ARTISTS

• Most of the country's performing arts (dances, songs and dramatic performances) are heavily influenced by the Spanish and American colonizers. But the Philippines is rich in native dances, songs, and performers that are still in practice today.
• Various tribes and indigenous groups are still using ancient musical instruments in performing rituals. Despite the threats of media and globalization, Filipinos still perform folk dances and songs as part of exercising their cultural identity and heritage.
• Masino Intaray


  Musician and Storyteller, Pala'wan, Brookes Point, Palawan, 1993
• Masino Intaray


  • He is an exceptional poet, musician, an epic chanter, and a storyteller
  • His extraordinary skills and talent for playing various customary music instruments included the basal, kulilal, and bagit

  
• Samaon Sulaiman


  Musician, Maguindanao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao, 1993
• Samaon Sulaiman


  • He was a master and teacher of KUDYAPI in Libutan and other barangays of Maganoy town, Maguindanao
  • The kudyapi is one of the sophisticated Philippine musical instruments
  • His contribution to Philippine culture and arts was through his dedication in teaching how to play kudyapi
  • He was also a popular town barber and served as an imam in the Libutan Mosque
• Alonzo Saclag


  Musician and Dancer, Kalinga, Lubugan, Kalinga, 2000
• Alonzo Saclag


  • He is a master of dance and the performing arts
  • The Kalinga people take pride in his incredible skills and talent because he has mastered not only the Kalinga musical instruments but also the dance movements associated with his people's practice
  • His contribution to folk art and culture is in heading the establishment of the prestigious Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe that tours here and abroad to represent and initiate Kalinga performing arts
• Uwang Ahadas


  Musician, Yakan, Lamitan, Basilan, 2000
• Uwang Ahadas


  • He belongs to the Yakan, an indigenous tribe with high reverence to instrumental music as it is related to life and agricultural cycles, and social undertakings
  • Ahadas has near-blindness, but this disability does not hinder him from honing his craft
  • Ahadas was a hands-on teacher to fascinated and dedicated individuals who wish to learn to play Yakan instruments, which include the famous kwintangan, kayu, and tuntungan

  
• Almost every Filipino appreciate the colourful and intricate tapestry and textiles that are hung in homes, grand hallways, and lobbies. You can see many handicrafts products such as baskets, brooms, and bamboo sofa sets in Filipino homes. You can also see young girls wearing beautiful crafted earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other accessories made using native products such as beads, shells, and seeds.
• Lang Dulay


  Master weaver, South Cotabato, 1928-2015, Awarded: 1998
• Lang Dulay


  • She started honing her skills at the age of 12
  • She was famous to use traditional Filipino materials such as abaca fibers weaved into T'nalak cloth
  • Her artistic designs inculcated with the rich history of the country have made her a national living treasure
  • She was widely known for her distinct designs such as kabangi (butterfly), bankiring (hair bangs), and the bulinglangit (clouds)
• The weaving of Lang Dulay and her people inspired the 2014 "Cinemalaya film K'na the Dreamweaver"
• Salinta Monon


  Talented weaver, Davao del Sur, 1920-2009, Awarded: 1998
• Salinta Monon


  • She uses the abaca-ikat weaving, or weaving using fiber from the abaca plant to create very detailed ornate designs
  • Binuwaya (Crocodile) is considered to be her beloved design, which was the most difficult to weave
  • Her Contribution to art was her dedication and perseverance in creating weaving that represented the Bagobo culture
• Darhata Sawabi


  Tausug famous for the "Pis Syabit", Sulu, Birth year unknown; died: 2005, Awarded: 2005
• Darhata Sawabi


  • The weaving itself is physical undertaking, as the weaver strings the thread through the frame made of banana and bamboo to create the tapestry's base
  • Sawabi's choice of colors, consistency of weave, and use traditional designs made her an excellent artist
  • She believed in the importance of handing down to the next generation of weavers the art of traditional weaving
• Haja Amina Appi


  Master mat weaver, Tawi-tawi, 1925-2013, Awarded: 2005
• Haja Amina Appi


  • Her flamboyant mats with their intricate geometric arrangements displayed her particular sense of proportion and color sensitivity
  • She was highly esteemed throughout her community for her distinctive designs and the refinement of her sasa and kima-kima
  • The art of mat making within the Sama community is assigned and restricted to the women
• This art is featured in Brillante Mendoza's film "Thy Womb".
• Magdalena Gamayo


  Ilocano textile weaver of abel, the traditional blanket, Ilocos Norte, 1924-, Awarded: 2012
• Magdalena Gamayo


  • Her works are of the finest quality, using very high thread count and incorporating intricate designs
  • Her accuracy in color spacing makes her blankets sought after
  • She has mastered the traditional patterns of sinan-sabong (flowers), kusikos (spirals), and the binakol inuritan (geometric)
• Eduardo Mutuc


  Exceptional Filipino sculptor who works with silver, bronze, and wood, crafting religious and layman artworks, Pampanga, 1949-, Awarded: 2005
• Eduardo Mutuc


  • His works include intricate church retablos, ornately designed mirrors, grand altars, and breathtaking carosas used in churches or procured by collectors
  • His works are more than simply ornamental, for his masterpieces add charm and luxury to every home and monument
• Teofilo Garcia


  Master artisan, farmer, and innovator, Abra, 1941, Awarded: 2012
• Teofilo Garcia


  • He is recognized for his beautifully crafted casque or "tabungaw" - a distinctive and functional headpiece that he made to safeguard him from the harsh rays of the sun and from the rain
  • His contribution to contemporary arts is the integration of his craft in Abra's harvest festival
• Senate nominates tribal tattooist Whang-od Oggay for National Living Treasures Award. ... 2 nominated the 100-year-old tattoo master for the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) or the National Living Treasures Award in recognition for her work as the oldest and last "mambabatok" or traditional Kalinga tattooist.