Artists

Basahin sa Filipino

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.

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.

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.
PROCESS OF NOMINATION AND CONFERMENT OF THE ORDER

CRITERIA FOR THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS

1. Living artists who are Filipino citizens at the time of nomination, as well as those who died after the
establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of their death;

2. Artists who, through the content and form of their works, have contributed in building a Filipino sense
of nationhood;

3. Artists who have pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style, thus earning distinction and
making an impact on succeeding generations of artists;

4. Artists who have created a substantial and significant body of work and/or consistently displayed
excellence in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic expression or style; and

5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through:

• prestigious national and/or international recognition, such as the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, CCP
Thirteen Artists Award and NCCA Alab ng Haraya;
• critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works;

• respect and esteem from peers.

Those submitting nominations for National Artist must submit the following:

• A cover letter from the nominating organization. The cover letter shall be accompanied by a Board
Resolution approving the nomination concerned with the said resolution signed by the organization
President and duly certified by the Board Secretary.

• A duly accomplished nomination form;

• A detailed curriculum vitae of the nominee;

• A list of the nominee’s significant works categorized according to the criteria;

• The latest photograph (color or black and white) of the nominee, either 5″ x 7″ or 8″ x 11″;

• Pertinent information materials on the nominee’s significant works (on CDs, VCDs and DVDs);

• Copies of published reviews; and

• Any other document that may be required.

To the following addresses:

The NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD SECRETARIAT Office of the Deputy Executive Director National
Commission for Culture and the Arts 633 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila

A member of the Order of National Artists are granted the following honors and privileges:

1. The rank and title of National Artist, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines;

2. The insignia of a National Artist and a citation;

3. A lifetime emolument and material and physical benefits comparable in value to those received by the
highest officers of the land such as:

a. a cash award of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) net of taxes, for living awardees;

b. a cash award of Seventy Five Thousand Pesos (P75,000.00) net of taxes, for posthumous awardees,
payable to legal heir/s;

c. a monthly life pension, medical and hospitalization benefits;

d. life insurance coverage for Awardees who are still insurable;

e. a state funeral and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani;