Philippine Artists and their Contributions to Contemporary Arts

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, awards, and National Artists in Music, Dance, Theater, and Visual Arts relevant to contemporary Philippine arts.

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

Artworks produced by Filipino artists in the late-20th and early-21st centuries that mirror cultural diversity and new media across the country’s regions.

Traditional Philippine Art

Art forms handed down through generations (e.g., folk architecture, weaving, carving) that embody community customs and skills.

Order of National Artist (Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining)

The Philippines’ highest state honor for Filipino artists who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Philippine arts.

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Award)

Government award that recognizes master traditional artists who safeguard and transmit indigenous art forms.

Antonino Buenaventura

National Artist for Music who revived and arranged Philippine folk songs, led the Philippine Army Band, and composed works like “Pandanggo sa Ilaw.”

José Maceda

Ethnomusicologist-composer whose field recordings and ritual-scale pieces (e.g., “Ugma-ugma”) deepened knowledge of Philippine indigenous music.

Lucrecia R. Kasilag

Composer who fused Western orchestral writing with Filipino ethnic instruments in works such as “Toccata for Percussion and Winds.”

Ernani J. Cuenco

Composer noted for film scores and kundiman-flavored love songs like “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal” and “Kalesa.”

Lucio San Pedro

Composer-conductor who distilled Filipino folk idioms in classics such as “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” and “Lahing Kayumanggi.”

Antonio J. Molina

Composer who integrated kulintangan and other folk sounds into over 300 works, earning a place in the Philippine musical triumvirate.

Francisco Feliciano

Modernist composer-conductor who highlighted Asian indigenous sonorities in operas and choral pieces like “Pamugun” and “La Loba Negra.”

Levi Celerio

Prolific lyricist (≈4,000 songs) and leaf-player dubbed National Artist for Music & Literature; wrote “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit,” “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan.”

Ramon P. Santos

Composer who combined Philippine vocal traditions and kulintang timbres with Western ensembles; known for “Kulintang” for solo piano.

Jovita Fuentes

Soprano hailed for her international portrayal of Cio-cio-san in Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” paving the way for Filipino singers abroad.

Felipe Padilla de Leon

Patriotic composer of “Payapang Daigdig,” “Mariang Makiling Overture”; Filipinized Western forms like sonatas and concertos.

Andrea Veneracion

Founder and longtime conductor of the internationally acclaimed Philippine Madrigal Singers, advancing choral excellence nationwide.

Francisca Reyes Aquino

Folk-Dance Pioneer whose research and books (e.g., “Philippine National Dances”) preserved and taught indigenous dances in schools.

Ramon Obusan

Dancer-researcher who formed the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and staged authentic ethnic dances like “Vamos a Belén!”

Alice Reyes

Founder of Ballet Philippines; created a Filipino modern-dance idiom seen in works such as “Amada” and “Rama Hari.”

Leonor Orosa Goquingco

“Mother of Philippine Theater Dance” who choreographed epic suites like “Filipinescas,” blending ballet with folkloric themes.

Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula

Bayanihan Dance Company director who transformed folk rituals into stage pieces such as “Singkil” and “Vinta.”

Daisy H. Avellana

“First Lady of Philippine Theater,” co-founded Barangay Theater Guild and starred in classics like “Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.”

Rolando S. Tinio

Playwright-director who revitalized Filipino drama, led Teatro Pilipino, and translated Western classics into Filipino.

Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero

Playwright-educator, founder of UP Mobile Theater; wrote over 100 plays including “Wanted: A Chaperon.”

Honorata “Atang” de la Rama

Queen of Kundiman and star of “Dalagang Bukid,” first Filipino film; popularized sarswela and folk songs.

Salvador F. Bernal

National Artist for Theater Design famed for innovative sets and costumes using bamboo, abaca, and rattan.

Severino Montano

“Titan of Philippine Theater” who organized Arena Theater and trained generations of playwrights and actors.

Fernando Amorsolo

First National Artist for Painting; known for glowing rural landscapes and mastery of backlighting in works like “Planting Rice.”

Hernando R. Ocampo

Abstract painter, member of the Thirteen Moderns; created vibrant biomorphic canvases such as “Genesis.”

Benedicto Cabrera (BenCab)

Contemporary master whose recurring figure “Sabel” symbolizes urban poverty; acclaimed for expressive draftsmanship.

Carlos “Botong” Francisco

Muralist from Angono who painted historical tableaux like “Blood Compact” and “The Martyrdom of Rizal.”

Cesar Legaspi

Neo-realist who indigenized cubism in social realist pieces such as “The Beggars” and “Gadget Series.”

Abdulmari Asia Imao

First Moro National Artist; celebrated Muslim motifs (sarimanok, ukkil, naga) in sculpture and murals.

Guillermo Tolentino

Classical sculptor behind iconic monuments including the “UP Oblation” and Bonifacio Monument.

Vicente Manansala

Painter of “transparent cubism,” blending angular planes with Philippine subjects like “Mother and Child.”

Ang Kiukok

Expressionist painter whose cubist-surreal figures exude anguish; works include “Pietà” and “Fishermen.”

Napoleon V. Abueva

“Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture” who pioneered mixed-media forms such as “The Transfiguration” and “Nine Muses.”

Francisco V. Coching

“Dean of Filipino Illustrators,” creator of iconic komiks heroes like “Pedro Penduko,” known for dynamic line art.