NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR ARCHITECT ARCHITECTURE URE Philippine Architecture
Philippine architecture is unique in that it reflects its cultural heritage and the demand to adapt to its environment. Surveying the architectural styles in the country reveals varieties that range from traditional Filipino dwelling, the bahay kubo, which is a small oneroom hut built using light woven materials to modern and stylish architectural designs that you usually see in urbanized areas.
of light and heavy, buoyant and massive m assive 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. 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.
Philippine architecture reflects the country’s cultural heritage and
need to adapt to the environment. The architecture of the Philippines reflects its history and tradition. Churches and mosques across the country, as well as buildings in the metropolitan and rural areas have risen in response to the growing demands of the Filipinos. Moreover, the country is home to the best-preserved planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. During the 300 years of Spanish colonization, architecture architecture in the country was subjected to Spanish influences. influences. The friars built several grand churches all over the country that continue to stand today. The following are five of the best Filipino architects that have paved the way for creative design and have become leaders in this form of artistry. 1.
Juan F. Nakpil (1899-1986) National Artist for Architecture, Architecture, 1973
Juan F. Nakpil, architect, teacher and civic leader, is a pioneer and innovator innovator in i n Philippine architecture. In essence, Nakpil’s greatest
contribution is his belief that there is such a thing as Philippine Architecture, espousing architecture reflective of Philippine traditions and culture. It is also largely due to his zealous representation and efforts that private Filipino architects and engineers, by law, are now able to participate in the design and execution of government projects. He has integrated strength, function, and beauty in t he buildings that are the country’s heritage today. He designed the 1937 International Eucharistic Congress altar and rebuilt and enlarged the Quiapo Church in 1930 adding a dome and a second belfry to the original design.
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 the Cultural Center C enter of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International Convention Center, Philcite and The Westin Hotel (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza). 4.
Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr. National Artist for Architecture, Architecture, 2006 (September 5, 1929 – 1929 – January January 29, 2014) The Green Architect
Ildefonso Paez Santos, Jr., Jr. , distinguished himself by pioneering the practice of landscape architecture – an an allied field of architecture – in the Philippines and then producing four decades of exemplary and engaging work that has included hundreds of parks, plazas, gardens, and a wide range of outdoor settings that have enhanced contemporary Filipino life. Santos, Jr., who grew up in Malabon, made his first mark with the Makati Commercial Center where he introduced a new concept of outdoor shopping with landscaped walks, fountains and sculptures as accents. Santos, Jr.’s contribution to modern Filipino landscape
architecture was the seminal public landscape in Paco Park. Santos, Jr.’s most recent projects were the Tagaytay Highland
Resort, the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa, Batangas, and the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Imus, Cavite. 5.
Jose Maria Zaragoza National Artist for Architecture (2014)(1912-1994) The architect of Landmarks
José María V. Zaragoza’s place in Philippine architecture history is Among others, Nakpil’s major wor ks are the Geronimo de los Reyes
defined by a significant body of modern edifices that address
Building,Magsaysay Building,Magsaysay Building, Rizal Theater, Capitol Theater, Captain Pepe Building, Manila Jockey Club, Rufino Building, Philippine Village Hotel, University of the Philippines Administration and University Library, and the reconstructed Rizal house in Calamba, Laguna.
spiritual and secular requirements. Zaragoza’s name is synonymous
2.
Pablo S. Antonio (1901-1975) National Artist in 1976
to modern ecclesiastical architecture. Â Notwithstanding his affinity to liturgical structures, he greatly excelled in secular works: 36 office buildings, 4 hotels, 2, hospitals, 5 low-cost and middle-income housing projects; and more than 270 residences – all all demonstrating his typological versatility and his mastery of modernist architectural vocabulary.
Zaragoza graduated from the University of Sa nto Tomas in Manila in 1936, passing the licensure examinations in 1938 to become the 82nd architect of the Philippines. With growing interest in specializing in religious architecture, architecture, Zaragoza also studied at International Institute of Liturgical Art (IIL A) in Rome in the late 1950s, points out, “ For our father, every line must have a meaning, a where he obtained a diploma in liturgical art and architecture. His purpose. For him, function comes first before elegance or form “. The training in Rome resulted in innovative approaches, setting new other thing that characterizes an Antonio structure is the maximum standards for the design of mid-century Catholic churches in the use of natural light and cross ventilation. Philippines. His prolificacy in designing religious edifices was reflected in his body of work that was predominated by about 45 Antonio believes that buildings “should be planned with austerity in churches and religious centers, including the Santo Domingo mind and its stability forever as the aim of true architecture, that Church, Our Lady of Rosary in Tala, Don Bosco Church, the Convent buildings must be progressive, simple in design but dignified, true to of the Pink Sisters, the San Beda Convent, Villa San Miguel, Pius XII a purpose without resorting to an applied set of aesthetics and Center, the Union Church, and the controversial restoration of the should eternally recreate truth”. Quiapo Church, among others. National Artist for Architecture Pablo Sebero Antonio 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.
Antonio’s major works include the following: Far Eastern University
Administration and Science buildings; Manila Polo Club; I deal Theater;Lyric Theater; Galaxy Theater; Capitan Luis Gonzaga Building; Boulevard-Alhambra Boulevard-Alhambra (now Bel-Air) apartments; Ramon Roces Publications Building (now Guzman Institute of Electronics). 3.
Leandro V. Locsin (1928-1994) National Artist for Architecture, Architecture, 1990
Leandro V. Locsin 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
Zaragoza is a pillar of modern architecture in Philippines buttressed by a half-century career that produced ecclesiastical edifices edifices and structures of modernity in the service of God and humanity. Major Works: Meralco Building (Pasig City), Sto. Domingo Church and Convent (Quezon City), Metropolitan Cathedral of Cebu City, Villa San Miguel, Mandaluyoung. 6.
RAMON VALERA National Artist for fashion design, 2006 The Philippines’ First National Artist for Fashion Design
Valera, born on August 31, 1912 in Abra, is the Philippines’ first National Artist for Fashion Design. He finished his primary and secondary education in La Salle, but dropped out of his first year in college at FEU due to financial problems.
Valera never had any formal training in fashion d esign, but his works have been the standard of fashion students for intricate sewing, embroidery, and handiwork. In an interview with Ramon Valera’s nieces Paching and Aton
Valera, they mention that their Ramoning did not prefer being called a designer, but an artist. He would put high value on manners and propriety, and would not think twice to call out their attention when they did something inappropriate. Valera is known to the public as the “High priest of local fashion”
and wearing garments of his creation would be considered as an honor. He was the only male counter his contemporaries had, and he would do the designing, cutting, pasting, and sewing all by himself. Ramon was a fastidious worker, discarding finished garments that weren’t of his liki ng when they were done, and was one who worked directly from his imagination and never worked with patterns. Ramon introduced to the Philippine society the one-piece terno fastened at the back with a zipper, and transformed the traditional Maria Clara outfit into a wedding gown with bell sleeves, which at first was considered a disgrace to the Filipina standard. Though he received contrasting reactions to his creations,Ramon continued to defy tradition and staples through his creativity and unique concepts. To be clothed by Valera was an honor, and being dressed by him is not by appointment, but by invitation. He chose his clientele which included Manila’s then socialites like Susan Magalona, Gloria Romero, Baby Araneta-Flores, Chito Madrigal, and the Philip pines’
first ladies from Aurora Quezon to I melda Marcos. Ramon proved that having a college degree or formal training in a field is not necessary for one to be successful in life. He used his creativity, imagination, and will to defy tradition to his advantage and came out as the one of the Philippines’ most treasured artists.
Ramon died at the age of 60 in 1972, and was proclaimed National Artist for Fashion Design by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2006.
1.
Gerardo “Gerry” De Leon 1913-1981 Leon 1913-1981 National Artist for Film 1982
Gerardo De Leon holds the t he sole distinction as the most awarded film director in the country for the prestigious Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards, the country’s equivalent
to Oscars. De Leon finished medicine but did not practice it to answer a calling in cinema. He made eight more films as an actor before he became a director. He made his directorial debut with Bahay-Kubo (1939), starring Fely Vallejo, who later became his wife. From 1952 to 1971, he was awarded seven FAMAS Awards, three of them received consecutively. consecutively. All of the films for which he won Best Director also won Best Picture at the FAMAS. Ama’t Anak was his directorial debut, but De Leon’s baptism in Maestra starring Rosa Philippine cinema royalty was in the film Ang Maestra
del Rosario and Rogelio de la Rosa. He popularized the following following films: Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo, Noli Me Tangere, Sisa, Dyesebel, The Gold Bikini, Banaue, and the Brides of Blood Island. 2.
Lino Brocka (1939-1991) National Artist in Cinema in 1997 “The greatest form of art is discipline.”
Catalino "Lino" Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant Filipino filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. In 1983, he founded the organization Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), dedicated to helping artists address issues confronting the country. He directed his first film, Wanted: Perfect Mother , based on The Sound of Music and a local comic serial, in 1970. It won an award for best screenplay at the 1970 Manila Film Festival. Later that year he also won the Citizen’s Council for Mass Media's best -director award for the film Santiago! .
NATIONAL ARTIST FOR FILM
Liwanag. In 1975, he directed t he movie Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag. The said film is considered as one of the classics of Filipino cinema. His other films include Wanted: Perfect Mother (1970), Tinimbang Ka ngunit Kulang (1974), Insiang (1976), was the first Philippine film ever shown at the Cannes Film Festival and considered to be one of Brocka's best films, Jaguar (1979), Bona (1980), Macho Dancer
History of Philippine cinema
(1988), Ora Pro Nobis (Fight for Us, 1989), and Gumapang ka sa Lusak (1990).
Ramon would have been 100 years old if he had lived until present.
On January 1, 1897, the Philippines experienced its first movies with the four films: --Homme au chapeau (Man with a Hat) --Une scene de danse Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance) --Les Boxers (The Boxers) --La place de l’opera (The Place of L’Opera)
The showing of these films was done in Salon de Pertierra on Escolta Street. These films were shown using a Gaumont Chronophotograph projector (60mm). (60mm). This momentous event was was envisioned by a Spaniard named Pertierra. . Gaumont Chrono-photograph --->
The first movie shot in the country happened in 1898 by Antonio Ramos using a Lumiere Cinematograph imported from P aris. Ramos shot the following films: -- Panorama de Manila (Manila Landscape)
-- Fiesta de Quiapo (Quiapo Fiesta) -- Puente de Espaňa (Bridge of Spain) -- Esceňas Callejeras (Street Scenes) Over the years, since the arrival of cinema in the country, Filipino artists have thrived and triumphed in the fast-paced world of cinema.
After his death in a car accident, in 1997, he was posthumously given the National Artist of the Philippines for Film award for "having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts." 3.
Ishmael Bernal (1938-1996) National Artist for Film in 2001
Ishmael Bernal (30 September 1938 – 2 2 June 1996) was a Filipino film, stage and television director, actor and screenwriter. He is considered to be one of the pillars of Philippine cinema. Noted for his melodramas, particularly with feminist and moral issues, he directed many landmark Filipino films such as Nunal sa Tubig(1975), City After Dark (1980), Relasyon (1982), Himala (1982), and Hinugot sa Langit (1985). He was declared a National Artist of the Philippines in 2001. He finished his Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1959. After graduation he worked with Lamberto Avellana's documentary outfit before proceeding to France where he earned his Licentiate in French Literature and Philosophy at the U niversity of Aix-enProvence. He received his Diploma in Film Directing in 1970 at the Film Institute of India in Poona under the Colombo plan scholarship. An active participant in the struggle for artist's rights and welfare, Bernal was also a board member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines and the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc. In 1982, he directed t he critically acclaimed Himala starring Nora Aunor, the country’s most popular celebrity at that time. Many
critics consider Himala as one of the greatest Filipino films of all time because of its provocative and courageous depictions that has served “as social commentaries and bold ref lections on the existing realities of the struggle of the Filipino”.
Lumiere Cinetographaph --->
Some of his famous works include the films, Dalawang Pugad, Isang Ibon (1977), Lagi na Lamang Ba Akong Babae?(1978), Isang Gabi sa Iyo, Isang Gabi sa Akin Akin (1978), Ikaw Ay Akin(1979) Akin(1979) and Menor de Edad(1979).
4. Eddie S. Romero (1924-2013) (1924-2013) National Artist for Film & Broadcast Arts in 2003
Edgar Sinco Romero (July 7, 1924 1 924 – May May 28, 2013) was an influential Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter, considered one of the finest in the cinema of the Philippines. Eddie Romero’s works as cited, “are delivered in an utterly simple
style – minimalist, minimalist, but never empty, always calculated, precise and functional, but never predictable”. His presence in Philippine cinema is one that is “devoted to the art and commerce of cinema”. Perhaps his most recognized work, Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon? Is Romero’s love letter to his country,
as it tried to t o portray the common Filipino in the backdrop of history and imagination. Another classic by Romero is Kamakalawa , a film that probed into indigenous precolonial Philippines. Philippines. He is also responsible for bringing an on-screen adaptation of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere in 13-part series, where he brought brought José Rizal's novel to a new new generation of viewers. The list of his films also includes Aguila, Hari Hari sa Hari, Lahi Lahi sa Lahi, Isumpa Mo Giliw, and Faces of Love . Eddie Romero was from Dumaguete and an alumnus of Silliman University. He died on May 28, 2013. 5.
Fernando Poe, Jr. (1939-2004) National Artist for Film in 2006
Genghis Khan was the first Filipino film to be a cclaimed at an international film festival in Venice in 1952. His Juan Tamad Goes To Congress is considered the best Filipino satire ever filmed. Manuel Conde died in 1985. He was honored posthumously in 2006 the Presidential Medal of Merit (for Films) by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for his contribution to culture and the arts. He was one of the recipients of that award together with visual artists Federico Alcuas, Oscar Zalameda and Mauro Malang Santos. In 2007, he was awarded posthumously the Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award by the Film Academy of the Philippines. Conde’s eldest son, Jun Urbano (a.k.a. Manuel Conde, Jr.),
became himself a film director, actor, producer and writer. He is better known as Mr. Shooli in a television comedy series Mongolian Barbecue. NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR VISUAL ARTS IN VISUAL ARTS
The visual arts are those creations that we can see rather t han something like the auditory arts, which we hear. These art forms are very common and extremely diverse, from the artwork that hangs on your wall to the movie you watched last night. The visual arts include mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, film, and printmaking. Many of these pieces of art are created to stimulate us through a visual experience.
Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (August 20, 1939 – December December 14, 2004), better known as Fernando Poe Jr. (also known sa “Da King” or FPJ) has been given the title the king of Philippine movies. He is one of the most admired Filipino film actors of all time. His long career as an action film star earned him the nickname "King of Philippine Movies" (often shortened to Da King). He is famous for his role as Flavio in the mythical Ang Panday series.
In the Philippines, visual arts can be characterized as a mixture of western and native cultural influences. When the Spaniards invaded the country, the friars were the ones who introduced the western styles of painting and carving, in which the theme was mainly religious. All over the country, churches have become informal museums where paintings and statues abound.
Poe was the son of Filipino actor Fernando Poe Sr. (born Allan Fernando Poe y Reyes), a native from San Carlos, Pangasinan and Elizabeth "Bessie" Kelley, an Irish American mestiza. He was born in Manila on August 20, 1939.
Today, along with inspirations from other countries, Spanish influence is still apparent in the works of Filipinos. Some contemporary visual artists have been educated and trained abroad, introducing in the country different movements in the world of art.
In 1953, Poe finished his primary education at San Beda College, Lepanto. For high school, he went to San Sebastian College. He continued his education at Mapua Institute of Technology and University of the East and took the course theater arts. When his father died from rabies at age 35, Poe became the family's breadwinner. breadwinner. In order to support his family, he dropped out of school. He also starred in other famous films such as Apollo Robles (1961), Batang Maynila (1962), Mga Alabok sa Lupa (1967), Ako ang Katarungan (1974), Tatak ng Alipin (1975), Totoy Bato (1977), Asedillo (1971), and Partida (1985). FPJ is not only an exceptional actor; he is also a film producer and a politician as well. In 2004, he ran as unsuccessful bid for the presidential election. Subsequently, his political rival, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, declared him a National Artist for Film in 2006. 6.
Manuel Conde National Artist for Film & Broadcast Arts in 2009
Manuel Conde (born Manuel Urbano; October 9, 1915 i n Daet, Camarines Norte – August August 11, 1985) was a Filipino actor, director and producer. As an actor, he also used the screen name Juan Urbano during the 1930s aside from his more popular screen name. His first film was "Mahiwagang Biyolin" in 1935. He made almost three dozen films under LVN Pictures as a contract star. He later put up his own movie company, Manuel Conde Pictures, in 1947 which produced classic films, notably the Juan Tamad series (Si Juan Tamad (1947), Si Juan Daldal (Anak ni Juan Tamad) (1948), Juan Tamad Goes to Congress (1959), Juan Tamad Goes to Society (1960), Si Juan Tamad At Juan Masipag sa Pulitikang Walang Hanggan (1963)). Other movies Conde produced, directed and/or starred were Vende Cristo (1948), Prinsipe Paris (1949), Krus Na Kawayan (1956), Siete Infantes de Lara (1950) and its re-make in 1973, Molave (1961) and the internationally acclaimed Genghis Khan (1950).
NATIONAL ARTIST FOR VISUAL ARTS (PAINTING) 1.
Fernando C. Amorsolo (1892-1972)
The country had its first National Artist in Fernando C. Amorsolo in 1972. 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. Returning from his studies abroad in the 1920s, Amorsolo developed the backlighting technique that became his trademark where figures, a cluster of leaves, spill of hair, the swell of breast, are seen aglow on canvas. This light, Nick Joaquin opines, is the rapture of a sensualist utterly in love l ove with the earth, with the Philippine Philippine sun, and is an accurate expression of Amorsolo’s own exuberance. His
citation underscores all his years of creative activity which have “defined and perpetuated a distinct element of the nation’s artistic and cultural heritage”.
Among others, his major works include the following: Maiden in a Stream(1921)-GSIS collection; El Ciego (1928)-Central Bank of the Philippines collection; Dalagang Bukid (1936) – Club Club Filipino collection; The Mestiza (1943) – National National Museum of t he Philippines collection; Planting Rice (1946)-UCPB collection; Sunday M orning Going to Town (1958)-Ayala Museum Collection. 2.
Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969) Francisco (1912-1969) National Artist for Painting (1973)
Carlos “Botong” Francisco , the poet of Angono, single-handedly
revived the forgotten art of mural and remained its most distinguished practitioner for nearly three decades. I n 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”. Botong’s unerring eye for composition, the lush tropical sense of
color and an abiding faith in the folk values typified by the townspeople of Angono became the hallmark of his art. His other major works include the following: Portrait of Purita, The Invasion of Limahong, Serenade, Muslim Betrothal, Blood
Compact, First Mass at Limasawa, The Martyrdom of Rizal,Bayanihan, Magpupukot, Fiesta, Bayanihan sa Bukid, Sandugo.
3. Victorio C. Edades National Artist for Painting (1976)
the course of modern art in the Philippines. 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, Painting distorted human figures in rough, bold impasto strokes, and the country’s first. standing tall and singular in his advocacy and practice of what he believes is creative art, Victorio C. Edades emerged as the “Father Ocampo’s acknowledged masterpiece Genesis served as the basis of Modern Philippine Painting”. Unlike, Amorsolo’s bright, sunny, of the curtain design of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main cheerful hues, Edades’ colors were dark and somber with subject Theater. His other major works include Ina ng Balon, Calvary, Slum matter or themes depicting laborers, factory workers or the simple Dwellers, Nude with Candle and Flower, Kasaysayan ng Lahi, Man folk in all their dirt, sweat and grime. In the 1930s, Edades taught at and Carabao, Revelation 8, Ancestors, and Fiesta. the University of Santos Tomas and became dean of its Department of Architecture where he stayed for three full decades. It was 7. Arturo “Art” R. Luz (1926-) Luz (1926-) during this time that he introduced a liberal arts program that offers National Artist for Visual Arts in 1997 subjects as art history and foreign languages that will lead to a Arturo Rogerio Luz, painter, sculptor, and designer for more than 40 Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. This development brought about a first in Philippine education since art schools then were vocational years, created masterpieces that exemplify an ideal of sublime schools. austerity in expression and form. From the Carnival series of the late 1950s to the recent C yclist paintings, Luz produced works that It was also the time that Edades invited Carlos “Botong” Francisco elevated Filipino aesthetic vision to new heights of sophisticated and Galo B. Ocampo to become professor artists for the university. simplicity. By establishing the Luz Gallery that professionalized the The three, who would later be known as the formidable art gallery as an i nstitution and set a prestigious influence over “Triumvirate”, led the growth of mural painting in the country. Finally generations of Filipino artists, Luz inspired and developed a Filipino retiring from teaching at age 70, the university conferred on Edades artistic community that nurtures impeccable designs. the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, for being an Among his other significant paintings are Bagong Taon, Vendador outstanding “visionary, teacher and artist.” de Flores, Skipping Rope, Candle Vendors, Procession, SelfSome of the remarkable work of art by Victorio Edades are The Portrait, Night Glows,Grand Finale, Cities of the Past, Imaginary Sketch, Poinsettia Girl, The Wrestlers, Portrait of the Professor, and Landscapes. His mural painting Black and White is displayed in the
Japanise Girl. Girl.
lobby of the CCP’s Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco (Little Theater).
4.
His sculpture of a stainless steel cube is located in front of the Benguet Mining Corporation Building in Pasig.
Vicente S. Manansala (1910-1981) National Artist for Painting (1981)
Vicente Manansala ‘s paintings are described as visions of reality teetering on the edge of abstraction. As a young boy, his talent was revealed through the copies he made of the Sagrada Familia and his mother’s portrait that he copied from a photograph. After
finishing the fine arts course from the University of the Philippines, he he ran away from home and later l ater found himself at the Philippines Herald as an illustrator. It was there that Manansala developed close association with Hernando R. Ocampo, Cesar Legaspi, and Carlos Botong Francisco, the latter being the first he admired most. For Manansala, Botong was a master of the human figure. Among the masters, Manansala professes a preference for Cezanne and Picasso whom he says have achieved a balance of skill and artistry. He trained at Paris and at Otis School of Drawing in Los Angeles. Manansala believes that the beauty of art is in the process, in the moment of doing a particular painting, closely associating associating it with the act of making love. “The climax is just when it’s really finished.” Manansala’s art exemplified a solution to the problems of t he 1950s
in terms of the use of modem Western idioms and their local transformations, and in terms of the subject matter and content of art reflective of a people’s identity. Manansala’s famous masterpiece includes Madonna of the Slums,
Jeepney and Birdman. 5.
Cesar Legaspi (1917-1994) National Artist for Visual Arts (1990)
A pioneer “Neo-Realist” movement of the country, Cesar Legaspi is
remembered for his singular achievement of refining cubism in the Philippine context. Legaspi belonged to the so- called “Thirteen Moderns” and later, the “Neo -realists”. His distinctive style and daring themes contributed significantly significantly to the t he advent and eventual acceptance of modern art in the Philippines. Legaspi made use of the geometric fragmentation technique, weaving social comment and juxtaposing the mythical and modern into his overlapping, interacting forms with disturbing power and intensity. Among his notable paintings are Tree Planting, Man and Woman, Reclining Nude, and Gadgets. 6.
Hernando R. Ocampo (1911-1978) National Artist for Visual Arts (1991)
Hernando R. Ocampo, a self-taught painter, was a leading member of the pre-war Thirteen Moderns, the group t hat charted
8.
J. Elizalde Navarro National Artist for Painting (1999)
Jerry Elizalde Navarro, was born on May 22, 1924 in Antique. He is a versatile artist, being both a proficient painter and sculptor. His devotion to the visual arts spans 40 years of drawing, printmaking, graphic designing, painting and sculpting. His masks carved in hardwood merge the human and the animal; a nimal; his paintings consists of abstracts and figures in oil and watercolor; and his assemblages fuse found objects and metal parts. He has done a series of figurative works drawing inspiration from Balinese art and culture, his power as a master of colors largely evident in his large four-panel The Seasons (1992: Prudential Bank collection). A Navarro sampler includes his ’50s and ’60s fiction illustrations for
This Week of the Manila Chronicle, and the rotund, I ndia-ink figurative drawings for Lydia Arguilla’s storybook, Juan Tamad. Three of his major mixed media works are I’m Sorry Jesus, I Can’t Attend Christmas Christmas This This Year (1965), and and his Homage Homage to Dodjie Dodjie Laurel (1969: Ateneo Art Gallery collection), collection), and A Flying Contraption for Mr. Icarus (1984: Lopez Museum), Singkil, Is He the Man?, and The Seasons. Seasons. 9.
Ang Kiukok (1931-2005) National Artist for Painting 2001
Ang Kiukok, an ethnic Chinese painter who studied under Vincente Manansala, attained prominence for an Expressionist style that fused Cubist, Surrealist and Expressionist aspects into a unique personal aesthetic. Kiukok has been called “one of the most dynamic figures in contemporary Philippine arts.” It has also been
said that he “opened eyes with his violent Cubist paintings of fighting cocks, stray dogs and tormented lovers,” and that
his Expresionist works “sustained a hard -edged evocation of fortitude and indignation in a hostile setting of screaming men, crucifixions crucifixions and junk.”
Painter Ang Kiukok was born to immigrant i mmigrant Chinese parents, Vicente Ang and Chin Lim. He was an only son with five sisters, born to Chinese immigrants from Fukien; Vicente Ang and Chin Lim. His father wanted to name him Hua Shing, meaning “Chinese -born”, but decided to look for another name when he learned that his cousin’s son had been given the same name. Worried about China’s fate against the invading Manchurians at that time, his father named him Kiukok, which means “save the country.” As a young man, Kiukok did comical sketches and also studied Chinese ink and brush painting methods. His first traditional brush paintings were influenced by those of the Chinese master Qi Baishi.
Kiukok also copied movie ads from newspapers while tending his
2.
Napoleon Abueva (1930-)
father’s sari-sari store, a business that he was expected to someday
Born in Tagbilaran, Bohol, Napoleon Abueva is considered the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. Abueva is also the youngest awardee to receive the National Artist award in 1976. Abueva utilized almost all kinds of materials from hard wood (molave, acacia, langka wood, ipil, kamagong, palm wood and bamboo) to adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral and brass.
run. Against his father’s wishes, Kiukok began his formal art studies at Manila’s University of Santa Tomas from 1952 to 1954. At Santa
Tomas, Vicente Manansala was his primary m entor, and also became a lifelong friend. Some of his works include: Geometric Landscape (1969); Pieta, which won for him the bronze medal in the 1st International Art Exhibition held in Saigon (1962); and the Seated Figure (1979), auctioned at Sotheby’s in Singapore.
His works can be found in many major art collections, among them the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Historical Museum of Taipei, and the National Museum in Singapore. Ang Kiukok died on May 9, 2005 “The Fishermen” by Ang Kiukok is now the most expensive painting
ever sold at an auction in the Philippines.
3.
Leon Gallery announced the results of its Spectacular Mid-Year Auction saying that “The Fishermen” fetched P65,408,000. 10. Jose T. Joya (1931-1995) National Artist in 2003
A former dean of the College of Fine Arts of UP, Jose T. Joya initiated abstract expressionism in the country. Abstract expressionism is the use of the abstract style to convey strong emotional or expressive content. His masterpieces showed “dynamic spontaneity” and “quick gestures” of action painting.
Majority of his works were strongly influenced by the tropical landscapes of the country’s beautiful islands. Some of his inspiring masterpieces are Nanking, Hills of Nikko, Mariveles, Beethoven Listening to the Blues, Cityscape, Granadean Arabesque, and Biennial. 11. Benedicto “Bencab” R. Cabrera (1942Cabrera (1942- ) National Artist in 2006
Also known as “BenCab”, this national artist is a brilliant painter who has “upheld the primacu of drawing over the decorative color”. BenCab’s first experience of the arts transpired through his elder
sibling Salvador, who was already a recognized artist. As a lyrical expressionist, BenCab represented Philippine society through Sabel, a symbolic scavenger which he describes as “a melancholic symbol of dislocation, despair, and isolation i solation – the the personification of human dignity threatened by life’s vicissitudes, and the vast inequities of Philippine society.” Cabrera’s greatest contributions contributions to the Philippine arts are Madonna with Objects (1991), Studies of Sabel (1991), People Waiting (1989), The Indifference (1988), and Waiting for the Monsoon Monsoon (1986). 12. Francisco Coching (1919-1998) National Artist 2001
Francisco Coching is a comic book creator with 53 comic book novels to his name. Unable to finish his studies, he took on an apprenticeship at Liwayway magazine under Tony Velasquez. His works include the following: Hagibis, El Indio, Don Cobarde, Pagano, Dumagit, Lapu-Lapu, Bulalakaw, Waldas, Talipandas, Palasig, Movie Fan, Gat Sibasib, and Satur. On Coching, art critic Alfredo Roces noted that “for two decades, Francisco Coching’s fanciful stories captured the popul ar imagination. Borrowing from the long tradition of romances and corridos along with the moro-moro and zarzuela of the colonial era, Coching reimagined Philippine history in his enduring works’. NATIONAL ARTIST FOR VISUAL ARTS (SCULPTURE) 1.
Guillermo E. Tolentino (1890-1976)
Guillermo Estrella Tolentino was named as National Artist for Visual Arts in 1973 for his countless contributions in Philippine Philippine sculpture that are iconic and truly a pride of the Filipino people. He was a master in classical sculpture , having been “a product
Among the major works of Abueva are as follows: Kaganapan (1953), Kiss of Judas (1955); The Transfiguration at the Eternal Garden Memorial Park (1979); Fredesvinda in Fort Canning, Singapore (1981); Nine Muses at the UP Faculty Center (1994); Sunburst at the Peninsula Manila Hotel (1994); the bronze figure of Teodoro M. Kalaw in front of National Library; Murals in Marble at the National Heroes Shrine, Mt. Samat, Bataan; 14 Stations of the Cross at the EDSA Shrine; Sandugo or Blood Compact shrine in Tagbilaran, Bohol. Bohol. He also performed the death mask procedures procedures to the late Cardinal Sin and Fernando Poe Jr. Abdulmari Asia Imao (1936-2014) National Artist 2006
A native of Sulu, t his national artist was a remarkable scupture, painter, ceramist, photographer, writer, and cultural researcher. National Artists Guillermo Tolentino and Napoleon Abueva had mentored him to become the artist that he was. Imao incorporated sarimanok, the in this works native motifs and designs such as t he sarimanok, naga, and the Ukkil which has helped develop among ethnic group trust and confidence essential for the development of a civilized society. The Industry Brass Mural and Mural Relief on Filmmaking in Manila City Hall are some of his notable works. 4.
Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932-2011) National Artist for Visual Arts – Arts – Painting Painting & Sculpture
Federico Aguilar Alcuaz was a Filipino painter who exhibited extensively internationally and whose work earned him recognition both in the Philippines and abroad. Alcuaz was conferred the title of National Artist for Visual Arts – Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media in 2009. H owever, four nominees for the award other than Alcuaz became embroiled in the 2009 National Artist of the Philippines Contrversy, which led the Supreme Court of the Philippines to temporarily issue a status quo order on August 25, 2009, blocking the conferment of the awards on all seven nominees – despite despite the fact that no objections were ever raised regarding the conferment of the award to Alcuaz and two other nominees. In 1949-1950 he took up u p painting subjects at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in the mornings and Associate in Arts degree at San Beda College in the evenings. His professors at UP were National Artists Fernando Amorsolo (painting), and Guillermo Tolentino (sculpture). Alcuaz studied law at the Ateneo de Manila and finished his degree in 1955. Then he decided to pursue art on a full time basis on a stellar career and winning awards in major art competitions in the Philippines and abroad among them first prize at the 1953 UP Art competition, first prize in the 1954 Annual Shell Art Competition and second place at the UP Art Competition, also in 1954. In 1955 he went to Madrid with a scholarship grant from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. In 1956 he chose Barcelona as his career base. In Spain, he won first prize at the Premio Moncada in 1957, the 1958 Prix Francisco Goya in Barcelona, first prize at the Pintura Sant Pol del Mar in 1961 and second prize at the Premio Vancell at the Fourth Biennial of Tarrasa in Barcelona in 1964. Recognition for his art extended beyond Spanish borders. In Paris, he was awarded the Diploma of Honor at the International Exhibition of Art Libre in 1961, the decoration of Arts, Letters and Sciences award from the French government 1964 and the Order of French Genius in 1964. In 2007, he was acknowledged by the Philippines government with the Presidential Medal of Merit Award for his outstanding accomplishments in visual a rts.
of the Revival Period in Philippine Art”. Tolentino was trained and
Alcuaz’s works are included in the collection of some 20 museums
educated in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Many of his brilliant sculptures include Oblation, Bonifacio Monument (in Caloocan), the figures of Jose Rizal (in UP), President Quezon (in Quezon Memorial) and President P resident Magsaysay (in GSIS Building). Tolentino also designed the medals for the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the seal of the Republic of the Philippines.
and major cultural institutions in the world today including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, the Gulvenkian Foundation Museum of London, the Museum of Modern Art of Warsaw, the Museum of Modern Art of Krakow, and the Philips Cultural Museum of the Netherlands. In his 55 year career Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Alcuaz has exhibited in leading galleries in Spain, Philippines, Portugal, Poland, United States and Germany.
This titan of Philippine visual art was recognized for having influenced an entire generation of artists with a body of works that is critically lauded both here and abroad. Aguilar Alcuaz had the soul of an artist, att aining the pinnacle of mainstream artistic achievement. NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR LITERATURE
Philippine literature is a rich group of literary works that has developed along with the country’s history. Long before the arrival
of Western influences, early Filipinos already have stories to tell to younger generations. The Philippines has a rich collection of fables, legends, and myths from different regions. The babaylan, the early healers, used chants to please the supernatural beings or spirits to bestow good health and fortune in the home and the fields. When the Spaniards came in the 16 th century, they introduced Christianity to the islands and used literature t o colonize the country. During the time of the Americans, Americans, English was introduced and Filipinos have grown adept in the usage of the language. Today, contemporary writers are expanding the horizon of reality and imagination in their works to reflect the Filipino spirit. Philippine literature is diverse, although some of the famous literary works focus on the country’s postcolonial heritage, politics, and
modern traditions. Filipinos must recognize and give importance to the people behind the development of Philippine literature. 1.
Amado V. Hernandez (1903-1970) National Artist for Literature (1973)
Amado V. Hernandez, poet, playwright, and novelist, is among the Filipino writers who practiced “committed art”. He is well known for his disapproval of social injustices in the country. In his view, the function of the writer is to act as the conscience of society and to affirm the greatness of the human spirit in the face of inequity and oppression . He was later imprisoned for for his participation in the
communist movement. His novel Mga Ibong Mandaragit, first written by Hernandez while in prison, is the first Filipino socio-political novel that exposes the ills of the society as evident in the agrarian problems of the 50s. Other notable works include the following: Bayang Malaya, Isang Dipang Langit, Luha ng Buwaya, Tudla at Tudling: Katipunan ng mga Nalathalang Tula 1921-1970, Langaw sa Isang Basong Gatas at Iba Pang Kwento, and Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol at Iba Pang Akda.
He was married to another national artist Filipino Actress Atang de la Rama. 2.
Jose Garcia Villa (1908-1997) National Artist for Literature (1973)
Jose Garcia Villa is considered as one of the finest contemporary poets regardless of race or language. Villa, who lived in Singalong, Manila, introduced the reversed consonance rime scheme, including the comma poems that made full use of the punctuation mark in an innovative, poetic way. If you will study Villa’s work, you
will notice his use of comma in every word. Villa described this style as similar to Seurat’s architectonic and measured pointillism.
Pointillism is a painting technique in which the artist uses small, distinct dots of pure color to create an image. The first of his poems “Have Come, Am Here” received critical recognition when it appeared in New York in 1942 that, soon enough, honors and fellowships were heaped on him: Guggenheim, Bollingen, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Awards. He used Doveglion (Dove, Eagle, Lion) as penname, the very characters he attributed to himself, and the same ones explored by e.e. cummings in the poem he wrote for Villa (Doveglion, Adventures in Value). Villa is also known for the tartness of his tongue. Villa’s works have been collected into the following
books: Footnote to Youth,Many Voices, Poems by Doveglion, Poems 55, Poems in Praise of Love: The Best Love Poems of Jose Garcia Villa as Chosen By Himself, Selected Stories,The Portable Villa, The Essential Villa, Mir-i-nisa, Storymasters 3: Selected Stories from Footnote to Youth, 55 Poems: Selected and Translated into Tagalog by Hilario S. Francia. 3.
Nick Joaquin (1917-2004) National Artist for Literature (1976)
Nick Joaquin, is regarded by many as the most distinguished Filipino writer in English writing so variedly and so well about so m any aspects of the Filipino. His first short story dealt with the vaudeville of
Manila, “The Sorrows of Vaudeville ”, published in 1937 by the Sunday Tribune Magazine . He worked as a journalist for most of his journalism is the reportage life, pioneering literary journalism. j ournalism. Literary journalism
of actual events that employs literary techniques. comic theatrical piece frequently frequently (Vaudeville is a light often comic combining pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and songs)
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, An Elegy in Three Scenes, and A Life for the Student Fans. 4.
Carlos P. Romulo (1899-1985) National Artist for Literature (1982)
Carlos P. Romulo was an envoy, statesman, soldier, correspondent, writer, and the founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. It is common knowledge that he was the first Asian president of the United Nations General Assembly, then Philippine Ambassador t o 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. 5.
Francisco Arcellana (1916-2002) National Artist for Literature (1990)
Francisco Arcellana, writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher, is one of the greatest Filipino poets in his generation and is 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. He studied in Tondo Intermediate School. However, it was the Manila West High Sc hool (which was later named the Florentino Torres High School) that he took up his writing seriously and became became a staff member of The Torres Torch, the school organ. While still a student at Florentino Torres High School, he wrote his first story, “The Man Who Would Be Poe”. Arcellana’s exceptional works in fiction include “Death in a Factory,” “A Clown Remembers”, and Divided by Two”. Some of his poems include “The Other Woman”, “To Touch You”, and “I Touched Her”, which are among others are
now part of the secondary -and tertiary-level syllabi in the country. 6.
N.V.M. Gonzalez (1915-1999) National Artist for Literature (1997)
Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez, better known as N.V.M. Gonzalez, fictionist, essayist, poet, and teacher, articulated the Filipino spirit in rural, urban landscapes. In 1948, he received a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, which allowed him to study in Standford University and Columbia University. U niversity. 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 a ttest to his triumph in appropriating the English language to express, reflect and shape Philippine culture and Philippine sensibility. -Writer-In-Residence and a member He became U.P.’s International International-Writer-In-Residence 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 (1941), A Season of Grace (1956), and The Bamboo Dancers (1988). His exemplary works have been published in several languages including Filipino, English, Chinese, German, Russian, and Indonesian. 7.
Carlos L. Quirino (1910-1999) National Artist for Historical Literature (1997)
Carlos Quirino, biographer, has the distinction of having written one of the earliest biographies of Jose Rizal titled The Great Malayan. He was the first filipino to be recognized as the National Artist in Historical Literature in 1997. Quirino obtained his journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin Wisconsin at Madison in 1931. 1931. He wrote Man
of Destiny (1935), a biography about the second president of the Philippines, Manuel Manuel L. Quezon. This book is a valuable addition to Philippine literature, as its subject was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant leaders of the country. Quirino then spent some of his years working as an assistant to President Elpidio Quirino, who helped him study law until he passed the bar in 1940. Most of Quirino’s topics covered war, politics, art,
business, and agriculture. 8.
Edith L. Tiempo (1919-2011) National Artist for Literature (1999)
Edith L. Tiempo, poet, fictionist, teacher and literary critic is one of the finest Filipino writers in English whose works are characterized by a remarkable fusion of style and substance, of craftsmanship and insight. Born on April 22, 1919 in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, her poems are intricate verbal transfigurations transfigurations of significant experiences as revealed, in two of her m uch anthologized pieces, “The Little Marmoset” and “Bonsai”. She received the greatest
honor as a National Artist for Literature in 1999 and a recipient of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for the short story “The Black Monkey” in 1951.
Many Filipino writers have come under his wing in the literary workshops he founded – the the Galian sa Arte at Tula (GAT) and the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA). He has also long been involved with children’s literature through the Aklat Adarna series, published by his Children’s Communication Center. He has been a
constant presence as well in national writing workshops and galvanizes member writers as chairman emeritus of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL). He headed the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as Executive Director, (from 1998 to 2001) ably steering the Commission towards its goals. But more than t han anything else, what Almario accomplished accomplished was that he put a face to the Filipino writer in the country, one one strong face determinedly wielding a pen into untruths, hypocrisy, injustice, among others. 11. Alejandro R. Roces (1924-2011) National Artist for Literature (2003) “You cannot cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person”
Alejandro Roces, is a short story writer and essayist, and considered
Together with her late husband, Edilberto K. Tiempo, she founded and directed the Silliman National Writers Workshop in Dumaguete
as the country’s best writer of comic short stories. He is known for his widely anthologized “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken.” It is a short
City. The Silliman University National Writers Workshop is Asia’s longest running writer’s workshop held in the city of Dumaguete. A
story that reveals how much people perceive things around them. This particular story won an award in the University of Arizona and
writers workshop is devoted to helping emerging writers cultivate their craft. Her works include the following novels : A Blade of Fern (1978), The Native Coast (1979), and The Alien Corn (1992). Her poetry include The Tracks of Babylon and Other Poems (1966) and
was listed in Martha Foley’s Foley’s Best American Short Stories.
The Charmer’s Box and Other Poems (1993). 9. F. Sionil Jose National Artist for Literature (2001)
Francisco Sionel Jose is a prolific Filipino writer whose works have been translated in more than 20 languages. His literary works represent the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in the society. One of his popular novels, The Pretenders, is a st ory of one man’s separation from his poor background and the dissipation of his wife’s prosperous family. Perhaps his most famous work is the Rosales Saga that includes The Pretenders, Tree, My Brother, My Executioner, Mass and Po-on . The Rosales Saga “captures the sweep of Philippine Philippine history history while while simultaneously simultaneously narrating narrating the the lives of generations of the Samsons whose personal lives intertwine with the social struggles struggles of of the nation”. nation”.
Jose was the founder of the Philippine chapter of the international organization PEN. In 1999, he was awarded the CCP Centennial Honors for the Arts, the Outstanding Fulbrighters Award for Literature in 1988; and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1980. **PEN is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere and to emphasize the role of literature in the development of mutual understanding and world culture; to fight for freedom of expression; and to act as a powerful voice on behalf of writers harassed, imprisoned and sometimes killed for their views. It is the world's oldest human rights organization and the oldest international international literary organization. organization. 10. Virgilio S. Almario (1944-) National Artist for Literature (2003)
Virgilio S. Almario, also known as Rio Alma, is a poet, literary historian and critic, who has revived and reinvented traditional Filipino poetic forms, even as he championed modernist poetics. In 34 years, he has published 12 books of poetry, which include the seminal Makinasyon and Peregrinasyon, and the landmark trilogy Doktrinang Anakpawis, Mga Retrato at Rekwerdo and Muli, Sa Kandungan ng Lupa. I n these works, his poetic voice soared from the lyrical to the satirical to the epic, from the dramatic to t he incantatory, in his often severe examination of the self, and the society. He has also redefined how the Filipino poetry is viewed and paved the way for the discussion of the same in his 10 books of criticisms and anthologies, among which are Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina, Balagtasismo versus Modernismo,Walong Dekada ng Makabagong Tula Pilipino, Mutyang Dilim and Barlaan at Josaphat. His transalations of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
were considered by the Manila Critics Circle as the best version.
Roces also wrote several newspaper columns. He has always focused on the derelict aspects of the country’s cultural heritage. His works have been published in a variety of international publications. Roces is also a multi-awarded writer, receiving honors and recognitions including the Rizal Pro Patria Award and the Gawad CCP para sa Sining. 12. Bienvenido Lumbera National Artist- Literature (2006)
Bienvenido Lumbera is an award-winning poet, librettist, and scholar. He has published numerous literary and creative works including Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993); Balabay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang (2002); Sa Sariling Bayan: Apat na Dulang May Musika (2004); (2004); and “Agundas “Agundas sa Hacienda Hacienda Luisita”, Luisita”, Pakikiramay (2004). His scholarly work in the field of literary history
and criticism are foundational texts in Philippine colleges and universities: Tagalog Poetry, 1570-1898: Tradition and Influences in its Development; Philippine Literature: a History and Anthology; Revaluation: Essays on Philippine Literature; and Writing the Nation/Pag-akda ng Bansa. 13. Lazaro Francisco (1898-1980) National Artist for Literature (2009)
Lazaro Francisco is considered to be a n icon in Tagalog writing through his nationalist and social criticisms. In 1958, he founded the Kapatiran ng mga Alagad ng Wikang Pilipino (KAWIKA). His works include the novels Binhi at Bunga, Cesar, Ama, Bayang Nagpatiwakal, Sa Paanan ng Krus, Ang Pamana ng Pulubi, and Bago Lumubog ang Araw. He also wrote short stories including “Deo”, “Ang Beterano”, “Ang Idolo”, and “Kapulungan ng m ga Pinagpala”. In 1979, the Ateneo de Manila University awarded
Francisco the Tanglaw ng Lahi Award for his works. 14. Cirilo F. Bautista (1941-) National Artist for Literature (2014)
Cirilo Bautista is a highly praised poet, fictionist, and essayist. essayist. He is also a Palanca Hall of Famer, winning countless awards awards and honors, including the National Book Awards, Gawad Jose Corazon de Jesus, and Gawad CCP para sa Sining. In 1998, Bautista was named winner of the Philippine Centennial Prize for Epic Poetry. His works include The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus (2001); Believe and Betray: New and Collected Poems (2006); Galaw ng Asoge (2004); The House of True Desire: Essays about Life and Literature, (2011); and Things Happen: Poems 2012(2014). Bautista is also an academician and a scholar, and has taught for more than 30 years.
