The National Living Treasures Award, alternatively known as the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA), is conferred to a person or group of artists recognized by the Government of the Philippines for their contributions to the country’s intangible cultural heritage.
A recipient of the award, a National Living Treasure or Manlilikha ng Bayan is “a Filipino citizen or group of Filipino citizens engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino, whose exceptional skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the present generations in their community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence.
The National Living Treasures Award was institutionalized in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7355. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the highest policy-making and coordinating body of the Philippines for culture and the arts, was tasked with implementing and awarding. This is in line with UNESCO’s criteria of Living National Treasures.
Categories of the award include but are not limited to folk architecture, weaving, performing arts, pottery, literature, textile, or fiber arts.
The National Museum of Anthropology houses the Manlilikha ng Bayan Hall. Let’s get to know our National Living Treasures and their contribution to our heritage and culture.
A must-see for Filipinos to appreciate the beauty of our traditional folk arts!
On April 3, 1992, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Award) was institutionalized through the Republic Act No. 7355, otherwise known as the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act.
The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan honors the significance of the traditional and folk artists as a link between the skills of past and future generations. The award specifically aims to revitalize a community’s artistic tradition, thereby protecting a valuable facet of Philippine culture; it provides mechanisms of identifying qualified traditional and folk artists and assisting in the transference of their skills to the community; and create opportunities for popularizing their works locally and internationally.
The Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures refer to the traditional and folk artists entitled to the recognition provided for by the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act. As envisioned under the said law, this term shall mean a citizen or group of citizens of the Philippines engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino whose distinctive skills have reached a high level of technical and artistic excellence, and knowledge and skills have been passed on to and are widely practiced by the present generation in their community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence.
To date, there are twenty five declared Manlilikha ng Bayan, all of which have exemplified the highest standard in their respective field of expertise. The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan insignia is a stylized representation of the human form used in traditional textiles of the Philippines. Below the motif is “Manlilikha ng Bayan” written in ancient Filipino script. The insignia is designed by eminent artist Rosario Bitanga.
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References:
National Museum of the Philippines
National Commission for Culture and the Arts
Wikipedia
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