Significant Contemporary Artists from the

REGION

CHARLO D. PELLEGO
E A S T V I L L A L F O R E S N AT I O N A L H I G H S C H O O L
THE NATIONAL ARTISTS AWARD
The Order of National Artists (Order ng mga
Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the highest national
recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made
significant contributions to the development of Philippine
arts namely; Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts,
Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and
Allied Arts. The order is jointly administered by the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and
conferred by the President of the Philippines upon
recommendation by both institutions.
THE NATIONAL ARTISTS AWARD
The Order of National Artists Award is one of the
honors conferred by the Republic of the Philippines
that embodies the nation’s highest ideals in the
humanities and aesthetic expression through the
distinct achievements of individual citizens.
These achievements are measured in terms of
their vision, unusual insight, creativity and
imagination, technical proficiency of the highest
order in expressing Filipino culture and traditions,
history, way of life, and aspirations.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
LEANDRO V. LOCSIN
National Artist for Architecture, 1990 Locsin reshaped the urban
landscape with a distinctive architecture reflective of Philippine Art and
Culture. He believes that the true Philippine Architecture is “the product
of two great streams of culture, the oriental and the occidental… to
produce a new object of profound harmony.” It is this synthesis that
underlies all his works, with his achievements in concrete reflecting his
mastery of space and scale. Every Locsin Building is an original, and
identifiable as a Locsin with themes of floating volume, the duality of
light and heavy, buoyant and massive running in his major works. From
1955 to 1994, Locsin has produced 75 residences and 88 buildings,
including 11 churches and chapels, 23 public buildings, 48 commercial
buildings, six major hotels, and an airport terminal building.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
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 (inserted, right) 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).
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
Francisco T. Mañosa
National Artist for Architecture and Allied Arts, 2018 For all
of his more than 60 years of architecture life, Ar. Bobby Mañosa
designed Filipino. From the 1960s in his landmark design of the
Sulo Hotel until his retirement about 2015, he courageously
and passionately created original Filipino forms, spaces with
intricate and refined details. But what is most valuable is that
Mañosa was in the heart and soul of a Philippine architectural
movement. He has developed a legacy of Philippine
architecture, which is essential to our Filipino identity and at
the same time, deeply appreciated and shared in our world
today.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
Major Works:
• San Miguel Building, Ortigas Center, Pasig City (designed
with the Mañosa Brothers)
• Chapel of the Risen Lord, Las Piñas City
• Our Lady of Peace Shrine, EDSA, Quezon City
• World Youth Day Papal Altar, Quirino Grandstand,
Manila, 1995
• Metrorail Transit System Stations for LRT 1, circa 1980s
• Quezon Memorial Circle Development Plan
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
• Lanao del Norte Provincial Capitol, Tubod, Lanao
del Norte
• Tahanang Pilipino (Coconut Palace), CCP Complex,
Manila
• Amanpulo Resort, Palawan
• Pearl Farm Resort, Samal Island, Davao, completed
1994
• La Mesa Watershed Resort and Ecological Park, La
Mesa Dam, Quezon City
 NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
LINO BROCKA
National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, 1997 Catalino “Lino” Ortiz
Brocka, 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).
At the same time, he garnered awards and recognition from institutions like the
CCP, FAMAS, TOYM, and Cannes Film Festival. Lino Brocka has left behind his
masterpieces, bequeathing to our country a heritage of cinematic harvest; a
bounty of stunning images, memorable conversations that speak volumes on
love, betrayal and redemption, pestilence and plenty all pointing towards the
recovery and rediscovery of our nation.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
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).
 NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
FERNANDO AMORSOLO
National Artist for Visual Arts The country had its first National Artist
in Fernando C. Amorsolo. The official title “Grand Old Man of Philippine
Art” was bestowed on Amorsolo when the Manila Hilton inaugurated its
art center on January 23, 1969, with an exhibit of a selection of his works.
Returning from his studies abroad in the 1920s, Amorsolo developed the
backlighting technique that became his trademark were figures, a cluster
of leaves, a spill of hair, the swell of breast, are seen aglow on canvas. This
light, Nick Joaquin opines, is the rapture of a sensualist utterly in love with
the earth, with the Philippine sun, and is an accurate expression of
Amorsolo’s own exuberance. His citation underscores all his years of
creative activity which have “defined and perpetuated a distinct element
of the nation’s artistic and cultural heritage”.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
Among others, his major works include the following:
Maiden in a Stream(1921)- GSIS collection; El Ciego (1928)-
Central Bank of the Philippines collection; Dalagang Bukid
(1936) – Club Filipino collection; The Mestiza (1943National
Museum of the Philippines collection; Planting Rice (1946)-
UCPB collection (inserted, left) ; Sunday Morning Going to
Town (1958)-Ayala Museum Collection. After the second
world war, Amorsolo resumed painting idyllic scenes
depicting the countryside. In 1953, he created The Bathers,
which is a representative of one of Amorsolo’s favorite
themes: maidens in the water.) –
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
CARLOS “BOTONG” FRANCISCO
National Artist for Painting (1973) Carlos “Botong” Francisco,
the poet of Angono, single-handedly revived the forgotten art of
mural and remained its most distinguished practitioner for nearly
three decades. In panels such as those that grace the City Hall of
Manila, Francisco turned fragments of the historic past into vivid
records of the legendary courage of the ancestors of his race. He was
invariably linked with the “modernist” artists, forming with Victorio C.
Edades and Galo Ocampo what was then known in the local art
circles as “The Triumvirate”. Botong’s unerring eye for composition,
the lush tropical sense of color and abiding faith in the folk values
typified by the townspeople of Angono became the hallmark of his
art.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
GUILLERMO TOLENTINO
National Artist for Sculpture (1973) Guillermo Estrella
Tolentino is a product of the Revival period in Philippine art.
Returning from Europe (where he was enrolled at the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts, Rome) in 1925, he was appointed as
professor at the UP School of Fine Arts where the idea also of
executing a monument for national heroes struck him. The
result was the UP Oblation that became the symbol of
freedom at the campus. Acknowledged as his masterpiece and
completed in 1933, The Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan
(photo below) stands as an enduring symbol of the Filipinos’
cry for freedom.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
ABDULMARI ASIA IMAO
National Artist for Visual Arts (2006) 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.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
With his large-scale sculptures and
monuments of Muslim and regional
heroes and leaders gracing selected sites
from Batanes to Tawi-tawi, Imao has
helped develop among cultural groups
trust and confidence necessary for the
building of a more just and humane
society.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
VICENTE MANANSALA
National Artist for Painting (1981) 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.
For Manansala, Botong was a master of the human figure. Among the
masters, Manansala professes a preference for Cezanne and Picasso
whom he says have achieved a balance of skill and artistry
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
He trained in Paris and at Otis School
of Drawing in Los Angeles. Manansala
believes that the beauty of art is in the
process, in the moment of doing a
particular painting, closely associating it
with the act of making love. “The climax
is just when it’s really finished.”
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
AMADO V. HERNANDEZ
National Artist for Literature Amado Hernandez is a poet,
playwright, and novelist, which is among the Filipino writers who
practiced “committed art.” In his view, the function of the writer is to
act as the conscience of society and to affirm the greatness of the
human spirit in the face of inequity and oppression. Hernandez’s
contribution to the development of Tagalog prose is considerable —
he stripped Tagalog of its ornate character and wrote in prose closer
to the colloquial than the “official” style permitted. His novel Mga
Ibong Mandaragit, first written by Hernandez while in prison, is the
first Filipino socio-political novel that exposes the ills of the society
as evident in the agrarian problems of the 50s.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
Hernandez’s other works include Bayang
Malaya, Isang Dipang Langit, Luha ng
Buwaya, Amado V. Hernandez: Tudla at
Tudling: Katipunan ng mga Nalathalang Tula
1921-1970, Langaw sa Isang Basong Gatas at
Iba Pang Kuwento ni Amado V. Hernandez,
Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol at Iba
Pang Akda ni Amado V. Hernandez.
 NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
CARLOS P. ROMULO
National Artist for Literature (1982) 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. 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).
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
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.
 NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
HONORATA “ATANG” DELA RAMA
National Artist for Theater and Music (1987) Honorata “Atang” Dela Rama
was formally honored as the Queen of Kundiman in 1979, then when she was
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. Ata ng 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. Atang firmly believes that sarswela and
kundiman express best the Filipino soul, and even performed kundiman and
other Filipino songs for the Aetas or Negritos of Zambales and the Sierra Madre,
the Bagobos of Davao and other Lumad of Mindanao.
 NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
Francisca Reyes Aquino
National Artist for Dance (1973) Francisca Reyes Aquino is acknowledged as the
Folk Dance Pioneer. This Bulakeña began her research on folk dances in the 1920s
making trips to remote barrios in Central and Northern Luzon. Her research on the
unrecorded forms of local celebration, ritual, and sport resulted into a 1926 thesis
titled “Philippine Folk Dances and Games,” and arranged specifically for use by
teachers and playground instructors in public and private schools. In 1940s, she served
as supervisor of physical education at the Bureau of Education that distributed her
work and adapted the teaching of folk dancing as a medium of making young Filipinos
aware of their cultural heritage. In 1954, she received the Republic Award of Merit
given by the late Pres. Ramon Magsaysay for “outstanding contribution toward the
advancement of Filipino culture”, one among of the many awards and recognitions
given to her. Her books include the following: Philippine National Dances (1946);
Gymnastics for Girls (1947); Fundamental Dance Steps and Music (1948); Foreign Folk
Dances (1949); Dances for all Occasion (1950); Playground Demonstration (1951); and
Philippine Folk Dances, Volumes I to VI.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
Levi Celerio
National Artist for Literature & Music, 1997 Levi Celerio is
a prolific lyricist and composer for decades. He effortlessly
translated/wrote anew the lyrics to traditional melodies: “O
Maliwanag Na Buwan” (Iloko), “Ako ay May Singsing”
(Pampango), “Alibangbang” (Visaya) among others.
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 who was able to make music using just a leaf.
NOBALE NATIONAL ARTISTS
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.
 National Living Treasure
GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN

E A S T V I L L A L F O R E S N AT I O N A L H I G H S C H O O L
GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN
In April 1992, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the
National Living Treasures Award was institutionalized through
Republic Act No. 7355. The National Commission for Culture and
the Arts (NCCA), the highest policy-making and coordinating
body for culture and the arts of the State was tasked with the
administration and implementation of the award. The NCCA,
through the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Committee and an
Ad Hoc Panel of Experts, conducts the search for the finest
traditional artists of the land, adopts a program that will ensure
the transfer of their skills to others and undertakes measures to
promote a genuine appreciation of and instill pride among our
people about the genius of the Manlilikha ng Bayan.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Uwang Ahadas, musician
Yakan musical instruments are not the easiest or most affordable
to maintain, but Uwang Ahadas of Lamitan, Basilan made it his life’s
work to master them. From an early age, he and his siblings were
encouraged to play these instruments, and he developed a passion for
them, training himself by observing older members of the community.
At age 20, he broke tradition by reaching excellence in playing the
kwintangan, an instrument typically played by a woman. The
instrument, made up of logs arranged beneath a tree near a rice field,
is used to call for abundant grains and rice growth. He is also
dedicated to sharing his knowledge to younger folk; his teaching style
is hands-on and supportive, giving his students his full attention. He
was awarded in 2000.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Magdalena Gamayo, textile weaver
Based in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, Magdalena Gamayo took up weaving
when she was 16, guided by her aunt’s patterns. She received her first
loom from her father three years later, which she would end up using
for 30 years. She taught herself traditional patterns, such as kusikus
(whirlwind), marurup (Milky Way), and sinan paddak ti pusa (cat’s
pawprint), building on the more common inuritan (geometric design)
and sinansabong (flowers). Gamayo’s skill and instinct are none more
apparent than they are in her ability to replicate designs she’s only seen
once. Her binakol, or woven cloth, continues to draw praise and awe
for its aboveaverage thread count and uniform weave. To keep Ilocos’
abel weaving tradition alive, she teaches her practice to her cousin’s
daughter-in-law and sister-inlaw. She was awarded in 2012.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Eduardo Mutuc, metalsmith and artist
Having finished elementary, Eduardo Mutuc, a farmer
at that time, became an apprentice to furniture carvers to
earn additional income. He had no prior knowledge of the
work he was getting into, but this did not stop him from
expanding his experience and becoming one of the most
respected creators of religious and secular art today. He uses
wood, silver, and bronze to create exquisitely detailed and
lifelike pieces of varying sizes: altars, mirrors, retablos, and
even carosas. Mutuc is based in Apalit, Pampanga. He was
awarded in 2004.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Teofilo Garcia, gourd casque “tabungaw” maker
In San Quintin, Abra, Teofilo Garcia would often walk
around town wearing his gourd casques. Through word of
mouth and his participation in the annual local harvest
festival, Garcia was able to introduce the tabungaw plant as a
good and sturdy material for functional, elegant, and
protective hats. He produces everything he needs — planting
and harvesting the gourds, splitting and refining rattan for
the lining, and weaving nito and bamboo for accents himself
— and usually takes seven days to finish a hat. Awarded in
2012, he continues to experiment and work on new designs.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Lang Dulay, textile weaver
In Lang Dulay’s family, the weaving of the t’nalak (a fine
abaca cloth) took place before or after farm work, when the
weather was cool and the conditions were better for the product.
Dulay, who grew up in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, was taught to
weave by her mother when she was 12. As demand grew for new
designs, she persisted and kept working with traditional patterns,
even though they were harder to complete — she knew around a
hundred, including bulinglangit (clouds), kabangi (butterfly),
crocodiles, and flowers. She valued purity, so much so that she
never washed her t’nalak with soap. She was awarded in 1998,
and passed away in 2015.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Masino Intaray, chanter and musician
A member of the Pala’wan tribe, musician and epic chanter
Masino Intaray was a master of the basal, a gong music ensemble
played during rice cooking (tambilaw) and sharing (tinapay)
rituals, which gather the community as they serve offerings to
Pala’wan rice god Ampo’t Paray. Intaray also performed the
kulilal, a lyrical poem expressing love, accompanied by two-
stringed lute and bamboo zither, and the bagit, an instrumental
piece about nature. His memory and determination guided him in
chanting through many successive nights, reciting epics, stories,
myths of origin, and the teachings of ancestors. Intaray, who was
awarded in 1993, passed away in 2013.
 GAMABA AWARDEES
Darhata Sawabi, textile weaver
Darhata Sawabi’s mission was to lead young women
towards making a living out of her craft. The Parang, Sulu-
based textile weaver’s primary creation was the headpiece
pis siyabit — pis stands for the pattern, which is said to be
derived from India’s mandala, depicting spirituality through
geometric forms, and siyabit refers to the hook and
technique. She gained recognition for the precision of her
work and her passion for preserving traditional designs, as
well as teaching the youth and was awarded in 2004. She
passed away in 2005.
 ASSESSMENT
Direction: Multiple Choice:
Write the letter (in Capital) of
the best answer on your
paper/notebook.
 ASSESSMENT
1. It is the highest national recognition given to
Filipino individuals who have made significant
contributions to the development of Philippine
arts.
A. GAMABA
B. National Artist Award
C. Gawad Urian
D. FAMAS
 ASSESSMENT
2. It is the institution which is
tasked with the administration and
implementation of the GAMABA
A. IATF C. NCCA
B. MTRCB D. CCP
 ASSESSMENT
3. A Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA)
awardee receives a specially designed
gold medallion, P10,000 monthly stipends
and an initial amount. How much initial
amount does an awardee receives?
A. P1,000,000 C. P50,000
B. P10,000 D. P100,000
 ASSESSMENT
4. Which of the following is
NOT a category under the
National Artist Award?
A. Pottery C. Literature
B. Visual Arts D. Theater
 ASSESSMENT
5. He is the first ever National Artist
Awardee according to the year of
conferment.
A. Jovita Fuentes
B. Napoleon Abueva
C. Victorio Edades
D. Fernando Amorsolo
 ASSESSMENT
6. To become a “Manlilikhang Bayan”, a
candidate must be an inhabitant of:
A populous city
B. a heritage site
C. an indigenous/traditional community
D. a tourist spot
 ASSESSMENT
7. Which of the following artists is
NOT a GAMABA awardee?
A. Ang Kiukok
B. Uwang Ahadas
C. Masino Intaray
D. Ginaw Bilog
 ASSESSMENT
8. Darhata Sawabi is a GAMABA awardee
known for which type of weaving art?
A. T’nalak
B. Bagobo textiles
C. Pis Siyabit
D. Inabel
 ASSESSMENT
9. 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.
A. Botong Francisco
B. Jose Joya
C. Vicente Manansala
D. Abdulmari Asia Imao
 ASSESSMENT
10. He is the GAMABA awardee
known for making tabungaw.
A. Eduardo Mutuc
B. Teofilo Garcia
C. Masino Intaray
D. Ginaw Bilog
 PERFORMANCE
Art Analysis

Direction: Create your own analysis

of the featured artwork by one of
our National Artists. You may refer
to the art analysis guide below.
 PERFORMANCE
I. Description
Pure description of the object
without value judgments,
analysis, or interpretation. It
answers the question, "What do
you see?"
 PERFORMANCE
II. Analysis
Determining what the features suggest and deciding why the artist used
such features to convey specific ideas. It answers the question, "How did
the artist do it?"
o Determination of subject matter
o Selection of most distinctive features or characteristics whether line,
shape, color, texture, etc.
o Analysis of the principles of design or composition, e.g., stable,
repetitious, rhythmic, unified, symmetrical, harmonious, geometric,
varied, chaotic, horizontal or vertically oriented, etc.
o Use of color, light, balance and proportion
 PERFORMANCE
III. Interpretation
Establishing the broader context
for this type of art, it answers the
question, "Why did the artist
create it and what does it mean?”
 PERFORMANCE
IV. Judgment
Judging a piece of work means giving it
rank in relation to other works and of
course considering a very important
aspect of the visual arts; its originality.
Therefore answering the question: “Is it a
good artwork?”
 ANG KIUKOK
“Thinking Man”
1981
Oil on canvas
81 x 61 cm (32 x 24 in)
I. Description
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II. Analysis
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III. Interpretation
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IV. Judgment
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