GAMABA
GAWAD
SAMANLILIKH
MANLILI
GAWAD SA
NG BAYAN
NG BAYAN
GAMABA
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Awards or GAMABA is an award
that acknowledges folk and indigenous artists who, despite the
modern times, remain true to their traditions.
It is administered by the National Commission for Culture and the
Arts (NCCA) through Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Committee.
GAMABA began as a project of the Philippine Rotary Club MakatiAyala. In 1992, it was adopted by the government and
institutionalized through Republic Act No. 7335.
This award aims to support and motivate these artists to
preserve their artistic heritage for the present and future
generations. These artists are also recognized as the country's
GAMABA
The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan
(GAMABA) or the National Living Treasures
Award gives recognition to Filipino
traditional craftsmen or artisans whose skills
have reached a high level of technical and
artistic excellence and who are tasked to
pass on to the present generation
knowledge threatened with extinction.
13 National Living
Treasures
of the Philippines
AMABA AWARDEE
UWANG AHADAS
Musician
Yakan
Lamitan, Basilan
GaMaBa 2000
He has made it his life's work to preserve
and promote Yakan culture through the
traditional music and instruments of his
tribe. He has mastered tha gabbang, the
agung, the kwintangan kayu, and others.
AMAON SULAYMAN
Musician
Magindanao
Mama sa Pano,
Maguindanao
GaMaBa 1993
Died in 2011
Hesa master in the use of the kulintang
and kutyapi of the Maguindanaons. His
extensive repertoire of dinaladay, linapu,
minuna, and binalig has demonstrated
not only his own skills but their culture.
ALONZO SACLAG
Musician and
Dancer
Kalinga
Lubugan, Kalinga
GaMaBa 2000
He has worked for the preservation of Kalinga
culture. He lobbied that the abandoned
Capitol Building be turned into a museum,
that schools implement the practice of
donning the Kalinga costume for important
events, and that traditional Kalinga music
should be broadcasted alongside
contemporary music in the local radio station.
He also formed the Kalinga Budong Dance
Troupe to guarantee that his knowledge in the
MASINO INTARAY
Musician and
Storyteller
Palawan
Brookes Point, Palaw
GaMaBa 1993
Died in 2013
He has mastered the traditions of his
peoplethe Palawan, Batak, and
Tagbanwa in the highlands of southern
Palawan. He is skillful in basal (gong
music ensemble), kulilal (lyrical poem
expressing passionate love sang with the
accompaniment of the kusyapi), and
bagit (instrumental music depicting
nature).
EDERICO
CABALLERO
FEDERICO
CABALLERO
Epic Chanter
Sulod-Bukidnon
Calinog, Iloilo
GaMaBa 2000
Hesa Panay-Bukidnon from the
mountains of Central Panay, has worked
hard to document the oral literature of
his people. He has preserved the epics
that use a language that has long been
dead by working together with scholars,
artists, and advocates of culture.
GINAW BILOG
Poet
Hanunuo
Mangyan
Panaytayan,
Oriental Mindoro
GaMaBa 1993
Died in 2003
He helped preserved the Mangyan
literary tradition by documenting the
pieces of ambahan recorded not only on
bamboo tubes but also on notebooks
passed on to him. The ambahan is a
poetic literary form composed of sevensyllables. It is usually sung.
TEOFILO GARCIA
Casque
(tabungaw)
Maker
Ilocano
San Quintin,
Abra
GaMaBa 2012
Hehad learned how to make gourd
casques and weave baskets from his
grandfather at the age of 16. Since he
learned the craft, he never stopped
experimenting with other designs. He
previously used nito (vine trimmings) to
decorate the headgear and then used
with other materials such as bamboo
after his supplier from Cagayan passed
DARHATA SAWABI
Textile Weaver
Tausug
Parang, Sulu
GaMaBa 2004
Died in 2005
Shesone of the master weavers in the
island of Jolo. Like most women in their
tribe, she has learned the art of weaving
the pis syabit, the traditional cloth
tapestry worn as head cover by the
Tausug of Jolo, from her mother.
LANG DULAY
Textile Weaver
Tboli
Lake Sebu,
South Cotabato
GaMaBa 1998
Died in 2015
The T'bolis are known for their use of
abaca fibers in textile weaving. Lang
Dulay continued this tradition and
preserved the culture of their community
through patterns of crocodiles,
butterflies, flowers, mountains, and
streams and of Lake Sebu in her works.
SALINTA MONON
Textile Weaver
Tagabawa Bagobo
Bansalan, Davao
del Sur
GaMaBa 1998
Died in 2009
She started learning weaving traditional
Bagobo textiles from her mother at the
age of 12. Her family is among the
remaining Bagobo weavers in the
community.
MAGDALENA GAMAYO
Textile (inabel)
Weaver
Ilocano
Pinili, Ilocos
Norte
GaMaBa 2012
In her profile, it was reported that
Magdalena has taught herself the
traditional patterns of binakol, inuritan
(geometric design), kusikos (spiral forms
similar to oranges), and sinan-sabong
(flowers). She has learned the art of
weaving from her aunt and started
harnessing her innate skills at the age of
16. She may be in her late 80s but she
still manages to arrange threads on the
HAjA AMINA APPI
Mat Weaver
Sama
Tandubas,
Tawi-Tawi
GaMaBa 2004
She was recognized as the master mat
weaver among the Sama indigenous
community of Ungos Matata. Her mats
are known for their complex geometric
patters, proportion, and unique
combination of colors.
EDUARDO MUTUC
Metalsmith
Kapampangan
Apalit,
Pampanga
GaMaBa 2004
He
dedicated his life in sculpting
retablos, mirrors, altars, and carosas
from silver, bronze, and wood. Some of
his works can exceed 40 feet while the
others feature smaller size and delicate
craftmanships.
THE END
Submitted by:
Ma. Kara Alexir Calamba
Submitted to:
Mrs. Jesabel Binamira
