The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) hosted the Visayas leg of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) call for nominations press conference at the Pagwa Performing Arts Hall, UPV Main Building, Iloilo City campus, Oct. 6, 2026.
GAMABA, also known as the National Living Treasures Award, is the country’s highest recognition for traditional artists.
The press conference sought to provide information on the nomination process and encourage qualified organizations to identify traditional artists whose work and practice contribute to the preservation and transmission of Philippine cultural heritage.
The lone awardee for the Visayas was Federico Caballero, an epic chanter and traditional arbiter from Calinog, Iloilo, who received the GAMABA award in 2000. With the call for nominations this year, the NCCA hopes someone from the Visayas will be recognized again.
The NCCA and UP Visayas invited members of the local media and representatives from higher education institutions, local government units, and national government organizations, among others, to the press conference.
The NCCA held the first press conference in UP Baguio on Oct. 1 this year and is set to hold the third in Davao on Oct. 9.
Overall, this is the eighth call for GAMABA nominations since its inception in 1992 and the first since 2023.
NCCA Commissioner Reden Ulo and NCCA Program Management Division Renee Talavera headed the delegation that launched the call for nominations for the Visayas leg. They were accompanied by GAMABA Executive Council members Prof. Joycie Alegre, Maria Lourdes Ingel, and Felipe De Leon Jr., who discussed the selection process.
Also present during the press conference were GAMABA awardees Barbara Ofong, Rosie Sula, and Bundos Fara.
In his welcome message, Chancellor Clement Camposano said the initiative is “not only to protect and promote our […] plural heritage, but also […] a way to ensure that there is space for the authentic voices to come out.”
“[…] Not voices of the academics, but the voices of our communities and to the extent that our academics will speak it […] in partnership with our knowledge bearers,” he added.
Prof. Martin Genodepa, Director of the Office of Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, said the call for nominations is a good opportunity to look around communities, considering Iloilo’s local culture and its position as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Written by Carlson Alelis, IPO; with sources from NCCA
Photos by Alven Polido, IPO
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