Legarda honors National Living Treasures, meets GAMABA awardees in South Cotabato

Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, reaffirmed her commitment to cultural preservation as she visited South Cotabato on January 9–10, meeting the National Living Treasures recognized through the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA).

“Lake Sebu, known as the Home of the Living Treasures for having the most number of GAMABA awardees in the country, stands as a living testament to the richness of our cultural heritage. Even long before this visit, I have stood with our National Living Treasures, whose enduring artistry affirms the spirit of the T’boli people and reminds us of the responsibility we share to safeguard their legacy,” Legarda said, as she joined the community in honoring its cultural bearers.

Foremost among them is the late Lang Dulay, conferred GAMABA in 1998, who was revered as the first “Dreamweaver” of T’nalak. Her intricate abaca ikat textiles, inspired by visions received in dreams, embodied ancestral memory and preserved the soul of the T’boli identity. Her legacy remains a benchmark of excellence and cultural fidelity.

Carrying forward this tradition is Barbara Kibed Ofong, proclaimed a National Living Treasure in 2023, whose mastery of over 90 sacred T’nalak patterns inspired by “Fu Dalu”, the guardian spirit of abaca, continues to safeguard T’boli cosmology and spiritual beliefs through her textiles.

Legarda also honored Bo’i Rosie Godwino Sula, epic chantress of the Tudbulul, whose voice preserves the highest form of T’boli oral tradition and has earned respect both from her proud community and the academe.

Completing the circle of recognition is Bundos Bansil Fara, the first brass caster to be conferred the GAMABA award, whose “Temwel” creations transform recycled metals into ritual objects that embody T’boli identity and affirm the resilience of indigenous craftsmanship.

“These National Living Treasures remind us that culture lives on through continuity. By supporting them, we strengthen the institutions that keep our heritage alive across time,” Legarda emphasized.

Legarda’s visit demonstrated her resolve to sustain indigenous artistry, empower communities, and ensure that the recognition for Manlilikha ng Bayan translates into stronger institutions and cultural heritage.

As of today, twenty-five Filipinos have been conferred the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) award, recognized as National Living Treasures under the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act of 1992. This law institutionalized the National Living Treasures Award to honor artists who preserve and promote the country’s intangible cultural heritage. (30)