GAMABA AWARD

• Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Award)
• • On April 3, 1992, it was institutionalized through the Republic Act No. 7355, otherwise known as the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act.
• The GAMABA award is conferred on Filipinos who are at the forefront of the practice, preservation, and promotion of the nation’s traditional folk arts.
• • The National Commission for Culture and the Arts or NCCA, the state’s highest policy-making and coordinating body for Culture and Arts, also acknowledges the finest traditional artists of the land.
• • Folk arts - reflect the cultural life of a community.
  • The art form encompasses the expressive culture associated with the fields of folklore and cultural heritage. Tangible folk art can include objects that historically are crafted and used within a traditional community.
• The main objectives of GAMABA Award are to honor the significance of the traditional and folk masters 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.
• The GAMABA Award provides mechanisms of identifying qualified traditional and folk artists and assisting in the transference of their skills to the community.
• The GAMABA Award creates opportunities for popularizing the works of traditional and folk artists locally and internationally.
• The GAMABA logo is a stylized representation of the human form used in traditional cloth.
• Below the GAMABA logo is a Baybayin text that says, ‘Manlilikha ng Bayan’.
• Note that Baybayin is an ancient Filipino script that was extensively used in the Philippines in the 16th century, at the time of Western contact.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should be a Filipino citizen or group of citizens belonging to an indigenous/traditional cultural community anywhere in the Philippines, engaged in Filipino traditional art in the categories of folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving, carving, performing arts, literature, graphic and plastic arts, ornament, textile or fiber art, pottery and other artistic expressions of traditional culture.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should have been engaged in the tradition and craft for a significant period with at least 50 years of existence and documentation.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should have produced and performed artistic, distinctive, and superior quality.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should possess mastery of the tools and materials that are needed for the art and must have a reputation for being an art master and craft maker in the community where he/she belongs.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should have passed on and/ or will pass on the traditional crafts and skills to other members of the community teaching.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should have created a significant body of work and has contributed to the development of the tradition and craft.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should have played a role in the preservation and revitalization of the artistic tradition in the community.
• A candidate for the Manlilikha ng Bayan award should have been recognized as a master of his / her craft and admired for his character and integrity in his / her community.
• The rank and title of Manlilikha ng Bayan, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines following Executive Order No 236 or Honors Code of the Philippines;
• The GAMABA gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and citation;
• A minimum cash award Php 200,000.00, net of taxes.
• A minimum lifetime personal monthly spend of Php 50,000.00
• Medical and hospitalization benefits not exceeding Php 750,000.00 per year.
• A state funeral, the arrangements for and the expenses of which shall be borne by the Government, upon the death of the Manlilikha ng Bayan;
• A place of honor, in line with protocol precedence, in state functions, national commemoration ceremonies, and all other cultural presentations.
• For group awardee

  1. The rank and title of Manlilikha ng Bayan, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines following Executive Order No. 236 or Honors Code of the Philippines;
  2. A one-time award of Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 200,000.00), net of taxes;
  3. The group shall designate its leader who will represent and attend events and functions on behalf of the group. The said representative will also have a place of honor, in line with protocol precedence, in state functions, national commemoration ceremonies, and all other cultural presentations.