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FOR the first time in Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (Gamaba) history, nine awardees were honored in a single conferment, marking the highest number of recipients in a single year.
(From left) 2023 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan awardees Marife Ravidas Ganahon, Bundos Bansil Fara, Rosie Godwino Sula, Barbara Kibed Ofong, 2012 Gamaba awardee Magdalena Gamayo, National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, 2023 Gamaba awardee Samporonia Pagsac Madanlo, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 2023 Gamaba awardees Adelita Romualdo Bagcal, Abina Tawide Coguit, Amparo Balansi Mabanag, 2016 Gamaba awardee Estelita Bantila and 2012 Gamaba Awardee Teofilo Garcia at the Conferment Ceremony of the 2023 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Awardees at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila on May 7, 2025. PHOTO FROM NCCA
Gamaba or the National Living Treasures Award is the highest recognition bestowed by the Philippine government to individuals or groups who have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in preserving and promoting traditional Filipino arts.
Established through Republic Act No. 7355 in 1992, Gamaba aims to honor those who have mastered indigenous crafts and have actively passed on their knowledge to succeeding generations.
Adelita Romualdo Bagcal from Banna, Ilocos Norte is master of dallot, a traditional form of improvised, sung poetry often performed during community gatherings and rituals.
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Her performances preserve the oral traditions of the Ilocano people and serve as living testimonies of indigenous storytelling and lyrical expression.
Rosie Godwino Sula who hails from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato is a respected T’boli chanter of k’lawan and sudsung, ancient epic songs passed down through generations.
Through her voice and memory, she has safeguarded T’boli oral literature, which encapsulates the community’s values, history and cosmology.
Abina Tawide Coguit from La Paz, Agusan del Sur is a Manobo artisan renowned for her traditional embroidery and beadwork that adorn ritual clothing and accessories.
Her pieces are both artistic expressions and symbolic representations of Manobo identity and spiritual beliefs.
Sakinur-ain Mugong Delasas from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi is a Sama master of igal, a traditional dance form performed during weddings and religious celebrations.
She has mentored younger generations, ensuring the continuity of movement vocabulary and spiritual significance in Sama cultural ceremonies.
Bundos Bansil Fara also from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato is a T’boli brasscaster who practices kemas, the intricate technique of lost-wax casting to produce bells, bracelets and other ornaments.
His craftsmanship preserves a metallurgical tradition rooted in both function and ornamentation.
Marife Ravidas Ganahon from Malaybalay, Bukidnon is a Higaonon mat weaver who uses indigenous materials like pandan leaves to create banig that feature geometric patterns and motifs.
Her work helps conserve traditional weaving techniques that are central to Higaonon communal life.
Amparo Balansi Mabanag from Paracelis, Mountain Province is a Ga’dang embroiderer whose textile work showcases intricate, hand-stitched patterns that reflect the cosmology and social structure of the Ga’dang people.
Her skills contribute to the continuity of this endangered art form.
Samporonia Pagsac Madanlo from Caraga, Davao Oriental is a Mandaya weaver of ikat or tie-dye weaving, producing textiles used in rituals and traditional attire.
Her technique involves a complex process of resist-dyeing and loom weaving, safeguarding a culturally rich tradition.
Closing the roster of awardees is Barbara Kibed Ofong from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, another T’boli master weaver of t’nalak, a sacred cloth made from abaca fibers dyed using the ikat method.
Her work, often guided by dreams, carries deep spiritual meaning and symbolizes the T’boli connection to nature and ancestry.
Beyond recognizing individual excellence, Gamaba is a vital mechanism for the preservation and promotion of the Philippines’ intangible cultural heritage.
By honoring these living treasures, the award reinforces the importance of cultural continuity across generations.
Gamaba recipients are honored not only with the nation’s highest cultural recognition but also with substantial support from the government to sustain
their practice and well-being.
Each awardee receives a gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, an initial grant of P200,000 upon conferment, and a lifetime monthly stipend of P50,000.
These financial grants aim to affirm the value of their cultural contributions and assist them in continuing their work within their communities.
Awardees are also entitled to a maximum of P750,000 in medical and hospitalization benefits.
In the event of their passing, they are accorded a state funeral – an honor that reflects the nation’s deep respect for their legacy.
These privileges reflect the Philippine government’s commitment to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and to upholding the dignity and well-being of the living bearers of tradition.
