Marcos leads 2023 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan conferment

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. led the conferment of the 2023 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award at the Metropolitan Theater on Wednesday, May 7.

Marcos urged Filipinos, especially the youth, to take active responsibility in preserving cultural heritage as a national duty tied to the survival of Filipino identity and emphasized that the preservation of culture is a shared national responsibility.

Nine artists were recognized for their contributions in fields such as embroidery, weaving, dance, and brass casting, spanning from Ilocano oral poets in the north to T'boli weavers and Sama dancers in the south.

GAMABA recipients include Adelita Bagcal and Rosie Sula for oral tradition, Abina Coguit and Amparo Mabanag for embroidery, Marife Ganahon, Samporonia Madanlo, and Barbara Ofong for weaving, Hadja Sakinur-ain Delasas for traditional dance, and Bundos Fara for brass casting.

Each awardee received a gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, an initial grant of P200,000 upon conferment, and a lifetime monthly stipend of P50,000, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts said in its press release.