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LOREN LEGARDA: Dayaw Season 4 Episode 1 - “The Past Masters”
Loren Legarda
Overview
This video introduces the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMBKA) award, a Philippine government distinction recognizing master traditional artists. It highlights the importance of preserving indigenous cultures and the role of these artists as living vessels of knowledge. The episode focuses on several deceased awardees, showcasing their exceptional skills in music, chanting, weaving, and script writing. Their lives and works serve as a testament to the richness of Filipino heritage and the enduring power of traditional arts, emphasizing the need for their recognition and continuation.
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Chapters
- The GAMBKA award recognizes traditional Filipino artists who preserve and promote vital cultural knowledge.
- These artists are considered living vessels of culture, whose work has survived colonization and marginalization.
- The award, institutionalized in 1992, aims to showcase the Filipino creative spirit and preserve traditions unadulterated by modern influences.
- GAMBKA is a sincere effort to acknowledge the existence of a living culture that forms the bedrock of Filipino identity.
Understanding the GAMBKA award highlights the national commitment to valuing and preserving traditional arts, which are crucial for maintaining cultural identity and pride.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) conducts the search for the most accomplished weavers, art makers, storytellers, and other traditional artists.
- Masino Intoy was a master of the kapi, a two-stringed lute, known for his mystical and hypnotic music.
- His performances were described as speaking through the instrument, conveying deep emotion and spirit.
- Intoy embodied a holistic view of a person, being not only an artist but also a farmer, an Imam (Muslim priest), and a barber.
- His artistry transcended his community, as he represented Filipino spirit by traveling to share his gift.
Masino Intoy's life demonstrates that traditional artistry is often integrated into a full, community-oriented life, challenging narrow definitions of an artist.
When San plays the kapi, it is said that he speaks, and one can hear what he is saying through the music.
- Masino Inay was a chanter of epics and storyteller from the Magsaysay Valley in Palawan, also a poet and musician.
- He preserved important additions to storytelling, including the 'tultul' (epics) and 'sanang' (chants).
- Inay's gift mirrored traditional Palawan knowledge of forests, stars, and the cosmos.
- His children continue his tradition, demonstrating the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge.
Masino Inay's work underscores the importance of oral traditions and indigenous knowledge systems in understanding a culture's worldview and connection to the environment.
He was recorded chanting a portion of a Palawan epic and reciting the lyrical poem 'Kulilal'.
- Ginaw Bilog devoted his life to preserving the Ambahan tradition of the Mangyan people of Oriental Mindoro.
- The Ambahan is a poetry form with seven-syllable lines used to express love, wisdom, and courtesy.
- He mastered the Surat Mangyan, a pre-colonial syllabary, linking the Mangyan to other Southeast Asian cultures.
- His efforts helped revive and popularize the Ambahan and Surat Mangyan among the youth.
Ginaw Bilog's dedication highlights the significance of preserving indigenous scripts and poetic forms, which carry unique cultural expressions and historical connections.
He used the Surat Mangyan, also known as 'baybayin', to write the Ambahan poetry.
- Lang Dulay, a T'boli weaver, was renowned for her intricate 'tinalak' cloth woven from abaca fibers.
- She possessed an intuitive mastery of design, creating complex patterns without paper or models.
- Selina Tonon, a Blaan weaver, specialized in minute and difficult small-scale 'ikat' techniques in abaca fiber.
- Both women trained many students, ensuring the continuation of their weaving traditions.
The work of Lang Dulay and Selina Tonon showcases the high artistry and cultural significance of traditional weaving, demonstrating how these crafts embody identity and community pride.
Lang Dulay's weaving was so admired that her funeral was a grand event, surpassing even that of high political officials.
- Haja Amina Appi, from Tawi-Tawi, was a master weaver of 'banig' (mats) using pandan leaves, known for complex geometric designs and vibrant color combinations.
- She demonstrated humility, believing creative power comes from a higher source.
- Darhata Sawabi, from Holo, was possibly the last master of the 'pis syabit', a traditional Tausug silk textile, known for its intricate and colorful designs.
- Both artists achieved financial independence through their craft, but faced the challenge of finding successors.
These artists exemplify the diverse textile traditions within the Philippines, emphasizing the skill, dedication, and cultural value embedded in seemingly simple crafts like mat and silk weaving.
Darhata Sawabi's masterworks, intricate woven squares, took three months to complete and were sold for 2,000 pesos each.
- Many of the initial GAMBKA awardees have passed away, making documentation efforts crucial.
- Their work honors the idea of a diverse yet inclusive nation and serves as a reminder of what might be lost.
- These artists, often quiet and humble, possess a clear vision and deep sense of self derived from mastering their craft.
- Their contributions are invaluable indicators of success beyond materialism, connecting us to our deeper cultural roots.
Recognizing the legacy of deceased GAMBKA awardees is vital for national memory, inspiring future generations and reinforcing the value of cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world.
The efforts of the NCCA and individuals like the late Susan Canoy Medina were essential for documenting the first set of GAMBKA awardees.
Key takeaways
- Traditional artists are crucial custodians of cultural heritage, preserving knowledge passed down through generations.
- The GAMBKA award signifies national recognition of the profound value and artistry inherent in indigenous Filipino traditions.
- Master artists often embody a holistic lifestyle, integrating their craft with community roles and spiritual beliefs.
- Preserving indigenous scripts and oral traditions, like the Ambahan and epics, is essential for understanding a culture's unique worldview.
- Traditional weaving, whether of abaca, pandan, or silk, represents a high form of artistry that embodies cultural identity and skill.
- The humility of GAMBKA awardees reflects a belief that creative power originates from a divine source, not the individual.
- The legacy of deceased GAMBKA awardees serves as a powerful reminder of cultural richness and the potential for loss in a modernizing world.
Key terms
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMBKA)Traditional ArtistsLiving Vessels of CultureIndigenous KnowledgeKapiAmbahanSurat Mangyan (Baybayin)TinalakIkatBanigPis Syabit
Test your understanding
- What is the primary purpose of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMBKA) award?
- How did artists like Masino Intoy embody a holistic approach to life beyond their artistic skills?
- Why is the preservation of indigenous scripts like Surat Mangyan considered important for cultural identity?
- What challenges do traditional artists face in ensuring their crafts continue to the next generation?
- How do the works of GAMBKA awardees connect contemporary Filipinos to their deeper cultural roots?