All: National Artists of the Philippines!

The word pandanggo is from the Spanish fandango, a

dance in 3/4 time. The phrase sa ilaw is Tagalog for “in
Faith: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Introduction
light” and it refers to the three oil lamps that a dancer
Selection Criteria, National Artists
has to balance — one on the head and one on the back
Jhorge: THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS IS THE each hand.
HIGHEST RECOGNITION GIVEN TO FILIPINOS WHO HAVE Jhorge: Gerardo de Leon is a National Artist for Film in
CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE STATUS OF 1982. He was born on September 12, 1913 in
PHILIPPINE ARTS, SUCH AS MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS, Sampaloc, Manila with his birth name Gerardo Ilagan.
LITERATURE, FILM, BROADCAST ARTS, THEATER, He is a member of the Ilagan Clan of the Philippine
DANCE, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, AND ALLIED ARTS. THE motion pictures. He was also known as “Gerry” and
RECOGNITION IS SPARSELY GIVEN TO ARTISTS, WITH “Manong”. He is an actor turned film director. He
AWARDS SOMETIMES TAKING PLACE YEARS APART. debuted in acting during the 1934 film “Ang Dangal.” He
Codey: What are the selection criteria for National is a medical doctor in profession but his ultimate love
Artists? for film won him over. His directional debut was the film
Bahay Kubo in 1939. From 1952 to 1971 he won 7
Firstly, he or she must be a Filipino citizen; Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences or FAMAS
Next, their work has contributed to nation-building; awards, 3 of them were consecutive years. His film “The
Their distinctive style and pioneering works impact Moises Padilla Story” was an entry for Best Foreign
succeeding generations of artist; Language Film but wasn’t qualified for nominees.
There is excellence in the practice of their art form;
Their art form enriches artistic expression or style; and In 1951, he produced a great revisionist film about one
Their work is prestigious, national, and for international of Jose Rizal's most memorable characters, Sisa.
recognition.
Codey: Honorata de la Rama Hernandez, more
Jhorge: The first National artist to be discussed namely commonly known as as "Atang” de la Rama is the first
Antonino R. Buenaventura is a National Artist for Music Filipino woman to appear in film. She first starred in
in 1988. “Dalagang Bukid”, the first Filipino full-length film in
He was born on May 4, 1904 in Baliuag, Bulacan. He 1919. She also popularized kundiman songs like “Bituing
committed 70 years of his life in discovering the marikit”, “Madaling Araw”, “Mutya ng Pasig” and “Anak
Philippine music. In 1935, he joined Francisca Reyes - Dalita.” She was formally honored as the Queen of
Aquino in researching folk music and dance which led to Kundiman in 1979 and recognized as a National Artist
its popularization. He also restored the Philippine Army for theater and music in 1987.
Band which was known as “the only band that can
sound like an orchestra”. He graduated UP in 1932 with During the American occupation of the Philippines,
a teacher’s diploma, major in science and composition. Atang de la Rama fought for the dominance of the
He then pursued his education at the Institute of kundiman, an important Philippine folk song, and the
International Education in New York. zarzuela, which is a musical play that focused on
contemporary Filipino issues such as usury, cockfighting,
Here is one of his orchestral music compositions and colonial mentality.
entitled “Mindanao Sketches”.
Atang believed that art should be for everyone; not only
Next is the Pandanggo sa Ilaw composed by did she perform in major Manila theaters such as the
Buenaventura which is a very popular folk dance in the Teatro Libertad and the Teatro Zorilla, but also in
Philippines and is said to have originated from Mindoro. cockpits and open plazas in Luzon, Visayas, and
This dance of lights simulates fireflies at dusk and at Mindanao.
night.
Faith: Carlos P. Romulo (1899-1985) is a National Artist
for Film in 1982. He was a Resident Commissioner from
the Commonwealth of the Philippines; born in Camiling,
Tarlac Province, Luzon, Philippine Islands.

He was an author and the foremost diplomat of the

Philippines. He was the only Filipino journalist to win
the Pulitzer Prize and the first Asian to serve as
president of the UN General Assembly (1949). He also
gained prominence as America's most trusted Asian
spokesman.

He was a reporter at 16, a newspaper editor by the age

of 20, and a publisher at 32. Rómulo's prolific pen is
attested to by his books, such as I Saw the Fall of the
Philippines (1942), Mother America (1943), My Brother
Americans (1945), I See the Philippines Rise (1946),
Crusade in Asia (1955), The Magsaysay Story (1956), I
Walk with Heroes (1961), and Identity and Change
(1965).

Faith: To date, there are only 73 Filipinos recognized as

National Artists. The last recognition was in 2018, in
which seven artists were given the distinction. The last
one before that was in 2014.

Words of inspiration from Elbert Hubbard:

Art is not a thing; it is a way.