National Living Treasures Award (Philippines)
The National Living Treasures Award, alternatively known as the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA; ), is conferred to a person or group of artists recognized by the Government of the Philippines for their contributions to the country's intangible cultural heritage. A recipient of the award, a National Living Treasure or "Manlilikha ng Bayan" is "a Filipino citizen or group of Filipino citizens engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino, whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the  present generations in their community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence." History. In 1988, the National Folk Artists Award was organized by the Rotary Club of Makati-Ayala. The distinctions were given by the organization until it was replaced by the GAMABA Law in 1992. The recipients of the National Folk Artists from 1988-1992 are not recognized by the government as the award was given by a private organization. The National Living Treasures Award ("Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan") was institutionalized in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7355. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts , which is the highest policy-making and coordinating body of the Philippines for culture and the arts, was tasked with the implementation and awarding. This is in line with UNESCO's criteria of Living National Treasures. Criteria. To become a National Living Treasure, the candidate must possess the following qualifications: A traditional artist who possesses all the qualities of a "Manlilikha ng Bayan" candidate, but due to age or infirmity has left them incapable of teaching further their craft, may still be recognized if: Categories. The categories are, but not limited to, the following categories of traditional folk arts: Other  artistic expressions of traditional culture may be added, such as the case of the ethnomedicine category, which was added only in 2020. Recipients. As defined by UNESCO, the bearers of intangible cultural heritage are to be known internationally as Living Human Treasures. The Filipino counterparts of this title are the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardees. There are currently sixteen declared GAMABA awardees, all of which have exemplified the highest standard in their respective field of expertise.