NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR VISUAL ARTS

1. Fernando C. Amorsolo. He was the first National Artist in the country. The official title
“Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” was bestowed on Amorsolo when the Manila Hilton
inaugurated its art center on January 23, 1969, with an exhibit of a selection of his works. He
was also known for his backlighting technique in painting. His major works include
“Dalagang Bukid,” “El Ciego,” “The Mestiza,” “Maiden in a Stream” and “Planting Rice.”
2. Hernando R. Ocampo. His works provided an understanding and awareness of the harsh
social realities in the country immediately after the Second World War and contributed
significantly to the rise of the nationalist spirit in the post-war era. It was, however, his abstract
works that left an indelible mark on Philippine modern art. His canvases evoked the lush
Philippine landscape, its flora and fauna, under the sun and rain in fierce and bold colors. He
also played a pivotal role in sustaining the Philippine Art Gallery, the country’s first. Ocampo’s
acknowledged masterpiece Genesis served as the basis of the curtain design of the Cultural
Center of the Philippines Main Theater. His other major works include Ina ng Balon, Calvary,
Slum Dwellers and Nude with Candle and Flower.
3. Carlos “Botong” Francisco. He is the poet of Angono, single-handedly revived the forgotten
art of mural and remained its most distinguished practitioner for nearly three
decades. In panels such as those that grace the City Hall of Manila, Francisco turned fragments
of the historic past into vivid records of the legendary courage of the ancestors of his race. He
was invariably linked with the “modernist” artists, forming with Victorio C. Edades and Galo
Ocampo what was then known in the local art circles as “The Triumvirate”. His major works
include “Blood Compact,” “First Mass of Limasawa,” and the “Invasion of Limahong.”
4. Guillermo E. Tolentino. He is a product of the Revival period in Philippine art. Returning
from Europe (where he was enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Rome) in 1925, he was
appointed as professor at the UP School of Fine Arts where the idea also of executing a
monument for national heroes struck him. The result was the UP Oblation that became the
symbol of freedom at the campus. Acknowledged as his masterpiece and completed in 1933,
The Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan stands as an enduring symbol of the Filipinos’ cry for
freedom. Other works include the bronze figures of President Quezon at Quezon Memorial, life-
size busts of Jose Rizal at UP and UE, marble statue of Ramon Magsaysay in GSIS Building;
granolithics of heroic statues representing education, medicine, forestry, veterinary science, fine
arts and music at UP. He also designed the gold and bronze medals for the Ramon Magsaysay
Award and did the seal of the Republic of the Philippines.
5. Napoleon Abueva. At 46 then, he was the youngest national artist awardee and considered
as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. He helped shape the local
sculpture scene to what it is now. Being adept in either academic representational style or
modern abstract, he has utilized almost all kinds of materials from hardwood (molave,
acacia, langka wood, ipil, kamagong, palm wood and bamboo) to adobe, metal, stainless steel,
cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral and brass. Among the early innovations, Abueva
introduced in 1951 was what he referred to as “buoyant sculpture” — sculpture meant to be
appreciated from the surface of a placid pool. In the ’80s, Abueva put up a one-man show at the
Philippine Center, New York. His works have been the United Nations headquarters in New
York City.
Other National Artists for Visual Arts
1. Victorio C. Edades – Father of Modern Philippine Painting, a leading figure in the visual art
scene, leading the revolutionary Filipino Modernists in creating modern paintings.
2. Vicente Manansala – He is recognized as a pioneer artist of transparent cubism, which is
characterized by transparent and translucent tones, shapes, and patterns of various subjects
that seem to be superimposed over each other. One of the best examples of this technique is
his masterpiece, The Musicians.
3. Cesar Legaspi – Famous for his abstract works that depict the anguish and dehumanization
of laborers and beggars in the city. Some of his greatest works are Man and Woman and
Gadgets.
4. Arturo Luz – He helped establish the Neo-realist school in Philippine art but is most famous
for his cubist and minimalist works not only in painting, but also in sculpture. He participated in
numerous international shows, including the Tokyo Print Biennial in 1974 and the 8th British
International Print Biennale in 1984.
5. J. Elizalde Navarro – Known for his hardwood masks, he was both a painter and a sculptor.
In 1967, he represented the Philippines in Sao Paolo Biennial in Brazil. Be began to work as a
full-time painter in 1970. His style is characterized by bright, vibrant colors with abstract to
modernist styles.
6. Ang Kiukok – He gained prominence in the local and international art scene because of his
unique style that fused expressionism, surrealism, and cubism. His imagery had been described
as violent and gruesome, which contrasted his gentle and amiable personality.
7. Benedicto Cabrera – He upheld the primacy of drawing over the decorative color. He is one
of the most sought-after painters in the Philippines today, whose works are frequent bestsellers.
His museum in Baguio city features various galleries that highlight Philippine art as well as that
of the Cordillera region, an inspiring spectacle that attracts visitors throughout the year.
8. Abdulmari Asia Imao – He is the first Filipino Muslim to receive the recognition. His expertise
is working on metal brass casting and ceramic sculpture. His themes are sometimes influenced
by Islamic culture. He is known for intricate works using the okir and sarimanok designs.
9. Federico Aguilar Alcuaz - Alcuaz was a distinguished master in cubist paintings, which often
depicted nude women, interiors, landscapes, and still life. His style is characterized by blurred
edges, contrasted with heavy lines and shapes.
10. Francisco Coching - Acknowledged as the “Dean of Filipino Illustrators” and son of noted
Tagalog novelist and comics illustrator. He was regarded as the “Pillar of the Philippine Komiks
Industry.” He was the creator of iconic Philippine Komiks characters such as Hagibis, Pedro
Penduko, and Sabas, Ang Barbero.
11. Jose T. Joya – He was the pioneer of abstract expressionism in the
Philippines. His works are strongly characterized by bold brushstrokes,
quick gestures, and dynamic spontaneity.
12. Larry Alcala - His comic strips spiced up the slices of Filipino lives with witty illustrations
executed throughout his 56 years of cartooning. Alcala’s artworks were staples in the comics’
sections of magazines, newspapers, and comic books. His most famous creations are part of a
series of illustrations called Slice of Life, which depict snippets of everyday lives of ordinary
Filipinos. Barrio scenes and urban settings are common themes of Alcala.
NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR ARCHITECTURE
1. Pablo S. Antonio. He pioneered modern Philippine architecture. His basic design is
grounded on simplicity, no clutter. The lines are clean and smooth, and where there are curves,
these are made integral to the structure. Pablo Jr. points out, “For our father, every line must
have a meaning, a purpose. For him, function comes first before elegance or
form“. The other thing that characterizes an Antonio structure is the maximum use of natural
light and cross ventilation. Antonio believes that buildings “should be planned with austerity in
mind and its stability forever as the aim of true architecture, that buildings must be progressive,
simple in design but dignified, true to a purpose without resorting to an applied set of aesthetics
and should eternally recreate truth.” Antonio’s major works include the following: Far Eastern
University Administration and Science buildings; Manila Polo Club; Ideal Theater; Lyric Theater;
Galaxy Theater; Capitan Luis Gonzaga Building; BoulevardAlhambra (now Bel-Air) apartments;
Ramon Roces Publications Building (now Guzman Institute of Electronics).
2. Leandro V. Locsin. He reshaped the urban landscape with a distinctive architecture
reflective of Philippine Art and Culture. He believes that the true Philippine Architecture is
“the product of two great streams of culture, the oriental and the occidental… to produce a new
object of profound harmony.” It is this synthesis that underlies all his works, with his
achievements in concrete reflecting his mastery of space and scale. Every Locsin Building is an
original, and identifiable as a Locsin with themes of floating volume, the duality of light and
heavy, buoyant and massive running in his major works. From 1955 to 1994, Locsin has
produced 75 residences and 88 buildings, including 11 churches and chapels, 23 public
buildings, 48 commercial buildings, six major hotels, and an airport terminal building.
Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of Brunei, which
has a floor area of 2.2 million square feet. The CCP Complex itself is a virtual Locsin Complex
with all five buildings designed by him — the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts
Theater, Philippine International Convention Center, Philcite and The Westin Hotel (now Sofitel
Philippine Plaza).
3. Ildefonso Paez Santos, Jr. Santos is recognized as the “Father of Philippine Landscape
Architecture.” He was responsible for landscaping numerous public areas such as
the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, the Manila Hotel Complex, Nayong Pilipino, the
Asian Institute of Management complex, Paco Park, San Miguel Corporation building, Rizal
Park, and Tagaytay Highlands Gold and Country Club, among others.
OTHER NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR ARCHITECTURE
1. Francisco T. Mañosa - Mañosa was one of the most influential architects of the Philippines.
His projects include the Coconut Palace and the EDSA Shrine. He is also recognized as the
pioneer Philippine neo-vernacular architecture.
2. José María V. Zaragoza. Zaragoza is credited with designing some of the most prominent
religious buildings in the country, including the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City, the
Quiapo Church Expansion, and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. He
designed more than 40 churches and religious structures.
3. Juan Nakpil - Nakpil’s projects as an architect are all over national hallmarks such as the
University of the Philippines’ Quezon Hall, the Rizal Shrine, the San Carlos Seminary, and the
Philippine Trust Co. Building (Plaza Lacson). He was also the architect of the now demolished
Rizal Theater and the Capitol Theater.
NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR LITERATURE
1. Carlos Quirino. He is a biographer, has the distinction of having written one of the earliest
biographies of Jose Rizal titled The Great Malayan. Quirino’s books and articles span
the whole gamut of Philippine history and culture–from Bonifacio’s trial to Aguinaldo’s
biography, from Philippine cartography to culinary arts, from cash crops to tycoons and
president’s lives, among so many subjects. In 1997, Pres. Fidel Ramos created historical
literature as a new category in the National Artist Awards and Quirino was its first recipient. He
made a record earlier on when he became the very first Filipino correspondent for the United
Press Institute. His book Maps and Views of Old Manila is considered as the best book on the
subject. His other books include Quezon, Man of Destiny, Magsaysay of the Philippines, Lives
of the Philippine Presidents, Philippine Cartography, The History of Philippine Sugar Industry,
Filipino Heritage: The Making of a Nation, Filipinos at War: The Fight for Freedom from Mactan
to EDSA.
2. Francisco Arcellana. A writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist, and teacher, Arcellana is one
of the most important progenitors of the modern Filipino short story in English. He
pioneered the development of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic form. For him, the pride of
fiction is “that it is able to render truth, that is able to present reality”. Arcellana
kept alive the experimental tradition in fiction and had been most daring in exploring new literary
forms to express the sensibility of the Filipino people. A brilliant craftsman, his works are now an
indispensable part of a tertiary-level-syllabi all over the country. Arcellana’s published books are
Selected Stories (1962), Poetry and Politics:
The State of Original Writing in English in the Philippines Today (1977), The Francisco
Arcellana Sampler(1990).
3. Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez, better known as N.V.M. Gonzalez, fictionist, essayist,
poet, and teacher, articulated the Filipino spirit in rural, urban landscapes. Among the many
recognitions, he won the First Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1940, received the Republic
Cultural Heritage Award in 1960 and the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 1990. The awards attest
to his triumph in appropriating the English language to express, reflect and shape Philippine
culture and Philippine sensibility. He became U.P.’s International-Writer-In-Residence and a
member of the Board of Advisers of the U.P. Creative Writing Center. In 1987, U.P. conferred
on him the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, its highest academic recognition. Major
works of N.V.M Gonzalez include the following: The Winds of April, Seven Hills Away, Children
of the Ash-Covered Loam and Other Stories, The Bamboo Dancers, Look Stranger, on this
Island Now, Mindoro and Beyond: Twenty -One Stories, The Bread of Salt and Other Stories,
Work on the Mountain, The Novel of Justice: Selected Essays 1968- 1994, A Grammar of
Dreams and Other Stories.
4. Nick Joaquin. He is regarded by many as the most distinguished Filipino writer in English
writing so variedly and so well about so many aspects of the Filipino. Nick Joaquin has also
enriched the English language with critics coining “Joaquinesque” to describe his baroque
Spanishflavored English or his reinventions of English based on Filipinisms. Aside from his
handling of language, Bienvenido Lumbera writes that Nick Joaquin’s significance in Philippine
literature involves his exploration of the Philippine colonial past under Spain and his probing into
the psychology of social changes as seen by the young, as exemplified in stories such as Doña
Jeronima, Candido’s Apocalypse and The Order of Melchizedek. Nick Joaquin has written
plays, novels, poems, short stories and essays including reportage and journalism. As a
journalist, Nick Joaquin uses the nom de plume Quijano de Manila but whether he is writing
literature or journalism, fellow National Artist Francisco Arcellana opines that “it is always of the
highest skill and quality”.
Among his voluminous works are The Woman Who Had Two Navels, A Portrait of the Artist as
Filipino, Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young, The Ballad of the Five Battles, Rizal in
Saga, Almanac for Manileños, Cave and Shadows.
5. Carlos P. Romulo. Romulo‘s multifaceted career spanned 50 years of public service as an
educator, soldier, university president, journalist, and diplomat. It is common knowledge that he
was the first Asian president of the United Nations General Assembly, then Philippine
Ambassador to Washington, D.C., and later minister of foreign affairs.
Essentially though, Romulo was very much into writing: he was a reporter at 16, a newspaper
editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32. He was the only Asian to win America’s coveted
Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for a series of articles predicting the outbreak of World War II.
Romulo, in all, wrote and published 18 books, a range of literary works which included The
United (novel), I Walked with Heroes (autobiography), I Saw the Fall of the Philippines, Mother
America, I See the Philippines Rise (war-time memoirs). His other books include his memoirs of
his many years’ affiliations with United Nations (UN), Forty Years: A Third World Soldier at the
UN, and The Philippine Presidents, his oral history of his experiences serving all the Philippine
presidents.
Other National Artists for Literature
1. F. Sionil Jose - Publisher, lecturer on cultural issues, and the founder of the Philippine
chapter of the international organization PEN. Important works include the novel, Two Filipino
Women, and the short story collection, Waywaya: Eleven Filipino Short Stories.
2. Alejandro Roces – He works the expansive province of short stories. His mind is the creative
genius behind titles like “We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers,” which won Best Short Story at the
University of Arizona during his freshman year there. Other interesting works are “My Brother’s
Peculiar Chicken,” “Of Cocks and Kites,” and “Fiesta.”
3. Edith L. Tiempo - Her works are characterized by a remarkable fusion of style and substance,
of craftsmanship and insight. As a poet, she weaved words into intricate descriptions of
profound experiences, yet managed to keep her poems from being scrupulously detailed. Some
of her best poetry collections include “The Tracks of Babylon and Other Poems,” “Marginal
Annotations and Other Poems,” and “The Charmer’s Box and Other Poems.”
4. Virgilio S. Almario - He was best known as the country’s most reputable editor of the Filipino
language. He has authored and edited the UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino, and the Komisyon sa
Wikang Filipino: Manwal sa Masinop na Pagsulat. Apart from being a linguistic expert, he is an
artist, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager. He is
also a recipient of numerous Palanca [Link] V. Hernandez - poet, playwright, and
novelist, is among the Filipino writers who practiced “committed art.”
5. Bienvenido Lumbera - Lumbera is acknowledged as one of the pillars of contemporary
Philippine Literature (1946 to the 1970s), along with Nick Joaquin and few others. He
specialized in poetry and drama. His most important works were produced during the Martial
Law years: Tales of the Manuvu; Rama, Hari, Nasa Puso ang Amerika; Bayani, Noli me
Tangere: The Musical, and Hibik at Himagsik Nina Victoria Laktaw.
6. Cirilo F. Bautista – He was a recipient of several Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for poetry,
fiction and essay in English and Filipino, and the prestigious Philippines Free Press Awards for
Fiction. Some of his most notable works are “Boneyard Breaking,” “The Archipelago,” “Telex
Moon,” and “Summer Suns” 7. Lazaro Francisco - Prize-winning writer, developed the social
realist tradition in Philippine fiction.
8. Jose Garcia Villa - He mastered and introduced the reverse consonance rhyme scheme in
poetry. His works also make extensive use of commas, earning him the title of “Comma Poet.”
As a writer, he used the pen name Doveglion, which was derived from the words dove, eagle,
and lion. In a tribute to Villa, celebrated poet E.E. Cummings wrote a poem titled
“Doveglion, Adventures in Value”.
9. Rolando S. Tinio - playwright, thespian, poet, teacher, critic, and translator marked his career
with prolific artistic productions.
10. Resil Mojares - acknowledged as a leading figure in the promotion of regional literature and
history.
11. Ramon Muzones - Hiligaynon poet, essayist, short story writer, critic, grammarian, editor,
lexicographer, and novelist who authored an unprecedented 61 completed novels.
12. Levi Celerio - Prolific lyricist and composer for decades. He effortlessly translated/wrote
anew the lyrics to traditional melodies.
NATIONAL ARTISTS IN THE PERFORMING ARTS.
A. CINEMA
1. Lamberto V. Avellana. He is a director for theater and film, has the distinction of being called
“The Boy Wonder of Philippine Movies” as early as 1939. He was the first to use the motion
picture camera to establish a point-of-view, a move that revolutionized the techniques of film
narration. Avellana, who at 20 portrayed Joan of Arc in time for Ateneo’s diamond jubilee,
initially set out to establish a Filipino theater. Together with Daisy Hontiveros, star of many UP
plays and his future wife, he formed the Barangay Theater Guild which had, among others,
Leon Ma .Guerrero and Raul Manglapus as members. It was after seeing such plays that Carlos
P. Romulo, then president of Philippine Films, encouraged him to try his hand at directing films.
In his first film Sakay, Avellana demonstrated a kind of visual rhythm that established a new
filmic language.
Sakay was declared the best picture of 1939 by critics and journalists alike and set the tone for
Avellana’s career in film that would be capped by such distinctive achievements as the Grand
Prix at the Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong for Anak Dalita (1956); Best Director of Asia award
in Tokyo for Badjao, among others.
Avellana was also the first filmmaker to have his film Kandelerong Pilak shown at the Cannes
International Film Festival. Among the films he directed for worldwide release were Sergeant
Hasan (1967), Destination Vietnam (1969), and The Evil Within (1970).
2. Lino Brocka. He is a director for film and broadcast arts, espoused the term “freedom of
expression” in the Philippine Constitution. Brocka took his social activist spirit to the screen
leaving behind 66 films which breathed life and hope for the marginalized sectors of society —
slum-dwellers, prostitutes, construction workers, etc. He also directed for theater with equal zeal
and served in organizations that offer alternative visions, like the Philippine Educational Theater
Association (PETA) and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP). At the same time, he
garnered awards and recognition from institutions like the CCP, FAMAS, TOYM, and Cannes
Film Festival. Lino Brocka has left behind his masterpieces, bequeathing to our country a
heritage of cinematic harvest; a bounty of stunning images, memorable conversations that
speak volumes on love, betrayal and redemption, pestilence and plenty all pointing towards the
recovery and rediscovery of
our nation. To name a few, Brocka’s films include the following: “Santiago” (1970), “Wanted:
Perfect Mother” (1970), “Tubog sa Ginto” (1971), “Stardoom” (1971), “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang” (1974), “Maynila: Sa Kuko ng Liwanag” (1975), “Insiang” (1976), “Jaguar” (1979),
“Bona” (1980), “Macho Dancer” (1989), “Orapronobis” (1989), “Makiusap Ka sa Diyos”
(1991).
3. Manual Conde. Conde invested local cinema with a distinct cultural history of its own through
movies that translated onto the silver screen the age-old stories that Filipinos had told and retold
from generation to generation for at least the past one hundred years. Among the narratives that
Conde directed and/or produced for the screen were three of the most famous metrical
romances in Philippine lowland culture: Siete Infantes de Lara, Ibong Adarna, and Prinsipe
Tenoso. He was responsible for giving the Philippines its first internationally acclaimed film in
1955, Genghis Khan. Then, in 1959, Conde directed Juan Tamad Goes to Congress, the very
first satirical film shown in Philippine theaters. Conde himself starred as Juan Tamad in the
movie. Major works: Ibong Adarna (1941), Si Juan Tamad (1947), Siete Infantes de Lara
(1950), Genghis Khan (1950), Ikaw Kasi! (1955) Juan Tamad Goes To Congress (1959)
Other National Artists for Cinema
1. Eddie S. Romero – He is a screenwriter, film director and producer, Eddie Romero is the
quintessential Filipino filmmaker whose life is devoted to the art and commerce of cinema
spanning three generations of filmmakers.
2. Gerardo de Leon - He produced many films that are now considered classics including
“Daigdig ng Mga Api,” “Noli Me Tangere,” “El Filibusterismo,” and “Sisa.” Among a long list of
films are “Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo,” “Dyesebel,” “The Gold Bikini,” “Banaue,” “The Brides
of Blood Island.”.
3. Ishmael Bernal - filmmaker of the first order and one of the very few who can be truly called
a maestro. Critics have hailed him as “the genius of Philippine cinema.”
4. Ronald Alan K. Poe - Cultural icon of tremendous audience impact and cinema artist and
craftsman–as actor, director, writer and producer.
5. Kidlat Tahimik - Tahimik is considered by Filipino filmmakers as the “Father of Philippine
Independent Cinema.” Tahimik pioneered independent filmmaking in the country with films such
as Mababangong Bangungot, Turumba, and Sinong Lumikha ng yoyo? Sinong Lumikha ng
Apoy?
B. DANCE
1. Francisca Reyes Aquino. She is credited for her unparalleled and extensive research on
Philippine folkdance and traditional games. She painstakingly described, illustrated, and
recorded these in her 1926 thesis titled “Philippine Folk Dances and Games.” Because of
Aquino, Philippine folkdance and traditional games are preserved and immortalized in school
curriculums nationwide as part of Physical Education.
2. Leonor Orosa Goquingco. She was one of the most respected choreographers in the
Philippines and abroad. She was the first Filipino who choreographed a ballet, The
Elements (1940). After World War II, she formed the Philippine Ballet (not to be confused with
Ballet Philippines), and choreographed Noli Me Tangere, bringing the novel to life in ballet as
the Noli Dance Suite.
3. Ramon Obusan. He was instrumental in promoting Philippine traditional dance and cultural
work. He founded the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, a folk dance company. He incorporated
into it the vast data artifacts he had accumulated through his decades of doing research on
Philippine folkdance.
4. Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula. Urtula is recognized as the person who brought Filipino folk dance
to the realm of theater. She led the adaptation of Filipino folkdance into the theater stage by
transforming them from the simple repetitive routine to a livelier, colorful, and dynamic dance.
Her creativity in choreography brought her and her Bayanihan Dance Company around the
world, promoting Filipino culture.
5. Alice Reyes. Reyes is a dancer, choreographer, and the founder of Ballet Philippines. She
brought Filipino culture to the ballet scene with works such as “Bungkos Suite,”
“Carmen,” “Carmina Burana,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Rama Hari”.
C. MUSIC
1. Antonino Buenaventura. He was a composer and conductor. He helped preserve ethnic
Filipino folksongs by studying them and creating songs that made use of ethnic instruments and
melodies.
2. Ernani Cuenco. Cuenco’s hand in Philippine music is easily recognizable in compositions
that elegantly fused ballad and kundiman. His compositions include “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal,”
“Bato sa Buhangin,” and “Nahan Kahit na Magtiis.”
3. Francisco Feliciano. He is a Filipino composer and conductor. He composed and arranged
numerous pieces, including “Buksan Mo ang Aming mga Labi” (1982), “Pokpok Alimpako”
(2002), and “Pamugun” (2002).
4. Jovita Fuentes. Fuentes was a soprano singer. She was dubbed as the First Lady of
Philippine Music and was the first Filipino to be awarded a National Artist award in Music. She
debuted as Cio-Cio San in the opera Madame Butterfly in 1925. She also played Mimi in La
Boheme, and Iris in Salome.
5. Jose Maceda. He was an ethnomusicologist. He studied the cultural and social roots of
Filipino music, including indigenous music. Starting in 1952, Maceda researched and helped
preserve ethnic Filipino music. He also investigated various ethnic music from Southeast Asia.
6. Lucio San Pedro. San Pedro was a composer, conductor, and music teacher. He is best
known for his hymns such as “Nuestra Padre Jesus Nazareno (Our Lord Jesus the
Nazarene).”
7. Levi Celerio. Celerio is recognized as the most prolific Filipino composer, with more than
4,000 songs credited to his name. Some of his most familiar creations include “Saan Ka Man
Naroroon” and “Kahit Kaunting Pagtingin.” He also wrote the lyrics for the folk song, “Sa Ugoy
ng Duyan.” Celerio became a pop icon when for his ability to play music with using a leaf from a
Japanese bamboo plant.
8. Felipe Padilla de Leon. He is a composer and conductor who made a name in the world of
orchestra. Some of his most notable orchestral works include “Mariang Makiling Overture”
(1939), “Maynila Overture” (1976), and “Bataan,” tone poem (1947).
9. Lucrecia R. Kasilag. Kasilag was a composer and pianist. She
rose to prominence because of her unique style of incorporating indigenous Filipino instruments
into orchestral works, such as “Dularawan: Salakot na Ginto” (1969), “The Legend of
Sarimanok” (1963), and “Ang Pamana” (1966).
10. Antonio J. Molina. Molina was a composer, conductor, and music academician. During his
lifetime, he composed over 500 songs, and taught harmony, composition, music history, and
cello at the UP Conservatory of Music.
11. Ramon P. Santos. Santos is one of the few Filipino composers who are also
ethnomusicologists. He is recognized as a respected figure in Music Composition and Theory.
In 1987, he was awarded the prestigious Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres in France. It is
given to people who made a significant contribution to the arts.
12. Andrea Veneracion. Veneracion was the founder of the Philippine Madrigal Singers or
Madz, whom she trained and molded to become one of the most respected choral groups in the
world. The Madz have won numerous international awards and choral competitions, helping
cement the reputation of the Philippines as powerhouse in choral competitions.
13. Ryan Cayabyab. Cayabyab is one of the most well-known composers of our time, thanks to
his compositions penetrating pop culture. He formed the iconic singing group Smokey Mountain
in the ‘90s. As a composer, Cayabyab is a go-to musician for movie sound tracks. He composed
numerous tracks for movies, including songs for the musical Ang Larawan (2017). He is also
credited for hit songs like “Tuwing Umuulan,” which was popularized by Regine Velasquez.
D. THEATER
1. Daisy Avellana. Daisy and her husband, Lamberto Avellana, established the Barangay
Theater Guild in 1939. They were joined by 39 other colleagues. She is recognized as the “First
Lady of Philippine Theater.” On her own, she is a talented director, actor, and writer. She
directed the Philippine theater scene in the ‘30s through the ‘70s elevated it to a higher level of
professionalism. She helped establish numerous performing groups, further developing the
Philippine theater culture.
2. Honorata “Atang” dela Rama. De la Rama is best known for her role in vaudeville, more
commonly referred to as bodabil by Filipinos in the ‘30s. During the American occupation, she
campaigned for the dominance of Filipino kundiman and sarsuela in performance stages. She
was also a talented singer. She lent her voice to the sarsuela, Dalagang Bukid, which
helped make her famous.
3. Rolando S. Tinio. Tinio is recognized as one of the titans of Philippine theater. He led
productions of the Ateneo Experimental Theater, in which he explored the concepts of being an
actor and tested the limits of what was considered acceptable in theater culture.
4. Salvador F. Bernal. Bernal was a prolific theater producer, with over 300 works credited to
his name. In 1995, he organized the Philippine Association of Theatre Designers and
Technicians, which he used as a platform to introduce and promote Philippine theater to the
world.
5. Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. Guerrero was a playwright, director, and theater actor. His opus
includes 100 plays, of which only 41 have been published. As a director, he was instrumental in
the development of notable figures in Philippine performing arts scene: He was a teacher to
Joonee Gamboa, Behn Cervantes, and Celia Diaz-Laurel. Some of his works include 13
Plays (first published in 1947), 8 Other Plays (1952), 7 More Plays (1962), and 12 New Plays
(1975).
6. Severino Montano. Montano was playwright, director, actor, and theaterorganizer.
Throughout his lifetime, he produced numerous masterpieces that include 50 plays, 150 poems,
and one novel. His four most significant plays that became tour staples around the world are
The Love of LeonorRivera, Parting at Calamba, The Ladies and the Senador, and Sabina