Ginaw Bilog was a respected Hanunuo Mangyan poet known for preserving the ambahan, a traditional form of rhythmic poetry written in indigenous script. Through his dedication, he helped safeguard Mangyan literary traditions for future generations 

This ambahan poem reflects the Mangyan tradition of expressing emotions and wisdom through rhythmic verse written in indigenous script. The script is carved or inscribed on bamboo, symbolizing the community’s strong connection to nature and oral tradition 

Masino Intaray was a master chanter and musician of the Pala’wan people in southern Palawan. He preserved and performed the long epic chants known as tultul, which narrate the origins, beliefs, and heroic stories of his community. Through his music and storytelling, he helped keep Pala’wan oral traditions alive for future generations.

The Kudaman Epic is a long narrative chant that tells the journey of a cultural hero named Kudaman. It reflects the values, spiritual beliefs, and worldview of the Pala’wan people, and is traditionally performed with deep emotion and musical accompaniment

Samaon Sulaiman was a Filipino musician celebrated for mastering the traditional Maguindanaon kutyapi and other indigenous instruments. He began learning kutyapi from his uncle at age 13 and became known as a master performer and teacher in Maganoy, influencing many local musicians. Sulaiman also worked as a barber and served as an imam in his community, dedicating his life to music and cultural preservation.

A kutyapi performance showcases the delicate, melodic, and rhythmic possibilities of this two‑stringed lute. Through intricate playing styles and traditional forms like dinaladay and linapu, the music reflects Maguindanaon cultural expression and emotional depth, helping preserve a tradition that has waned in many areas

Lang Dulay was a renowned T’boli master weaver and cultural preserver from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, celebrated for her expertise in T’nalak textile weaving. Starting at age 12 under the guidance of her mother, she became known as a “dreamweaver” for creating traditional patterns believed to be inspired by her dreams. Despite commercialization pressures, she remained dedicated to authentic designs and shared her skills with younger generations, including her grandchildren.

T’nalak cloth is a traditional textile woven from fine abaca fibers dyed and patterned using intricate motifs that often come from dreams, reflecting T’boli cosmology and identity. Lang Dulay’s cloths are filled with symbolic designs like clouds, butterflies, and hair bangs, made with red and black dyes, embodying the stories and heritage of her people while preserving an art form central to T’boli culture.

Salinta Monon was a master Bagobo‑Tagabawa textile weaver recognized for preserving the traditional inabal abaca‑ikat weaving of her community. She learned weaving from her mother at age 12 and spent her entire life weaving intricate cloths, helping sustain a craft that was at risk of disappearing. Monon was often called the “last Bagobo weaver” and later taught younger generations through a School of Living Tradition to ensure the art lived on

Inabal is a traditional Bagobo‑Tagabawa textile made from abaca fibers dyed and woven into geometric and symbolic patterns using the ikat technique. The binuwaya (crocodile) motif, one of Monon’s most admired designs, showcases high technical skill and cultural symbolism, reflecting the weaving tradition’s aesthetic and cultural importance

Alonzo Saclag is a respected Kalinga master musician, dancer, and cultural advocate from the Cordillera region. He has dedicated his life to preserving traditional Kalinga performing arts, especially the rhythmic gong music (gangsa) and ceremonial dances integral to community rituals and celebrations. Beyond performance, Saclag also established training programs and a center to teach younger generations, helping sustain indigenous heritage and pride.

A gangsa ensemble performance features interlocking patterns played on flat gongs, accompanied by traditional dances that reflect Kalinga cosmology and social life. Through this performance, Saclag showcases the complexity, energy, and communal spirit of Cordillera indigenous music and dance traditions

Federico Caballero was a master chanter and cultural bearer of the Panay-Bukidnon people of Central Panay Island. Known affectionately as “Nong Pedring,” he dedicated his life to preserving the sugidanon the long epic chants of his community by memorizing, performing, documenting, and teaching them to younger generations. Working with scholars and cultural advocates, he helped revive and safeguard these epics, which are expressed in an archaic poetic language related to Kinaray-a.

The Sugidanon comprises a series of long epic chants  traditional narrative poems that tell stories of heroes, myths, and cultural values of the Panay-Bukidnon. Caballero’s renditions and efforts to document and teach these epics helped preserve an oral literature tradition that was at risk of fading, ensuring this expressive art form continues to be known and appreciated

Uwang Ahadas was a master Filipino folk musician from the Yakan community of Lamitan in Basilan, known for his deep skill and knowledge of traditional Yakan instruments. Despite losing much of his sight as a child, he devoted his life to mastering and teaching music that is central to Yakan culture and ceremonies. Through performances and instruction, he helped preserve these musical traditions and passed them on to younger generations.

A traditional Yakan instrument ensemble showcases the unique sounds of instruments like the gabbang (bamboo xylophone), agung (bossed gongs), and kwintangan kayu (log instruments). These pieces are not only musical performances but also reflections of Yakan culture, connecting music to community life, seasonal cycles, and social gatherings.

Dartha Sawabi is a master Sama weaver from Turtle Island in Tawi-Tawi, known for her traditional pina fiber weaving and intricate needlework. She has preserved and sustained the Sama textile heritage by creating finely crafted fabrics and teaching her techniques to younger artisans in her community. Sawabi’s work maintains cultural identity and artistic expression rooted in Sama traditions.

This pina fiber textile showcases delicate weaving and needlework patterns unique to Sama culture, often used in traditional garments and ceremonial pieces. Sawabi’s work reflects the careful handcrafting of fine fibers into textiles that carry cultural symbolism and aesthetic beauty, helping preserve a weaving tradition that is important to Sama identity.

Eduardo Mutuc, also known as a master metalsmith and sculptor from Apalit, Pampanga, devoted his life to the traditional Filipino craft of pinukpuk, a technique that embosses intricate designs on metal sheets. Starting his artistic career at age 29 after working as a farmer and furniture carver, he refined his skills to create detailed religious and secular pieces that grace churches and private collections throughout the Philippines. Mutuc’s work reflects deep dedication to his craft and has become a celebrated part of Filipino cultural heritage

This retablo showcases Mutuc’s skill in pinukpuk metalwork — elaborate embossed designs in silver, bronze, and wood that bring sacred scenes and motifs to life. The piece combines traditional Spanish colonial influences with meticulous hand-hammered detail, creating a work that is both spiritually significant and visually rich, inviting contemplation and admiration.

Haja Amina Appi was a master mat weaver from the Sama indigenous community of Ungos Matata in Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi. She is celebrated for transforming the traditional plain pandan mats into vibrant works of art with complex geometric patterns and rich color harmony. Appi also taught the art of mat weaving to younger women in her community to ensure the craft endured.

This intricately woven pandan mat features balanced geometric designs and harmonious color combinations, showcasing Appi’s precise sense of proportion, symmetry, and aesthetic composition. The artistry blends functionality and visual beauty, reflecting both cultural tradition and personal innovation.

Teofilo Garcia is a Filipino craftsman and farmer from San Quintin, Abra, best known for his mastery in making tabungaw — traditional Ilocano hats crafted from locally grown gourds. He learned his craft from his grandfather at age 15 and has spent decades refining his technique, including growing his own raw materials and innovating with design. Awarded the National Living Treasure title in 2012, Garcia continues to teach and promote this unique hat-making tradition to younger generations.

The tabungaw hat is a functional and elegant headpiece made from a hollowed, polished, and varnished gourd that provides durable protection from sun and rain. Garcia’s craftsmanship combines hand-woven rattan lining and bamboo accents with the natural gourd shell, creating a culturally rooted accessory that reflects Ilocano ingenuity and heritage.

Magdalena Gamayo is a master weaver from Pinili in Ilocos Norte, known for her lifetime dedication to the traditional Ilocano inabel weaving. She began learning the craft at age 16 by observing her relatives and went on to master intricate patterns, many of which she perfected and innovated over decades. Even past 100 years old, she continues to weave and teach younger generations, helping preserve one of the Philippines’ most iconic textile traditions

Inubon a Sabong is a highly intricate inabel textile pattern featuring a stylized string of flowers, known for its complexity and high thread count. The design reflects deep cultural symbolism and aesthetic refinement in Ilocano weaving, showcasing Gamayo’s technical mastery and the enduring beauty of traditional handwoven textiles.

Ambalang Ausalin was a master Sama weaver from Siasi, Sulu, known for her skill in weaving pina and other traditional textiles using fine natural fibers. She dedicated her life to preserving the rich weaving traditions of the Sama people, creating cloths with intricate patterns and cultural significance. Through her mentorship of younger artisans, Ausalin helped ensure the continuation of Sama weaving heritage.

This traditional Sama textile features elaborate geometric and symbolic motifs hand-woven into fine natural fibers, reflecting both the aesthetic mastery and cultural identity of Sama weaving traditions. Ausalin’s pieces are celebrated for their craftsmanship, cultural storytelling, and beauty, capturing centuries-old weaving techniques in each cloth.

Estelita Bantilan, born Labnai Tumndan on October 17, 1940, is a master weaver from the Blaan indigenous community in Malapatan, Sarangani. She began learning mat weaving from her mother as a child and over decades developed a highly refined skill in crafting traditional igêm mats with intricate patterns and vibrant colors. Bantilan has dedicated her life to preserving this distinctive weaving tradition and has also trained younger generations to sustain the craft.

The Igem Silel is a traditional Blaan mat woven from romblon (Pandanus) leaves dyed with natural colorants to produce vivid geometric patterns. These mats often large and exceptionally detailed reflect both functional artistry and cultural expression, embodying environmental elements and symbolic motifs unique to Blaan heritage

Yabing Masalon Dulo was a legendary T’boli master weaver credited with safeguarding and popularizing the traditional T’nalak weaving of the T’boli people in Lake Sebu. She learned weaving from her elders and became renowned for her mastery of pattern, technique, and storytelling through cloth. Through teaching and community leadership, Dulo ensured that T’nalak artistry continues to thrive as a vital expression of T’boli culture

The T’nalak Dream Cloth is a finely woven textile made from abaca fibers dyed with natural pigments and patterned through designs believed to be inspired by the weaver’s dreams. Each piece carries deep cultural symbolism, reflecting T’boli cosmology, identity, and traditional aesthetics, and showcases the remarkable intricacy and cultural resonance of this iconic Philippine textile.