THE ORDER OF

NATIONAL ARTISTS
 The Order of National Artists
• The highest national honor and recognition
given to a selected artist who has
contributed so much to the development
and promotion of Philippine contemporary
arts.
• One of the highest honors in the country
which implicates the ideals in humanism
and artistic expression in the Philippines
 The National Artist
• A distinguished contemporary Filipino artist
who have made distinct contributions to the
cultural heritage of the country
• An individual whose artistic accomplishment
is at its highest level promoting creative
expression and national cultural identity
• An artist who has dedicated his life and works
to forge new paths and directions for future
generations of Filipino artists (NCCA, 2015)
Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad
ng Sining
• Order of National Artists
• Created by the virtue of a Presidential
Proclamation No. 1001 on April 27, 1972
(under former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos),
and the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA)
• The deserving individual should be
recommended by the Cultural Center of
the Philippines (CCP) together with NCCA.
 Rewards
• The rank and title of National Artist, as
proclaimed by the President of the
Philippines
• The golden medallion minted by the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas
• Lifetime emolument (stipend) for living artist
• Php. 200,000.00 tax free for living awardee
• Php. 150,000.00 tax free for posthumous
(payable to legal heirs)
 Rewards
• Monthly allowance not less than Php.
30,000 - 50,000.00 (living)
• Medical and hospitalization benefits not
exceeding Php 750,000 per year
• A state funeral benefit not exceeding
Php.500,000
• A place of honor in state functions,
national commemoration ceremonies
Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad
ng Sining
• The award is given during a ceremony at
the Malacanang palace and awarded by
the Philippine President.
Who may nominate someone to be a
National Artist?
• Government and non-governmental
cultural organizations
• Educational institutions
• Private foundations and councils (except
agencies attached to NCCA and CCP,
likewise, board members, consultants,
officers, staffs, committee members are
disqualified)
 Criteria for the Selection of a
National Artist
• Living artists, natural-born Filipino citizens at
the time of nomination, as well as those who
died after the establishment of the award in
1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of
their death.

• Filipinos who have lost and re-acquired

Filipino citizenship, through dual citizenship
status for at least a minimum of 5 yrs.
 Criteria for the Selection of a
National Artist
• Artists who through the content and form
of their works have contributed in building
a Filipino sense of nationhood.

• Pioneered a mode of creative style,

earned distinction from it

• Created a substantial and significant

amount of works
 Criteria for the Selection of a
National Artist
• Displayed excellence and continues to enrich
that artistic expression or style

• Artists who are prestigiously recognized

nationally or internationally

• Works are critically acclaimed and/or

reviewed

• Esteem and respect from peers

 Categories for Nomination
• Dance – choreography, direction,
performance

• Music – composition, direction,

performance

• Theater – direction, performance,

production design
 Categories for Nomination
• Visual arts – painting, sculpture,
printmaking, photography, installation art,
mixed media art, illustration, graphic arts,
performance art, imaging

• Literature – poetry, fiction, essay,

playwriting, journalism, literary criticism
 Categories for Nomination
• Film and Broadcast arts – direction,
writing, production design,
cinematography, editing, camera work,
performance

• Architecture, Design, and Allied arts –

architectural design, interior design,
industrial art design, landscape
architecture, fashion design
 Fernando Amorsolo
• National Artist for Visual Arts: Painting
• “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art”
• Romantic realist
• Awarded posthumously after the
establishment of the award in 1972
• Ever first National artist
 Levi Celerio
• National Artist for music
• Lyricist, composer
• Included in the Guinness Book of World
Records as the only person who made
music through a leaf.
• “Ugoy ng Duyan, Kahit Konting Pagtingin,
Ang Pipit, Dungawin Mo Hirang”
 Alice Reyes
• National Artist for Dance
• A great contributor to the development of
the contemporary dance in the Philippines
• A teacher, director, choreographer.
• Mixed ballet and modern dances with
indigenous Filipino dances
 NVM Gonzalez
• National Artist for Literature
• Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez
• A fictionist, essayist, poet, and a teacher.
 Juan Nakpil
• National Artist for Architecture
• Believes that there is a Philippine
Architecture that reflects Filipino traditions
and culture.
 Lino Brocka
• National Artist for Film
• Catalino “Lino” Ortiz Brocka
• Created 66 films before his death
 Ishmael Bernal
• National Artist for Film, 2001
• “The Genius of Philippine Cinema”
• Focused on societal issues of his time
 Francisco V. Coching
• National Artist for Visual Arts
• “King of Komiks”
• “Dean of Filipino Illustrators”
 Ramon Valera
• National Artist for Fashion Design
• “High Priest of Local Fashion”
• Terno
• Butterfly sleeves
Newly Conferred (October 2018)
• Ryan Cayabyab – Music
• Lauro “Larry” Alcala – Visual Arts
• Francisco Mañosa – Architecture
• Ramon Muzones – Literature
• Resil B. Mojares – Literature
• Amelia Bonifacio – Theater
• Eric de Guia “Kidlat Tahimik” – Film and
Broadcast Arts