of work are the landscaping
of:
Cultural Center of the Philippines
Complex
Makati Commercial Center (now Ayala
Center)
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
Manila Hotel
San Miguel Corporation Building
Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine
Plaza Manila)
Old Nayong Pilipino
Paco Park
Rizal Park
Loyola Memorial Park – Marikina
AWARDS:
·On July 2, 1954, President Ramon
Magsaysay gave him the Award of Merit to
Santos for his 'contribution towards the
advancement of Filipino culture in the field
of National Language Literature'.
·He was also bestowed with the title of
"national artist" for his outstanding
achievement in architecture and allied arts
on June 9, 2006.
JOSÉ MARÍA V. ZARAGOZA
(December 6, 1912 – November 26, 1994)
Jose Maria Zaragoza (1912-1994) is a

Filipino architect known for designing
several edifices during the postwar era.
His works include the Meralco Building
in Ortigas, Union Church of Manila, and
Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
While he made a mark in the Philippine
architectural scene, there is a need to
look into his prolific approach as well as
the timeline of his significant body of
work to define his creations.
MAJOR WORK
·Meralco Building (Pasig Cty), Sto.
Domingo Church and Convent (Quezon
City), Metropolitan Cathedral of Cebu
City, Villa San Miguel, Mandaluyoung.
Sto. Domingo Church, Quezon City

AWARDS:
1973: Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan

(Stalwart of Art and Culture) Award,
awarded by the City of Manila.
1977: Gold Medal of Merit awarded by the
Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA),
bestowed to him by his mentor Juan Nakpil.
2014: National Artist for Architecture,
conferred by the President of the
Philippines through Proclamation No. 812
SCULPTURE
GUILLERMO E. TOLENTINO
( July 24, 1890 - July 12, 1976 )
Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (July 24,
1890 – July 12, 1976) was a Filipino
sculptor and professor of the
University of the Philippines. He was
designated as a National Artist of the
Philippines for Sculpture in 1973,
three years before his death.He is
hailed as the "Father of Philippine
Arts." He sculpted the University of
the Philippines' most recognizable
emblem, the UP Oblation, as well as
the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan
City.
MAJOR WORK
His known works include:
the UP Oblation
the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan
the designs for the gold and bronze
medals of the Ramon Magsaysay
Award
the design for the seal of the
Republic of the Philippines
AWARDS:
1967 – Republic Cultural Heritage
Award.
1970 – Presidential Medal of Merit.
1972 – Diwa ng Lahi Award.
1973 – National Artist of the Philippines
for Visual Arts in Sculpture.
NAPOLEON V. ABUEVA
( July 24, 1890 - July 12, 1976 )
Napoleon Abueva is known for
Sculpture. Napoleón Isabelo Veloso
Abueva (born January 26, 1930),
more popularly known as Napoleón
Abueva, is a Filipino artist. He is a
sculptor given the distinction as the
Philippines' National Artist for
Sculpture. He is also entitled as the
"Father of Modern Philippine
Sculpture". His modernist approach
can be seen in his exploration of
various media such as molave, acacia,
langka, ipil, kamagong, palm, adobe,
cement, marble, bronze, iron, brass,
among others.
MAJOR WORK
Among his major works are
“Kaganapan” (1953),
“Kiss of Judas” (1955),
“Thirty Pieces of Silver,”
“The Transfiguration” (1979),
“Eternal Garden Memorial Park,”
“The U.P. Gateway” (1967),
“Nine Muses” (1994), and
the Sunburst bronze figure at the
Peninsula Manila Hotel.
“Kaganapan” (1953) “Kiss of Judas” (1955)

AWARDS:
He was awarded National Artist for Sculpture

in 1976 and was the youngest artist to
receive the prestigious award. Abueva's skill,
dedication, and passion for art inspired him
to produce numerous works until he passed
away on February 16, 2018, in Quezon City.
CINEMA
LAMBERTO V. AVELLANA
(February 12, 1915 - April 25, 1991)
Lamberto Vera Avellana was a
prominent Filipino film and stage
director. Despite considerable
budgetary limitations that hampered
the post-war Filipino film industry,
Avellana’s films such as Anak Dalita
and Badjao attained international
acclaim. In 1976, Avellana was named
by President Ferdinand Marcos as the
first National Artist of the Philippines
for Film. While Avellana remains
important figure in Filipino cinema, his
reputation as a film director has since
been eclipsed by the next wave of
Filipino film directors who emerged in
the 1970s, such as Lino Brocka and
Ishmael Bernal.
MAJOR WORK
AWARDS:
1969 Nominee FAMAS Award. Best Director.
Kumander Dimas.
1966 Nominee FAMAS Award. Best Director. A
Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.
1965 Winner FAMAS Award. Best Director. Scout
Rangers.
1960 Nominee FAMAS Award. Best Director. Cry
Freedom.
Kumander 13.
GERARDO “GERRY” DE LEON (September 12, 1913 – July 25, 1981)
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. Though he
finished medicine, his practice did not
last long because he found himself
“too compassionate” to be one, this
aside from the lure of the movies.
MAJOR WORK
In 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.”.
AWARDS:
1972 Winner FAMAS Award. Best Director. Lilet.
Ibulong mo sa hangin.
1966 Winner FAMAS Award. Best Director. Ang
daigdig ng mga api.
1965 Nominee FAMAS Award. Best Director. The
Blood Drinkers.
1964 Nominee FAMAS Award. Best Director. The
Arsenio Lacson Story.
National Artist for Cinema (1982)
LINO BROCKA
(April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991)
director for film and broadcast arts,
espoused the term “freedom of
expression” in the Philippine Constitution.
Brocka took his social activist spirit to the
screen leaving behind 66 films which
breathed life and hope for the
marginalized sectors of society — slum-
dwellers, prostitutes, construction
workers, etc. He also directed for theater
with equal zeal and served in
organizations that offer alternative visions,
like the Philippine Educational Theater
Association (PETA) and the Concerned
Artists of the Philippines (CAP).
MAJOR WORK
To name a few, Brocka’s films include the
following: “Santiago” (1970), “Wanted: Perfect
Mother” (1970), “Tubog sa Ginto” (1971),
“Stardoom” (1971), “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang” (1974), “Maynila: Sa Kuko ng Liwanag”
(1975), “Insiang” (1976), “Jaguar” (1979),
“Bona” (1980), “Macho Dancer” (1989),
“Orapronobis” (1989), “Makiusap Ka sa Diyos”
(1991).
AWARDS:
·Lino Brocka. 1992 Winner FAMAS Hall of Fame.
Director · Dina Bonnevie and Eddie Garcia in
Dirty Affair (1990). 1991 Winner FAMAS Award.
Best Director
ISHMAEL BERNAL (September 30, 1938 – June 2, 1996)
Ishmael Bernal was a filmmaker of the first
order and one of the very few who can be
truly called a maestro. Critics have hailed
him as “the genius of Philippine cinema.”
He is recognized as a director of films that
serve as social commentaries and bold
reflections on the existing realities of the
struggle of the Filipino. His art extends
beyond the confines of aesthetics. By
polishing its visuals, or innovating in the
medium, he manages to send his message
across: to fight the censors, free the
artists, give justice to the oppressed, and
enlighten as well as entertain the
audience.
MAJOR WORK
Among his notable films are “Pahiram ng
Isang Umaga” (1989), “Broken Marriage”
(1983), “Himala” (1982), “City After Dark”
(1980), and “Nunal sa Tubig” (1976).
AWARDS:
He was recognized as the Director of the Decade
of the 1970s by the Catholic Mass Media Awards;
four-time Best Director by the Urian Awards
(1989, 1985, 1983, and 1977); and given the
ASEAN Cultural Award in Communication Arts in
1993.
National Artist for Cinema (2001)
EDDIE ROMERO
(July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013)
A screenwriter, film director and producer,
Eddie Romero is the quintessential Filipino
filmmaker whose life is devoted to the art
and commerce of cinema spanning three
generations of filmmakers. His film “Ganito
Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon?,” set at
the turn of the century during the
revolution against the Spaniards and,
later, the American colonizers, follows a
naïve peasant through his leap of faith to
become a member of an imagined
community. “Aguila” situates a family’s
story against the backdrop of the
country’s history. “Kamakalawa” explores
the folkloric of prehistoric Philippines.
MAJOR WORK
Romero is especially known to horror film
fans for his three "Blood Island" films from
the late 1960s - Brides of Blood (1968), The
Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1969) and Beast
of Blood (1970), which he directed, co-
produced by "Hemisphere Pictures" (which
was composed of Romero, Kane W. Lynn
and Irwin Pizor)
AWARDS:
In 2003, Romero was awarded the National Artist
Award by the Philippine government for his
contribution to Philippine cinema and broadcast
arts. Earlier in 1991, he was awarded the Gawad
CCP para sa Sining. In 2004, he was also
awarded the Cinemanila Lifetime Achievement
Award.
FAMAS AWARD
BEST STORY(2008)
PRESIDENTIAL AWARD (2000)
BEST SCREENPLAY
MARIA CLARA AWARD
FERNANDO POE, JR.
(August 20, 1939 – December 14, 2004)
·Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939
– December 14, 2004), known
professionally as Fernando Poe Jr., and
often referred to by his initials FPJ, was a
Filipino actor, film director, producer,
screenwriter, and politician. His long and
successful career as an action star earned
him the nickname "Da King" (i.e. the "King
of Philippine movies"). He also wrote,
directed, and produced several of the films
he starred in—under the pseudonyms
Ronwaldo Reyes and D'Lanor.
MAJOR WORK
He was completely renowned as one of the
King in Films. Among the films that
received awards were Mga Alabok sa Lupa
(1967), Asedillo (1971), Durugin si Totoy
Bato (1979), Umpisahan Mo, Tatapusin Ko
(1983), and Muslim .
AWARDS:
In ·Poe's accolades include five FAMAS

Awards for Best Actor—a joint record that
inducted him into the FAMAS Hall of Fame in
1988. He also won Best Director for his films
Ang Padrino (1984) and Kahit Butas ng
Karayom, Papasukin Ko (1995). In 2004,
FAMAS posthumously granted him the
Natatanging Alagad ng Sining Award.
MANUEL CONDE
(October 9, 1915 – August 11, 1985)
·Manuel Conde (born Manuel Pabustan
Urbano) was a Filipino actor, director and
producer. As an actor, he also used the
screen name Juan Urbano during the
1930s aside from his more popular screen
name.·His first film was Mahiwagang
Biyolin in 1935. He made almost three
dozen films under LVN Pictures as a
contract star He later put up his own
movie company, Manuel Conde Pictures,
in 1947 which produced classic films.
MAJOR WORK
Manuel Conde created some of Philippine
cinema's greatest masterpieces, including
"Juan Tamad,""Ibong Adarna," and
"Genghis Khan". The latter was screened
at the 1952 Venice Film Festival where it
received praises for its technical
achievement.
AWARDS:
·He was honored posthumously in 2006 the

Presidential Medal of Merit (for Films) by
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for his
contribution to culture and the arts.
THEATER AND DESIGN
WILFRIDO MA. GUERRERO
(January 22, 1910 – April 28, 1995)
is a teacher and theater artist whose 35
years of devoted professorship has
produced the most sterling luminaries in
Philippine performing arts today: Behn
Cervantes, Celia Diaz-Laurel, Joy Virata,
Joonee Gamboa, etc. In 1947, he was
appointed as UP Dramatic Club director
and served for 16 years. As founder and
artistic director of the UP Mobile Theater,
he pioneered the concept of theater
campus tour and delivered no less than
2,500 performances in a span of 19
committed years of service. By bringing
theatre to the countryside, Guerrero made
it possible for students and audiences, in
general, to experience the basic grammar
of staging and acting in familiar and
friendly ways through his plays that
humorously reflect the behavior of the
Filipino.
MAJOR WORK
His plays include Half an Hour in a
Convent, Wanted: A Chaperon, Forever,
Condemned, Perhaps, In Unity, Deep in
My Heart, Three Rats, Our Strange
Ways, The Forsaken House,
Frustrations.
AWARDS:
Guerrero received three national awards:
the Rizal Pro-Patria Award in 1961,
the Araw ng Maynila Award in 1969, and the
Republic Cultural Heritage Award in 1972.
DAISY H. AVELLANA (January 26, 1917 – May 12, 2013)
an actor, director and writer. Born in
Roxas City, Capiz on January 26, 1917,
she elevated legitimate theater and
dramatic arts to a new level of excellence
by staging and performing in breakthrough
productions of classic Filipino and foreign
plays and by encouraging the
establishment of performing groups and
the professionalization of Filipino theater.
Together with her husband, National Artist
Lamberto Avellana and other artists, she
co-founded the Barangay Theatre Guild in
1939 which paved the way for the
popularization of theatre and dramatic arts
in the country, utilizing radio and
television.
MAJOR WORK
She starred in plays like Othello (1953),
Macbeth in Black (1959), Casa de
Bernarda Alba (1967), Tatarin. She is
best remembered for her portrayal of
Candida Marasigan in the stage and
film versions of Nick Joaquin’s Portrait
of the Artist as Filipino. Her directorial
credits include Diego Silang (1968),
and Walang Sugat (1971). Among her
screenplays were Sakay (1939) and
Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (1955).
AWARDS:
She was awarded the Philippine National Artist
for Theater and Film in 1999.
SEVERINO MONTANO
(January 3, 1915 – December 12, 1980)
Playwright, director, actor, and theater
organizer, Severino Montano is the
forerunner in institutionalizing “legitimate
theater” in the Philippines. Taking up
courses and graduate degrees abroad, he
honed and shared his expertise with his
countrymates.
As Dean of Instruction of the Philippine
Normal College, Montano organized the
Arena Theater to bring drama to the
masses. He trained and directed the new
generations of dramatists including
Rolando S. Tinio, Emmanuel Borlaza,
Joonee Gamboa, and Behn Cervantes.
He established a graduate program at the
Philippine Normal College for the training
of playwrights, directors, technicians,
actors, and designers. He also established
the Arena Theater Playwriting Contest that
led to the discovery of Wilfrido Nolledo,
Jesus T. Peralta, and Estrella Alfon.
MAJOR WORK
areviR ronoeL
sy al P d e t c el e S
fo evoL ehT
Other Works: 2 e m ul o V
• My Morning Star
• Parting at Calamba •Longer
But Not My Sons Any
• The Ladies and the • Gabriela Silang
Senador • The Merry Wives of
• Sabina Manila
AWARDS:
·Patnubay ng Kalinangan Award from the
City of Manila (1968)
·Presidential Award for Merit in Drama and
Theater (1961
Rockefeller Foundation Grant to travel to 98
cities abroad (1950, 1952, 1962, and 1963)
National Artist for Theater (2001)
SALVADOR F. BERNAL (January 7, 1945 – October 26, 2011)
Salvador F. Bernal designed more than
300 productions distinguished for their
originality. Sensitive to the budget
limitations of local productions, he
harnessed the design potential of
inexpensive local materials, pioneering or
maximizing the use of bamboo, raw abaca,
and abaca fiber, hemp twine, rattan chain
links and gauze cacha.
As the acknowledged guru of
contemporary Filipino theater design,
Bernal shared his skills with younger
designers through his classes at the
University of the Philippines and the
Ateneo de Manila University, and through
the programs he created for the CCP
Production Design Center which he
himself conceptualized and organized.
MAJOR WORK
To promote and professionalize theater
design, he organized the PATDAT
(Philippine Association of Theatre
Designers and Technicians) in 1995 and
by way of Philippine Center of OISTAT
(Organization Internationale des
Scenographes, Techniciens et
Architectes du Theatre), he introduced
Philippine theater design to the world.
AWARDS:
Awit Award for Best Album Package

National Artist for Theater Design (2003)
FASHION DESIGN
RAMON VALERA
(August 31, 1912 – May 25, 1972)
·Ramon O. Valera, born on August 31,
1912 in Abra, is the Philippines’ first
National Artist for Fashion Design. He
finished his primary and secondary
education in La Salle, but dropped out of
his first year in college at FEU due to
financial problems.·Valera never had any
formal training in fashion design, but his
works have been the standard of fashion
students for intricate sewing, embroidery,
and handiwork.Valera is known to the
public as the “High priest of local fashion”
and wearing garments of his creation
would be considered as an honor. He was
the only male counter his contemporaries
had, and he would do the designing,
cutting, pasting, and sewing all by himself.
Ramon was a fastidious worker, discarding
finished garments that weren’t of his liking
when they were done, and was one who
worked directly from his imagination and
never worked with patterns.
MAJOR WORK
He is the first Filipino fashion designer to
receive this distinction. In 2017, his work was
displayed in an exhibit called Valera and the
Modern: An Exhibit on the Life and Work of
National Artist for Fashion Design, Ramon
Valera which was curated by Gerry Torres at
De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s School of
Design and Arts Gallery.
AWARDS:
In 2006, he was honored with the National
Artist of the Philippines distinction. In 2007
he was named a Distinguished Lasallian by
the De La Salle Alumni Association. A
postage stamp was issued by the Philippine
Postal Corporation on the occasion of his
birth centenary in 2012.
WHEN WAS THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS CREATED?
It was established by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1001, s. 1972, which created the
Award and Decoration of National Artist, “to give appropriate recognition and prestige to
Filipinos who have distinguished themselves and made outstanding contributions to
Philippine arts and letters,” and which posthumously conferred the award on the painter
Fernando Amorsolo, who had died earlier that year. Allied Arts.
LEGAL BASIS OF THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS
Proclamation No. 1144, s. 1973 named the CCP Board of Trustees as the National Artist Awards Committee (or
Secretariat). Presidential Decree No. 208, s. 1973 reiterated the mandate of the CCP to administer the National
Artist Awards as well as the privileges and honors to National Artists.
Executive Order No. 236 s. 2003, otherwise known as the Honors Code of the Philippines, conferred additional
prestige on the National Artist Award by raising it to the level of a Cultural Order, fourth in precedence among the
orders and decorations that comprise the Honors of the Philippines, and equal in rank to the Order of National
Scientists and the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan. The National Artist Award was thereby renamed the Order of
National Artists (Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining). This reflected the consensus among government
cultural agencies and the artistic community that the highest possible international prestige and recognition
should be given our National Artists. Section 5 of EO 236 stated the President may confer the Order of National
Artists “upon the recommendation of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts (NCCA).”
Executive Order No. 435, s. 2005 amended Section 5 (IV) of EO 236, giving the President the power to name
National Artists without need of a recommendation, relegating the NCCA and the CCP to mere advisory bodies
that may or may not be heeded. This expanded President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s flexibility to proclaim National
Artists at her discretion, which led to the controversy of 2009 and the subsequent intervention of the Supreme
Court by issuing a status quo ante order against the awardees that year.
In May 2009, four recommendations were sent to President Arroyo by the Secretariat. President Arroyo issued
proclamations on July 2009 for three, excluding for one nominee, Ramon P. Santos.
In addition, President Arroyo issued proclamations for four individuals who were not recommended, namely,
Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, Francisco T. Mañosa, Magno Jose J. Caparas, and Jose “Pitoy” Moreno. These four artists
have not been vetted and deliberated upon by the Secretariat.
As a result, the majority of living national artists (Almario, Lumbera, et. al.) filed a petition questioning President
Arroyo’s abuse of her discretion by proclaiming as national artists individuals (Guidote-Alvarez, Caparas, Mañosa,
and Moreno) who have not gone through the rigorous screening and selection process of the NCCA and the CCP.
In July 2013, the Supreme Court, in the case of Almario vs the Executive Secretary (GR No. 189028, July 16,
2013), invalidated President Arroyo’s proclamations of four national artists. It decided that, as the source of all
honors, the President has the discretion to reject or approve nominees. However, the President does not have the
discretion to amend the list by adding names that did not go through the NCCA-CCP process. The discretion is
confined to the names submitted by the NCCA and CCP.
From 2009 until 2011, in the absence of any resolution by the Supreme Court, the Secretariat had the impression
that they may not process any future nominations. The Order of the National Artists is supposed to be proclaimed
every three years.
When the Secretariat consulted the Office of the Solicitor General, clarification was provided. The Supreme
Court’s status quo ante order only applied to the batch of 2009 nominees. Therefore, upon the advice of the
Solicitor General, the Secretariat decided to once more proceed with the process.
The Order of National Artists | GOVPH. (n.d.). The Order of National Artists | Official Gazette of the
Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/the-order-of-national-artists/

Philippine National Artists

Uploaded by

Copyright:

You might also like

Philippine National Artists

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Philippine National Artists

Uploaded by

Copyright:

strA deillA dna erutcetihcrA dna ,strA tsacdaorB ,mliF ,erutaretiL ,strA lausiV ,retaehT ,ecnaD ,cisuM

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ARTIST

WHAT IS THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS?

THE INSIGNIA OF THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS

The insignia of the Order of the National Artists is composed of a

was a portraitist and painter of rural

The Conversion of the

Maiden in a Stream (1921)

The Bombing of Intendencia

Order of National Artists of the Philippines

Carlos V. Francisco, better known as

Republic Cultural Heritage Award in

Edades received the Pro Patria Award

A Cluster of Nipa Hut

Sea of Gold , 1990 Magellan and

Ocampo’s acknowledged masterpiece

Cities of the Past Imaginary

Bagong Taon, 1997 Vendador de

was born on May 22, 1924 in Antique. He is

Balinese Fantasy, 1995 The Face of the

Crisis in Humanity Sabel Edo Gesture

1992 - Gawad CCP Para sa Sining

Lemons, Pears, Tropical Fruit,

Valentines Mendiola Street

1959 Nominee FAMAS Award_Best

An honorary doctor of science in physical

Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award,

Ramon Obusan was a dancer,

Among the awards Obusan received was the

She presented the first major summer dance

Republic Cultural Heritage Award in

His awards and honors include a

Nicomedes “Nick” Marquez Joaquin

Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1961);

Given a Trophy from A Jokarts company

National Artist Award for Literature

My Brother, My The God Stealer and Viajero

Roces did not only focus on short stories

·In 1997 he was recognized as a

Antonio Molina received numerous awards

APresidential Medal of Merit (1958)

was formally honored as the Queen of

Lucrecia R. Kasilag, an educator,

·Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan from the

He is the recipient of various awards

The University of the Philippines

Santos was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

Antonio received numerous awards. In

ISTANA NURUL IMAN

National Artist for Visual Arts (1990)

Jose Maria Zaragoza (1912-1994) is a

Sto. Domingo Church, Quezon City

1973: Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan

“Kaganapan” (1953) “Kiss of Judas” (1955)

He was awarded National Artist for Sculpture

In the 50s and 60s, he produced many

In ·Poe's accolades include five FAMAS

·He was honored posthumously in 2006 the

Awit Award for Best Album Package

LEGAL BASIS OF THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS

You might also like