Arts National Artist
2. Jose Garcia Villa
Also a Manileño, from Malate's Singalong St., he was known here and abroad as the "master of the comma poem", a unique style he created. First, A Poem Must Be Magical
Jose M. Maceda
Although he was from the City of Manila, as a composer and ethnomusicologist, he devoted years touring the regions of the country researching and developing Filipino ethnic music. Exemplary works include Pagsamba (worship music utilizing 100 instruments) and Suling-Suling (10 flutes, 10 bamboo buzzers, 10 flat gongs).
Leandro V. Locsin
An architect from Silay, Negros Occidental, he was known for the use of domes, spirals, and concentric spaces. His famous works here and abroad include Brunei's Sultan's Palace, CCP, PICC, Folk Arts Theater, Makati Stock Exchange, NAIA Terminal 1, and the Philippine Plaza Hotel.
Jose Maria Zaragoza
Fused old world Spanish colonial style with modern international as seen in his masterpieces the Santo Domingo Church and the Meralco Building (see photo)
Teofilo Garcia
Garcia was a 2012 awardee from San Quintin, Abra who invented the "tabungaw hat". Tabungaw in Ilocano refers to the upo vegetable that this farmer carved into a hat after drying, hallowing, polishing, and varnishing.
FRANCISCO MANOSA
Has recently been conferred the National Artist award for Architecture by President Rodrigo Duterte. His famous works are the Edsa shrine, LRT 1 stations, San Miguel corporation head office and the coconut palace
Ronald Allan Kelley Poe
National Artist For Cinema. Known as Fernando Poe Jr., FPJ and Da King, Actor, director and politician. "King of Philippine Movies" and established FPJ Productions
Ben Cabrera
He is a mixed media artist. A native of Malabon, but an adopted son of Baguio and the Cordillera region, he is famous for the whimsical and folksy quality of his works.
Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero
He is the pride of Ermita, Manila and the Ateneo community who published and produced 41 plays as a playwright, a teacher, an actor, and a director. His plays were known for their humor, love, moral dilemmas and the use of local idioms and colloquialisms ― Wanted: A Chaperon, Half an Hour in a Convent, Three Rats, and Basketball Fight! were just some of them.
Rolando S. Tinio
He was a poet, essayist, critic, actor, dramatist, and teacher who hailed from Tondo, Manila. Considered to be the "father of Taglish poetry", he also translated into Tagalog the drama plays of Shakespeare, Sophocles, Chekhov, and Ibsen.
Amado V. Hernandez
He was born in Hagonoy, Bulacan but grew up in Tondo, Manila. His poems and novels written purely in the Filipino mother tongue tackle the issues of the poor and the working class
Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco
Post World War 2 painter from Angono, Rizal who was known for the vivid and vibrant colors of his expressionistic murals about the country's historical events.
Andrea O. Veneracion
A Manila-born Filipina singer, composer, and conductor from the 1960s up to the new millennium, she was known here and abroad as the founder of the award-winning choral group the Philippine Madrigal Singers.
Ramon A. Obusan
A dancer, a choreographer, a stage designer, and an artistic director through his Ramon Obusan Folkloric Dance Group, he promoted the unique and graceful dances of the Philippines via performances here and around the world. He can be seen here in the photo dancing.
Lamberto V. Avellana
A native of Bontoc, Mountain Province, he was a post-war stage and film director. His 1939 film Sakay was the first Filipino hero movie. In 1956, his movie Anak Dalita was adjudged Best Film in the Asia Pacific Film Festival. A year after in 1957, his motion picture Badjao became a timeless classic for its depiction of the culture of the Badjao ethnic tribe.
Salvador F. Bernal
A native of Dagupan, Pangasinan, he is unparalleled as the Philippines' "father of theatrical stage and set design". In his more than 300 productions, he was known for his use of local and indigenous materials like the abaca, bamboo, rattan, etc.
Leonor Orosa Goquingco
A native of Jolo, Sulu, she was known for her versatility. As stage actress, classical ballerina, and director, she founded the Philippine Ballet Theater in 1987. On the writing front, her articles about dance were published abroad like in Dance Magazine (New York), Enciclopedia
Juan Nakpil
A native of Quiapo, Nakpil was the first to be made National Artist in 1973 thus he was called by many as the "dean of Philippine architecture". His famous works in neoclassic style are the Rizal Shrine, Manila Jockey Club, UP Theater and Carillon Tower, UP Quezon Hall and Library.
NVM Gonzales
A native of Romblon island, he was a poet, an essayist, a novelist, and a teacher who depicted with his pen the Filipino spirit in rural and urban settings. Besides the book featured on the left, his other works also focus on nature like The Bamboo Dancers, The Winds of April, Seven Hills Away, and Work in the Mountains
F. Sionil Jose
A native of Rosales, Pangasinan, he often gleans local legends and epics from his hometown as well as from the Ilocos region to include in his short stories and novels. His works are also consistent in depicting the themes of class struggle, colonialism, social justice, and national sovereignty.
Lang Dulay
Dulay was a 1998 winner from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Since the time she was 12 until her death in 2015 at the age of 91, she had been weaving the designs she saw in her dreams as a member of the T'boli tribe, a group of indigenous people who have come to be known as the "dream weavers tribe" for their centuries old tinalak weaving.
Lucrecia R. Kasilag
Eminent pre- and post-war composer and pianist from San Fernando, La Union, she created around 200 pieces of music in folk, opera, and orchestra forms. And to show her love of country, she was also known for integrating the use of indigenous instruments to her orchestral productions.
Guillermo E. Tolentino
Known as the father of Philippine classical sculpture, he immortalized in bronze and stone the country's greatest symbols and heroes ― the Bonifacio Monument, UP Diliman's Oblation, the Quezon Memorial, the bronze medal of the Ramon Magsaysay award, and the seal of the Republic of the Philippines.
Napoleon Abueva
Known as the father of Philippine modern sculpture, he hails from Bohol and became famous for his artistic statues Blood Compact, Nine Muses, Kiss of Judas, and the Transfiguration. The image shows UP Diliman's Nine Muses.
Daisy Avellana
She is the country's top post-war stage actress and theater director. She was the pride of Roxas City, Capiz and, together with her husband Lamberto Avellana, they were known as the Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier of the Philippines. Her portrayal of Candida in Nick Joaquin's Portrait of a Filipino Artist is considered one of the best in Filipino stage acting.
Lucrecia Reyes Urtula
She was an Iloilo City dancer, teacher, and researcher. As executive director of the Bayanihan Dance Group, she brought to the local and foreign spotlight the following ethnic dances ― Singkil, Vinta, Tagabili, Pagdiwata and Salidsid.
Pablo S. Antonio
The 2nd Filipino architect to be declared National Artist in 1976, this Manileño is best known for the UNESCO awarded Art Deco campus of FEU Manila (see photo), the Manila Polo Club, and the no longer existing Ideal and Life Theater buildings.
Edith Tiempo
The only female awardee who hails from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya is a poet, novelist, literary critic, and teacher. Her masterpieces are famous for her use of vivid metaphors and vibrant description that are fluid and not burdened with trite details.
Lucio San Pedro
The pride of Angono, Rizal , he was known for his musical compositions for band music, concertos, cantatas, choral music, chamber music, and even film scoring. With his countryside origin, his music integrated folk heritage such as in Lahing Kayumanggi, Lulay, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, and Sa Mahal Kong Bayan.
Antonio J. Molina
The pride of Quiapo, Manila, he was known as the "dean of Filipino composers" and its Claude Debussy for his use of impressionist music in his more than 500 compositions. His famous works include Ana Maria and Hatinggabi. He also taught at the UP Conservatory of Music and founded the CEU String Quartet.
Honorata Atang de la Rama
The pride of Tondo, Manila and the Philippines' "queen of zarzuela and vaudeville", her Dalagang Bukid is the epitome of all Filipino zarzuelas. As a singer, she popularized native folk songs and kundimans.
Francisca Reyes Aquino
This UP alumna from Bocaue, Bulacan was a folk dancer and PE teacher, who, with her regional travels, decided to compile and research on the ethnic and colonial dances of the Philippine regions.
Carlos P. Romulo
This diminutive (only 4' 11" in height) son of Camiling, Tarlac was a WW2 soldier, UN diplomat, and foreign affairs secretary to eight presidents. He wrote 18 books mostly memoirs about him, Douglas McArthur, Pres. Quezon, and especially the Russian Andre Vishinky who he silenced with this quote in a UN Assembly: "It is the duty of the little Davids of this world to fling the pebbles of truth in the eyes of the blustering Goliaths and force them to behave!"
Ildefonso P. Santos
This father of Philippine landscape architecture from Malabon took charge of the landscaping of the following parks: Rizal Park, Paco Park (see photo), the former Nayong Pilipino and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Severino Montano
This playwright, actor, and director from Laoag, Ilocos Norte made 50 plays in his lifetime such as The Love of Leonor Rivera, Gabriela Silang, and The Merry Wives of Manila . In 1953, he founded the Arena Theater, officially the Philippines' first formal venue for theatrical performances.
Nick Joaquin
This versatile Filipino from San Juan was a journalist, poet, novelist, historian, playwright, scriptwriter, and biographer. But it was his mystery- and suspense- filled novels that became his trademark style like the featured book on the left.
Fernando Amorsolo
his artworks serve as relics of the country's history (eras covering the Spanish, American, and Japanese rules, up to the 1970s). His masterpieces showcase rural landscapes which applied light techniques (chiaroscuro) and impressionistic brush strokes. One of this is the now world-famous Planting Rice series depicter here.