GAMABA Awardees

• Ginaw Bilog


  A Hanunoo Mangyan poet from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, considered a master of the Ambahan poetry
• Ambahan


  A poetic literary form composed of seven-syllable lines used to convey messages through metaphors and images, sung and its messages range from courtship, giving advice to the young, asking for a place to stay, saying goodbye to a dear friend and so on
• Masino Intaray


  A musician, storyteller, and epic chanter and a master of rites, skilled and proficient player of the basal (gong), aroding (mouth harp), and babarak (ring flute), well-versed in kulilal (songs) and bagit (vocal music)
• Samaon Sulaiman


  A kudyapi (kutyapi) master and teacher of his instrument in Libutan and other barangays of Maganoy town, Mindanao, proficient in kulintang, agong, gandingan, palendag, and tambul
• Lang Dulay


  A T'boli master textile weaver from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, considered a traditional weaver of "t'nalak" or "tinalak" cloth, with a keen eye for traditional designs and over a hundred designs including bulinglangit or clouds, bankiring or hair bags, and kabangi or butterfly
• Salinta Monon


  A Tagabawa-Bagobo weaver from Bansalan, Davao del Sur, who developed a keen eye for traditional designs and created varied designs, with her favorite being the binuwaya or crocodile which is very intricate and difficult to weave
• Alonzo Saclag


  A Kalinga master of dance and the performing arts from Lubuagan, Kalinga, who devoted his energy to preserve artifacts like Kalinga gongs or the gangsa and revive this dying treasure, and has also mastered the dance patterns and movements associated with his people's ritual
• Federico Caballero


  A Sulod, Bukidnon epic chanter from Kalinog, Iloilo, who works for the documentation of the oral literature, particularly the epics, of his people, and is considered a bantugan who strives to dispense justice in the community through his work as a manughusay – an arbiter of conflicts
• Uwang Ahadas


  A Yakan from Lamaitan, Basilan who values musical instruments because he was nearly blind, became a teacher of youths who have an interest in kwintangan, kayu and tuntungan, and taught outside his community to young people that makes them more interested in playing those traditional instruments
• Darhata Sawabi


  A weaver of pis syabit – the traditional cloth tapestry worn as a head covering by the Tausug of Basilan and Sulu, who weaves at home and teaches women and became the source of livelihood of Parang Women, dedicated to preserving and promoting generations of traditional Tausug designs
• Eduardo Mutuc


  From Apalit, Pampanga, has dedicated his life to creating religious and secular art in silver, bronze and wood, and teaches his students to consider the quality of their product rather than the material rewards that they will derive from their art
• Haja Amina Api


  From Tawi-Tawi, recognized as the master mat weaver among the Sama indigenous community of Ungos Matata, who develops her own modern designs and possesses traits like a keen eye for detail, color instinct, and applied mathematics
• Teofilo Garcia


  From San Quintin, Abra, known for tabungaw headgear, which can last up to three to four generations if taken care of properly, very creative in his designs and has been innovating patterns according to what he sees from other products
• Magdalena Gamayo


  From Ilocos, Norte, a master weaver who makes "inabel", an Ilokano handwoven cloth, taught herself the traditional patterns of binakol, inuritan (geometric designs), kusikos (spiral forms), sinan-sabong
• Ambalang Ausalin


  Started weaving when she was 8 y/o and has been doing so ever since, has a deep passion for Yakan tapestry and dedicated her life to protect and promote this incredible part of her culture, takes 4-5 days to weave a one-meter-design with 70 designs within 1 meter cloth
• Estelita Bantilan


  A Blaan mat weaver from Pantalan, Sarangani Province, recognized for her commitment to the safeguarding and the promotion of the Blaan igem tradition, never wants to monetize her mats and carves out considerable time from domestic and farming responsibilities to accomplish some of the biggest, most subtly beautiful mats to be seen anywhere in Southeast Asia today
• Yabing Masalon Dulo


  Born in South Cotabato, among those who kept to animism and her own understanding of weaving quality, persisted with wild lutáy until these were no longer possible to acquire
• The Senate nominated Apo Whang-od, a famous mambabatok or traditional tattoo artist not just in the Philippines but in the whole world from Kalinga, for the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan 2018