The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) is the highest national recognition given by the Philippines to traditional artists, providing them with financial assistance and honorifying their mastery of cultural practices. To be eligible for the award, artists must have engaged in folk artistic traditions for at least 50 years and demonstrated excellence in passing their skills to younger generations. Awardees receive a gold medallion, an initial grant of ₱100,000, and a monthly stipend of ₱10,000 for life to support the continuation of their cultural practices.
The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) is the highest national recognition given by the Philippines to traditional artists, providing them with financial assistance and honorifying their mastery of cultural practices. To be eligible for the award, artists must have engaged in folk artistic traditions for at least 50 years and demonstrated excellence in passing their skills to younger generations. Awardees receive a gold medallion, an initial grant of ₱100,000, and a monthly stipend of ₱10,000 for life to support the continuation of their cultural practices.
The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) is the highest national recognition given by the Philippines to traditional artists, providing them with financial assistance and honorifying their mastery of cultural practices. To be eligible for the award, artists must have engaged in folk artistic traditions for at least 50 years and demonstrated excellence in passing their skills to younger generations. Awardees receive a gold medallion, an initial grant of ₱100,000, and a monthly stipend of ₱10,000 for life to support the continuation of their cultural practices.
Special Program in the Arts Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan National Living Treasures Award Republic Act No. 7355 April 1992 National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) The highest policy-making and coordinating body for culture and the arts of the State Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) • 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 instil pride among our people about the genius of the Manlilikha ng Bayan Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan First awarded in 1993 to three outstanding artists in music and poetry has its roots in the 1988 National Folk Artists Award organized by the Rotary Club of Makati- Ayala Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan As a group, these folk and traditional artists reflect the diverse heritage and cultural traditions that transcend their beginnings to become part of our national character. As Filipinos, they bring age-old customs, crafts and ways of living to the attention and appreciation of Filipino life. They provide us with a vision of ourselves and of our nation, a vision we might be able to realize someday, once we are given the opportunity to be true to ourselves as these artists have remained truthful to their art. R.A. 7355 o “Manlilikha ng Bayan” o shall mean a citizen engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino o whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence and o have been passed on to and widely practiced by the present generation in his/her community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence. How does one become a Manlilikha ng Bayan? • 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. How does one become a Manlilikha ng Bayan? 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. How does one become a Manlilikha ng Bayan? 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. 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: b. He/she has been instrumental in the revitalization of his/her community’s artistic tradition. 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: 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. 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: d. His/her community has recognized him/her as master and teacher of his/her craft. Categories: The Award shall be given in each, but not limited to the following categories of traditional folk arts, viz.: folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving carving, performing arts, Categories: The Award shall be given in each, but not limited to the following categories of traditional folk arts, viz.: literature, graphic and plastic arts, ornament, textile or fiber art, pottery and other artistic expressions of traditional culture. Categories:
Consideration shall be given to
geographical distribution and balance of artistic categories. What are the incentives received by the awardee? A Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee receives: specially designed gold medallion, an initial grant of P100,000 and P10,000 monthly stipend for life. What are the incentives received by the awardee? In consonance with the provision of Republic Act No. 7355, which states that “the monetary grant may be increased whenever circumstances so warrant,” the NCCA board approved: an additional monthly personal allowance of P14,000 for the awardees GAMABA Awardees