GAMABA Awardees and Criteria

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) Award

• Recognizes traditional Filipino artists who have significantly contributed to the preservation and development of their respective art forms.
• A recipient of the GAMABA award is a highly skilled master artist who has dedicated their life to preserving and passing on their traditional art to the next generation.
• Performing arts is NOT mentioned as a category for GAMABA awardees, the categories include:
  • Textile weaving
  • Wood carving
  • Metal crafting
  • Musical instrument making
  • Dance
  • Epic chanting
  • Storytelling
  • Maranao art
• Alang-alang, a master weaver from the Yakan tribe, is known for her contributions in weaving.
• The GAMABA award is the highest national recognition given to Filipino master artists.

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) Awardees

• The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) is a national award given to individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the Philippines' intangible cultural heritage.
• To be recognized as a National Living Treasure or Manlilikha ng Bayan, they must be a Filipino citizen or group of Filipino citizens who have mastered a traditional art form practiced in the country.
• The awardee's skills should demonstrate a high level of technical and artistic excellence and have been passed down to and widely practiced by younger generations in their community.

Literature

• An epic is a long narrative poem that tells the story of a legendary or historical hero.

Music/Dance

• Masino Intaray is a recipient of the GAMABA for his contributions to the traditional music and dance of the Palawan province.

• Uwhang Ahadas is another recipient of the GAMABA for their expertise in the traditional music and dance of Palawan.

Metalwork

• Teofilo Garcia is a GAMABA awardee for his expertise in the art of creating traditional casques.

Weaving

• Darhata Sawabi is a GAMABA recipient for her mastery in weaving the traditional "Pis Syabit," a head scarf made from fabrics produced in the Tausug region.

• Haja Amina Appi is a GAMABA awardee for her expertise in weaving traditional "Pis Syabit" of the Tausug region.

• Lang Dulay was a GAMABA awardee and is renowned for her weaving skills in the T'boli region of South Cotabato, particularly for creating traditional "T'nalak" cloth woven from abaca fibers.

• Magdalena Gamayo is a GAMABA awardee for her expertise in creating traditional "Inabel" cloth which is a handwoven fabric from Ilocos.

• Salinta Monon is a GAMABA awardee for her expertise in weaving the traditional "Bagobo cloth" from the Bagobo tribe of Davao.

Explore the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) award, which honors Filipino artists for their contributions to intangible cultural heritage. Learn about the eligibility criteria for this prestigious accolade and discover examples of awardees who have exemplified mastery in traditional Filipino art forms.