National Artists of the Philippines (Filipino: Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas) is

an order bestowed by the Philippines on Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the
development of Philippine art. Originally instituted as an Award, it was elevated to the status
of Order in 2003.

The Order of National Artists (Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the highest
national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions
to the development of Philippine arts; namely, Music, Dance, Theater, Visual
Arts, Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied Arts. The order
is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the
President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.

ARCHITECTURE

Pablo S. Antonio Leandro V. Locsin Juan F. Nakpil

Ildefonso P. Santos Jose Maria V. Zaragoza

CINEMA

Lamberto V. Avellana Lino Brocka Ishmael Bernal

Manuel Conde Gerardo de Leon Ronald Alan K. Poe

Eddie S. Romero
VISUAL ARTS

Fernando Amorsolo Hernando R. Ocampo Benedicto Cabrera

Carlos “Botong” Francisco Cesar Legaspi Abdulmari Asia Imao

Guillermo E. Tolentino Arturo Luz Federico Aguilar Alcuaz

Napoleon V. Abueva J. Elizalde Navarro Francisco Coching

Victorio C. Edades Ang Kiukok Jose T. Joya

Vicente Manansala
LITERATURE

Francisco Arcellana Edith L. Tiempo Bienvenido Lumbera

N.V.M. Gonzalez Virgilio S. Almario Cirilo F. Bautista

Nick Joaquin Amado V. Hernandez Lazaro Francisco

F. Sionil Jose Carlos P. Romulo Jose Garcia Villa

Levi Celerio
Alejandro Roces Rolando S. Tinio
FASHION DESIGN

Ramon Valera
THEATER DESIGN

Salvador F. Bernal
DANCE

Francisca Reyes Aquino Ramon Obusan Alice Reyes

Leonor Orosa Goquingco Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula

HISTORICAL LITERATURE

Carlos Quirino
MUSIC

Antonino Buenaventura Jose Maceda Lucrecia R. Kasilag

Ernani J. Cuenco Lucio San Pedro Antonio J. Molina

Francisco Feliciano Levi Celerio Ramon P. Santos

Jovita Fuentes Felipe Padilla de Leon Andrea Veneracion

Honorata “Atang” dela Rama

THEATER

Daisy Avellana Rolando S. Tinio Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero

Honorata “Atang” dela Rama Salvador F. Bernal Severino Montano

Lamberto V. Avellana

Nominations for National Artist of the Philippines are based on a broad criteria, as set forth by
the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts:[2]

1. Living artists who have been Filipino citizens for the last ten years prior to nomination as
well as those who have died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were
Filipino citizens at the time of their death;
2. Artists who have helped build a Filipino sense of nationhood through the content and
form of their works;
3. Artists who have distinguished themselves by pioneering in a mode of creative
expression or style, making an impact on succeeding generations of artists;
4. Artists who have created a significant body of works and/or have consistently displayed
excellence in the practice of their art form, enriching artistic expression or style; and
5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through prestigious national and/or international
recognition, awards in prestigious national and/or international events, critical acclaim
and/or reviews of their works, and/or respect and esteem from peers within an artistic
discipline.
Nominations are then submitted to the National Artist Secretariat that is created by the National
Artist Award Committee; experts from the different art fields then sit on a First Deliberation to
prepare the short list of nominees. A Second Deliberation, which is a joint meeting of the
Commissioners of the NCCA and the Board of Trustees of the CCP, decides on the final
nominees. The list is then forwarded to the President of the Philippines, who, by Presidential
Proclamation, proclaims the final nominees as members of the Order of National Artists
Honors and Privileges
 The rank and title of National Artist, as proclaimed by the President
of the Philippines;
 The insignia of a National Artist and a citation;
 A lifetime emolument and material and physical benefits
comparable in value to those received by the highest officers of the
land such as:

1. a cash award of One-Hundred Thousand Pesos

(₱100,000.00) net of taxes, for living awardees;
2. a cash award of Seventy-Five Thousand Pesos
(₱75,000.00) net of taxes, for posthumous awardees,
payable to legal heir/s;
3. a monthly life pension, medical and hospitalization
benefits;
4. life insurance coverage for Awardees who are still
insurable;
5. a state funeral and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani;
6. a place of honor, in line with protocolar precedence, at
national state functions, and recognition at cultural events;

The Roster of National Artists

Year Awardee Category Notes

posthumous
1972 Fernando Amorsolo Visual Arts - Painting
conferment

Francisca Reyes Aquino Dance

Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco Visual Arts - Painting

posthumous
conferment
Amado V. Hernández Literature
1973
Antonio J. Molina Music

Juan Nakpil Architecture

Guillermo E. Tolentino Visual Arts - Sculpture

Napoleón V. Abueva Visual Arts - Sculpture

1976 Leonor Orosa-Goquingco Dance

Lamberto V. Avellana Film and Theater

Year Awardee Category Notes

Nick Joaquín Literature

Jovita Fuentes Music

Victorio C. Edades Visual Arts - Painting

Pablo Antonio Architecture

posthumous
1981 Vicente S. Manansala Visual Arts - Painting
conferment

Gerardo de León Film

1982
Carlos P. Rómulo Literature

1987 Honorata "Atang" de la Rama Theater and Music

Antonino R. Buenaventura Music

1988
Lucrecia Reyes Úrtula Dance

1989 Lucrecia R. Kasilag Music

Francisco Arcellana Literature

1990 César Legaspi Visual Arts - Painting

Leandro V. Locsin Architecture

Hernándo R. Ocampo Visual Arts - Painting

1991
Lucio D. San Pedro Music

Lino Brocka Film

Felipe Padilla de León Music

posthumous
1997
conferment
Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater

Rolando S. Tínio Theater and Literature

Year Awardee Category Notes

N. V. M. González Literature

Levi Celério Music & Literature

Arturo R. Luz Visual Arts - Painting

José Maceda Music

Carlos Quirino Historical Literature

J. Elizalde Navarro Visual Arts - Painting

posthumous
conferment
Ernani Joson Cuenco
Music
1999 Andrea O. Veneración

Edith L. Tiempo Literature

Daisy Avellana Theater

Ishmael Bernál Film

posthumous
conferment
Severino Montano Theater
2001
F. Sioníl José Literature

Ang Kiukok

Visual Arts - Painting

posthumous
José T. Joya
conferment

Virgilio S. Almario
Literature
2003
Alejándro R. Roces

Eddie S. Romero Film and Broadcast Arts

Salvador F. Bernál Theater and Design

2006 BenCab Visual Arts - Painting

Year Awardee Category Notes

Abdulmari Asia Imao Visual Arts - Sculpture

Bienvenido Lumbera Literature

Ramón Obusan Dance

I.P. Santos Architecture - Landscape

Fernando Poe, Jr. Film

posthumous
conferment
Architecture, Design and Allied
Ramón Valera
Arts - Fashion Design

Manuel Conde Film and Broadcast Arts

Lázaro Francisco Literature posthumous

2009
conferment

Visual Arts - Painting, Sculpture

Federico Aguilar Alcuáz
and Mixed Media

Alice Reyes Dance

posthumous
Francisco Coching Visual Arts
conferment

Cirilo F. Bautista Literature

2014
Francisco Feliciano Music

Ramón Santos Music

posthumous
José María Zaragoza Architecture
conferment

 Proclaimed in 2009 but conferment delayed due to a controversy. Order was later bestowed to candidate in a
ceremony at Malacañang Palace in November 2013.[6]
 Music  Visual Arts
 Levi Celério  Napoleón V. Abueva (Sculpture)
 Ernani Joson Cuenco  Fernando C. Amorsolo (Painting)
 Felipe Padilla de León  BenCab (Painting)
 Francisco Feliciano  Francisco Coching
 Lucrecia R. Kasilag  Victorio C. Edades (Painting)
 José Maceda  Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco (Painting)
 Antonio J. Molina  Abdulmari Asia Imao (Sculpture)
 Lucio D. San Pedro  José T. Joya (Painting)
 Ramón Santos  Ang Kiukok (Painting)
 Andrea O. Veneración  César Legaspi (Painting)
  Antonio R. Buenaventura  Arturo R. Luz (Painting)
 Jovita Fuentes  Vicente S. Manansala (Painting)
 Dance  J. Elizalde Navarro (Painting)
 Francisca Reyes Aquino  Hernándo R. Ocampo (Painting)
 Leonor Orosa-Goquingco  Guillermo E. Tolentino (Sculpture)
 Ramón Obusan  Federico Aguilar Alcuáz (Painting,
 Alice Reyes Sculpture, and Mixed Media)
 Lucrecia Reyes Úrtula  Literature
 Theater  Francisco Baltazar
 Daisy Avellana  Virgilio S. Almario
 Honorata "Atang" de la Rama  Cirilo F. Bautista
 Rolando S. Tínio  N. V. M. Gonzalez
 Salvador F. Bernál (Set Design)  Amado V. Hernández
 Lamberto V. Avellana  Nick Joaquín
 Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero  F. Sioníl José
 Severino Montano  Bienvenido Lumbera
 Architecture  Alejándro R. Roces
 Pablo Antonio  Carlos P. Rómulo
 Juan Nakpíl  Edith L. Tiempo
 Leandro V. Locsín  José García Villa
 I. P. Santos  Lázaro Francisco
 José María Zaragoza  Cinema
 Architecture, Design and Allied Arts -  Lino Brocka
Fashion Design  Ishmael Bernál
 Ramón Valera  Gerardo de León
 Historical Literature  Eddie S. Romero
 Carlos Quirino  Fernando Poe, Jr.
 Manuel Conde