LESSON 5: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ARTIST
“PAMBANSANG ALAGAD NG SINING NG PILIPINAS”
PAMBANSANG ALAGAD NG SINING NG PILIPINAS/ NATIONAL ARTIST OF THE
PHILIPPINES
Is the highest recognition the Philippines government can
give to a person of the arts.
This award was created through Presidential Proclamation
No. 1001, s. 1972 to give recognition and respect to the
citizens who have given outstanding contribution to Philippine
arts.
The awardees of this prestigious award represent the
Philippines’ highest ideals in the field of humanities and the
arts.
It covers the following categories:
- Architecture and the allied arts
- Dance
- Film and broadcast arts
- Literature
- Music
- Theater
- Visual arts
This award is supposed to be given every three years as
mandated by the rules of the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts (NCCA). But there are some
circumstances when an award is given the following year or
not at all. It is bestowed by the President of the
Philippines upon the recommendation of the NCCA and the
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). As of writing,
the most recent set of awardees were conferred in 2014.
CRITERIA:
First, an announcement will be made by the NCCA and the
CCP, acting as the Order of the National Artist Award
Secretariat, for the opening of nominations for the said award.
Nominees should have the following qualifications:
1. The artist must be a Filipino citizen or at least at the time
of the nomination.an artist who has passed on can still be
nominated as long as he/she was a Filipino before death.
2. The artist should have contributed “in building a Filipino
sense of nationhood” as seen in their works.
3. The artist should have led the way in an new and creative
expression or style, separating themselves from others and in
turn influencing other generations of artists.
4. The artist’s work should be noteworthy and an embodiment of
excellence, further enriching his/her chosen field of creative
expression.
5. The artist should be critically acclaimed and accepted by
legitimate institutions and peers.
Once qualified, the nominations will be studied and
reviewed by the NCCA and CCP. They would then submit their
recommendations to the President of the Philippines. The
President would release a proclamation granting respective rank
and title to the nominees. The awardees would be conferred in a
ceremony arranged by the NCCA and CCP secretariat.
Other than the prestigious recognition, national Artists
also receive other benefits such as:
1. Title and rank of a National Artist
2. Medal bearing the Insignia of National Artist as well as a
citation
3. Cash gift of 100,000 pesos to the living artist and 75,000
for those who were recognized after their death, which will be
given to the heir of the awardee.
4. Life insurance to those who are still qualified.
5. State funeral and interment at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
6. Monthly pension with medical and hospitalization benefits.
7. Reserved place at state functions, awarding ceremonies, and
cultural events.
SOURCE:​ Ganzon, (2018). ​Journey: Contemporary Arts of the
Philippines. ​ Quezon City, Philippines. Phoenix Publishing
House.