Miriam urges colleagues to nominate Wang-Od, Amilbangsa as ‘National Living Treasures’

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has filed a resolution urging the Senate to nominate Igorot tattoo artist Wang-od Oggay and traditional dance advocate Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa as National Living Treasures or Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan.

"The admirable contributions of these two women cannot go unnoticed," he said in a statement Friday. "In an era where distractions abound thanks to information technology, they successfully raise awareness on traditional art forms that are otherwise dying." she said.

Santiago's Senate Resolution No. 1602 was a response to the social media campaign to recognize Wang-Od as a national artist. Wang-Od is said to be one of the last mambabatuk or ancient tattoo artists in the Cordilleras.

The petition highlighted how Wang-Od continues to create interest for the batuk, ancient marks once worn by women of the Cordilleras as symbols of beauty, and by male headhunters as brands of strong warriors, especially among the youth and foreign tourists.

"Wang-Od’s work has not only preserved an important cultural heritage among Filipinos, but has also created for her community a source of livelihood by attracting tourists," Santiago said in her resolution.

Meanwhile, 71-year-old Amilbangsa was commended by the Senate in August for winning the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her work to preserve Pangalay, a pre-Islamic dance tradition among the Samal, Badjao, Jama Mapun, and Tausug peoples of the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The Magsaysay Award, dubbed as Asia's Nobel Prize, cited Amilbangsa for her "single-minded crusade in preserving the endangered artistic heritage of the southern Philippines."

With these credentials, Santiago said both Wang-Od and Amilbangsa fulfill the minimum requirements to be honored as National Living Treasures.

According to the Republic Act No. 7355 or the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act, a candidate for the recognition should have the following minimum criteria:

-- Technical and creative skill
-- Artistic quality
-- Community tradition
-- Folk art tradition
-- Character and integrity

The Gawad sa Manlilikha sa Bayan honors Filipino citizens or groups from indigenous or traditional cultural communities engaged in traditional art. It was created in 1992, and is administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). 

Recipients entitled to an initial grant of P100,000 and a lifetime stipend of P14,000 a month. They may also avail of up to P750,000 in medical and hospitalization benefits, and funeral assistance similar to that given national artists.

Only 13 individuals have been given the Gawad sa Manlilikha sa Bayan. These include the following:

Artist and poet Ginaw Bilog from Oriental Mindoro
Musician and storyteller Masino Intaray from Palawan
Maguindanaon musician Samaon Sulaiman, known for his kutyapi playing
T’boli princess Lang Dulay, known for producing intricately patterned T’nalak cloth from abaca
Bagobo textile weaver Salinta Monon
Musician and dancer Alonzo Saclag from Kalinga
Iloilo epic chanter Frederico Caballero
Yakan musician Uwang Ahadas from Basilan
Tausug textile weaver Darhata Sawabi from Sulu
Kapampangan metalsmith Eduardo Mutuc
Mat weaver Haja Amina Appi from Tawi-Tawi
Ilocano casque maker Teofilo Garcia
Ilocano textile weaver Magdalena Gamayo

—Trisha Macas/KBK, GMA News