The Filipino GAMABA Awardees

GAMABA (Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan) is an award that acknowledges folk and indigenous artists who, despite the modern times, remain true to their traditions. There are currently 13 artists that are given this award who persevered to pursue and protect their culture. National Artist Award, on the other hand, is the highest recognition in the Philippines given to Filipino individuals who have contributed to the development of Philippine arts. Both awards give pride to us Filipinos and inspire us to stay true to our cultures. They instill in the minds of the people that no matter what comes our way and how far we'll go, we should never forget our roots and our past. Their works and artistry reflect our diverse cultural heritage and traditions including weaving, metalsmith, and our individual skills in the different fields of art as Filipinos. Preserving one's culture is the duty of many. It is right that the government did not fail to acknowledge our own culture and is also tryi