National Living Treasures (GamAba) PDF

Lesson 2 National Living Treasures Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) GAMABA: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures Award  institutionalized in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7355. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which is t...

Lesson 2 National Living Treasures Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) GAMABA: Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures Award  institutionalized in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7355. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which is the highest policy-making and coordinating body of the Philippines for culture and the arts, was tasked with its implementation. The Living Treasures- Mga Manlilikha ng Bayan  The Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasure a person or group of artists awarded by the Government of the Philippines for their contributions to the country's cultural heritage especially in its preservation and furtherance.  Candidate qualifications: ◦ an inhabitant of an indigenous/traditional cultural community anywhere in the Philippines that has preserved indigenous customs, beliefs, rituals and traditions; ◦ must have engaged in a folk art tradition with documentation for at least fifty (50) years;  Candidate qualifications: ◦ established reputation in the art as master and maker of works of extraordinary technical quality; ◦ has passed on and/or will pass on to other members of the community his/her skills in the folk art; ◦ as created a significant body of works and/or has consistently displayed excellence in the practice of his/her art, thus achieving important contributions for its development;  Candidate qualifications: ◦ has been instrumental in the revitalization of his/her community's artistic tradition;, and ◦ has community recognition as master and teacher of his/her craft.  List of National Living Treasures or GAMABA awardees as of 2016 01 Ginaw Bilog (1953-2003) Ginaw Bilog (1953-2003) A Hanunoo Mangyan poet from Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro.  A master of ambahan, a poetic literary form composed of seven-syllable lines conveying picturesque, metaphoric messages. Ambahan ◦ A poem of social character, it is created by the Mangyan to serve practical purposes within the community. ◦ Chanted at various occasions such as courtship, parents teaching their children, elders giving advice, travelers asking for a place to stay, visitor requesting food, and bidding goodbye to a dear friend. Ambahan Chant in Hanunoo Writing 02 Masino Intaray (1943-2013) Masino Intaray (1943-2013)  A Pala’wan musician, storyteller and epic chanter, and master of rites from Makagwa Valley in Palawan.  Was skilled in playing musical instruments such as the basal (gong), aroding (mouth harp), and babarak (ring flute).  Masterfully rendered traditional music such as kulilal (songs) and bagit (vocal music).  Was highly respected for being knowledgeable of many tultul (epics), sudsungit (narratives), and tuturan (myths of origin and heritage teachings).  He had such great memory, passion, and stamina that he was able to chant magical tales of ancestors for several consecutive nights.  In the ritual of tambilaw, ◦ The community cooks together and shares rice as offering to the god of rice.  Tinapay ◦ Essential to the conduct of this ritual (the tambilaw), a rice wine-drinking ceremony, where Intaray leads the basal ensemble, playing the sacred music that spiritually connects the Pala’wan community with the Great Lord, Ampo and the Master of Rice, Ampo’t Paray.  The Tarak ◦ Is the dance and sound element of the basal where women moving back and forth on the bamboo-slatted floor rhythmically stomp their feet as they hold taro leaves at their sides.  The Kulilal ◦ Is a sentimental poetry expressing love. ◦ It is sung with the playing of the kusyapi (two-stringed lute) by a man, and the pagang (bamboo zither) played by a woman.  The Bagit ◦ Imitation of rhythms, movements, and sounds of nature, strictly through the playing of kusyapi, such as the sensory motion of leaves, the flights of birds, the twitter of insects, and the sounds of monkeys and snakes.  Allthese forms express the poetic and subtle harmony of human beings with each other and with nature. 03 Samaon Sulaiman (1953-2011) Samaon Sulaiman (1953-2011)  Was a Maguindanaon musician from Mamasapano, Maguindanao.  Magindanaon, meaning “people of the flood plains” are one of the major Filipino Islamic groups who populate the lands near Pulangi river.  Has achieved the highest level of excellence in the art of kutyapi playing.  Apart from being a master at the kutyapi, Samaon is also proficient in kulintang, agong (suspended bossed gong with wide rim), gandingan (bossed gong with narrow rim), palendag (lip-valley flute), and tambul.  Samaon has merited the highest honors for his exemplary artistry and dedication to his chosen instrument, and his unwavering commitment to the music of the kutyapi at a time when this instrument no longer exists in many parts of Mindanao.  Gandingan (bossed gong Kutyapi with narrow rim) Palendag Tambul 04 Lang Dulay (1928-2015) Lang Dulay (1928-2015) ◦ Was a T’boli weaver of t’nalak, from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato  T’nalak ◦ Is unique traditional Cloth, hand-woven by T’boli women in finest ikat (tie-dye) method from abaca fibers with three primary colors --- natural color of abaca, red, and black.  In 1998, as part of the Philippine Centennial celebration, Lang Dulay’s t’nalak creations were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.  In the same year, she received the GAMABA recognition, which allowed her greater productivity in her craft as well as efficiency in passing on its knowledge  Shewas able to train forty-six weavers who now make their own designs. She symbolically bequeathed her woven mantle to one of her granddaughters, Noemi Dulay, as apparent successor to her weaving prowess. 05 Salinta Monon (1920-2009) Salinta Monon (1920-2009)  Was a Tagabawa Bagobo weaver of textiles from Bansalan, Davao del Sur.  She was exposed to the craft by her mother, a weaver, since birth.  She used to wear the traditional hand-woven tube skirt of the Bagobo, of which the sinukla and the bandira were two of the most common. Bagobo Skirt  In 1998, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts presented the GAMABA to Salinta, “the last Bagobo weaver;” and since then Bagobo-Tagabawa weaving has continued to live on. AWARDEES SINCE 2000 06 Alonzo Saclag (b 1942)  Alonzo Saclag (b 1942)  From Lubuagan, Kalinga, in Cordillera region, is master of dance, music, and the performing arts associated with cultural practices of a people known since colonial times for fiercely guarding their community life and heritage.  Saclag actively advocates the documentation of Kalinga beliefs and customs to uphold and defend indigenous people’s rights as these are threatened by the negative forces of globalization.  One of these is budong, the traditional peace pact meant to resolve tribal wars that have occurred since colonial times, up to the martial law regime’s Chico River Dam project which they opposed, and in the current struggle of indigenous people’s rights over mining and forestry in their ancestral lands.  The gong or gangsa ◦ The most important artifact which is a disappearing craft, thus Saclag’s efforts at propagating its use. Kalinga Budong  In 1974, he founded the Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe Dance Troupe which has won several national folk dancing awards.  He dreams of building a Kalinga cultural village as a living museum. He prepared its site where today a community plants a forest to protect area from impending erosion, and where hunting will be prohibited. 07 Federico Caballero (b 1938) Federico Caballero (b 1938) ASulod-Bukidnon epic chanter from Calinog, IloIlo who has devoted his life to painstaking research, documentation, and performance of ten epics of the Panay-Bukidnon people. These epics are rendered in an archaic, dying language akin to Kiniray-a.  Hinilawod ◦ is an epic poem written by the early inhabitants of a place called Sulod in Central Panay. The word means tales from the mouth of the Halawod River. ◦ not just a literary piece but also a source of information about culture, religion and rituals of the ancient people of Sulod, showing us that ancient Filipinos believed in the “sacred,” in the importance of family honor and in personal courage and dignity.  This 8,340-verse epic is chanted when performed and would take about three days when performed in its original form, making it one of the longest known epics.  one of the many pieces of oral literature passed from one generation to the next, changed and morphed by the mananalaysay (storyteller) to one degree or another as he told it to his audience.  was first discovered “by accident” in 1955, when F. Landa Jocano, Filipino anthropologist became interested in native folklore.  A concise version of the story of Hinilawod can be found in the book, Philippine Mythology, authored by the Filipino anthropologist, Dr. F. Landa Jocano. Balay Turun-an ◦ Founded by the community under the leadership of Federico, with assistance from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2001. ◦ A school of living tradition, where twenty to fifty school children, aged eight to sixteen, learn the rudiments of traditional Panay-Bukidnon Culture. 08 Uwang Ahadas (b 1945) Uwang Ahadas (b 1945)  Isa Yakan musician from Lamitan, Basilan where the playing of musical instruments is a tradition which is closely connected to the spiritual realm.  To the Yakan, spirits control the forces of nature, human life, and the agricultural cycle, and music is a means for meditation and supplication. Musical instruments of Uwang (plant sources)  Kwintangan kayu ◦ an instrument consisting of five wooden logs hung horizontally, from the shortest to the longest, with the shortest being nearest the ground. It is played to serenade the palay, as a lover woos his beloved. Its resonance is believed to gently caress the plants, rousing them from their deep sleep, encouraging them to grow and yield more fruit as a young child.  Gabbang ◦ a five-slat bamboo xylophone ◦ He would gather bamboo and construct the simplest.  Page 108  Agung ◦ a set of two wide-rimmed, vertically suspended gongs. It is a supportive instrument in kulintang ensembles. 09 Darhata Sawabi (? - 2005) Darhata Sawabi (? - 2005)  Was a Tausug weaver of pis syabit, the traditional hand-woven head cover.  In the Barangay Parang, in the island of Jolo, Sulu province, women perform the craft of pis syabit, which has been passed on for generations from mothers to their daughters. Pis syabit hand-woven head cover 10 Eduardo Mutuc (b 1949)  Eduardo Mutuc (b 1949)  From Apalit, Pampanga, is metal smith of religious and secular art.  Born and raised in a large but poor family who lived on farming, he only managed to finish elementary school.  He was already 29 when, motivated by great need to support his growing family, he worked as a woodcarver of household furniture (a job which he discovered that he had a talent in carving.)  He developed his skill in pinukpuk or beaten metal, where thin sheets of silver are fused to a layer or core of base wood or metal, simulating gold and silver in the decoration of saints and religious screens.  He emphasizes that to improve one’s skills, one must be focused and patiently learn techniques through constant practice. Fulfillment and satisfaction at the beauty one one’s work is the best reward. 11 Haja Amina Appi (1925-2013)  Haja Amina Appi (1925-2013)  Was a Samamat weaver from Tawi-Tawi.  The term “Sama” is believed to have originated from the Austronesian root word sama meaning “together.”  “Sama” is also a term suggesting the binding together of leaves and grasses that go into a banig (mat).  Locally called tepo, these mats are made from pandan leaves. If traditions were strictly followed, mats made by weavers in Unggus Matata, in Tandubas island where Haja Amina hails from, are to be used and kept within the family or clan. The whole process of making tepo is engaged in only by women. 12 Teofilo Garcia (b 1941)  Teofilo Garcia (b 1941)  An Ilocano maker of tabungaw (casque or gourd hat) who hails from San Quintin, Abra.  The kattokong nga tabungaw ◦ the gourd hat he makes and wears, is uniquely distinct in craftsmanship.  With his GAMABA recognition came the responsibility of writing a curriculum in tabungaw- making which he now teaches to selected students in his hometown’s public high school.  He is also eager to explore new designs  His work is now widely exhibited in art and trade fairs and his tabungaws are much sought after as special gifts. 13 Magdalena Gamayo (b 1924) Magdalena Gamayo (b 1924)  a textile weaver from Pinili, Ilocos Norte, she is recognized as a master in weaving the abel, the Ilocano textile hand-woven from local cotton and other fibers.  Magdalena learned by herself all the traditional patterns of binakol, inuritan (geometric design), kusikos (spiral forms similar to oranges), and sinan-sabong (flowers) by observation and practice. 14 Yabing Masalon Dulo (b 1914)  Yabing Masalon Dulo (b 1914)  ikat (warp) weaver who has mastered the Mabal Tabih technique  At 97, she is the oldest living master weaver of Tabih, the traditional B’laan fabric made from abaca.  Yabing Masalon Dulo (b 1914)  Bai(Grandmother) Yabing Dulo  from Mount Matutum, Polomolok, South Cotabato and is an active B’laan (an indigenous group from Southern Mindanao)  Yabing Masalon Dulo (b 1914)  the second GAMABA or National Living Treasure awardee from South Cotabato.  The first awardee was the late Tnalak master dreamweaver Lang Dulay of the Tboli tribe from Lake Sebu who died in 2015.  the first cultural master for the School of Living Tradition (SLT) in Lamlifew Tribal Village and started her own SLT in Polomolok, South Cotabato.  Mabal ◦ The B’laan term for the abaca weaving process  Tabih ◦ refers to the reserve-dyed plain woven abaca ◦ According to Marian Pastor Roces of Sinaunang HABI Philippine Ancestral Weave, Tabih also refers to the finished hand woven cloth and the traditional B’laan tubular skirt.  Tabih  An intricate hand-woven cloth made from abaca worn as traditional skirts, trousers, vests, or coats 15 Ambalang Ausalin (b 1943)  Ambalang Ausalin (b 1943)  a native Yakan tapestry weaver from Lamitan, Basilan. She is recognized for upholding and promoting the Yakan art of “tennun” (tapestry weaving) tradition  the second recipient of the GAMABA from the City of Lamitan. 16 Estelita Bantilan (b 1940)  Estelita Bantilan (b 1940)  a B’laan igem weaver from Sitio Upper Lasang of Malapatan in Saranggani Province.  recognized for promoting and keeping the igem mat weaving tradition alive.  The Blaan mats  Made of romblon and buri  Hold a special significance to the community and are embedded in the Blaan socio-spiritual life  Practical and sacred objects  Used at home to create comfortable sleeping and resting spaces, and are also used in rituals