I am honored to have four of our National Living Treasures, Alonzo Saclag, Teofilo Garcia, Estelita Bantilan, and Magdalena Gamayo, join me at the opening ceremony of the National Arts and Crafts Fair 2023 last October 4.
These cultural masters are living embodiments of our rich heritage and stand as a testament to the ingenuity, creativity, and resilience of the Filipino people. I remain committed to supporting our GAMABA awardees and preserving our traditional arts and crafts.
Through these various projects and initiatives, we are working to raise awareness of the importance of these traditions and to support the living treasures who keep them alive:
?️ Dayaw is a television documentary series that features the lives and works of GAMABA awardees and other traditional artists and cultural practitioners.
?️ GAMABA Gallery which is housed in the National Museum of Anthropology features the life and works of GAMABA awardees.
?️ The Cultural Mapping Law, a landmark piece of legislation that aims to document and map the cultural heritage of the Philippines, including the traditional arts and crafts of GAMABA awardees.
Let us all work together to ensure that our culture and traditions are passed on to future generations. Thus, I encourage everyone to support our local artisans and cultural practitioners by visiting the National Arts and Crafts Fair 2023 at the Megatrade Halls 1-3 of SM Megamall from October 4-8, 2023.
Mabuhay ang kultura ng Pilipinas!
