Palace Names 10 National Artists for 2025, First Woman in Visual Arts

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has named 10 National Artists for 2025, including the first woman to be proclaimed a National Artist in the field of visual arts. Through Proclamation No. 1414, s. 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared 10 new National Artists: Formoso, Lao, Brillantes, and Hilado received the recognition posthumously. The latest batch of National Artists was announced four years after the previous honorees were named. Tiongson Tiongson is professor emeritus of the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute and a former dean of the UP College of Mass Communication in Diliman. He is also an artistic director and vice president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, as well as a founding member and former chair of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. He authored The Cinema of Manuel Conde, The Urian Anthology, and The Women of Malolos, and edited the 10-volume CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. His plays include Pilipinas Circa 1907, Basiila ng Malolos, Noli at Fili Dekada 2000, and Mabining Mandirigma. Brillantes He was a giant of contemporary Philippine literature whose canonical body of work, particularly his short stories in English, has been studied and celebrated by generations of literature and humanities students and practitioners. Brillantes died at the age of 92 on the morning of Sept. 26, 2025. Cajipe-Endaya Cajipe-Endaya is one of the pioneers of feminist art in the Philippines. A printmaker, social realist painter, mixed-media and installation artist, curator, and art organizer, she is known for her advocacy for women and her focus on Philippine history and culture. Marcos named her the first female National Artist in the field of visual arts. She is also the founding president of Kasibulan, a feminist arts organization active since 1987, and became the first editor of Pananaw: Philippine Journal of Visual Arts, the first publication of its kind on Philippine art. Alvarado Alvarado is celebrated for his progressive artworks depicting the plight and struggles of the Negros-based “sakadas,” or laborers hired from outside the region. He developed a distinctive style marked by bold colors, emotion, and strength. Among his awards are the Thirteen Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1992 and the Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Philippine Art Awards in 1997 and 1999. His works have been acquired by notable museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, and Singapore Art Museum. Formoso Formoso was an acclaimed architect known for designing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex in Manila (1970), the Asian Institute of Management (1970), and the former Metropolitan Museum of Manila along Roxas Boulevard (1976). He was among the first 100 architects in the Philippines and was included in the preliminary shortlist of National Artist nominees for Architecture in 2003. Froilan One of the pioneers of Ballet Philippines, Froilan was known as the country’s premier danseur. He partnered with leading ballerinas of his time and was best remembered for his roles in groundbreaking dance productions. He was also regarded as one of the country’s most talented and prolific dancers and choreographers. Tesoro Tesoro is an artist, fashion designer, and lifestyle icon known as the Grand Dame of Philippine Fashion. She devoted more than 30 years to preserving ethnic Filipino clothing, reviving the piña fabric industry, and promoting Filipino craftsmanship and fashion on the world stage. Lao Lao was known for his award-winning screenplays for films such as Takaw-Tukso, Itanong Mo sa Buwan, and Kubrador, among others. Recognized for his substantial body of work in Philippine cinema, Lao received several Gawad Urian awards, including Best Screenplay for Takaw-Tukso in 1987, Itanong Mo sa Buwan in 1989, Oras-Oras, Araw-Araw in 1990, and Tuhog in 2001. His films with director Brillante Mendoza, Serbis (2008) and Kinatay (2009), also competed at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Lao died on June 18, 2024, at the age of 75. Hilado Hilado served as technical director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines from 1969 to 1973 and as theater director of the Folk Arts Theater from 1973 to 1986. A pioneering figure in Philippine theater, Hilado was widely recognized as the father of lighting design in Philippine theater. He died of brain cancer at the age of 77 on Dec. 23, 2015. Buenaventura Buenaventura is admired for his compositions, which include operas, symphonic poems, vocal works, and chamber music. He is known for masterpieces, compositions, and arrangements such as Lakambini and Mabuhay March. The National Artist Award is the highest national recognition given to Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and letters. It was created through Presidential Proclamation No. 1001 on April 27, 1972. Jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the award is conferred by the President upon recommendation by both institutions. Aside from a gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, national artists are given a cash award, a lifetime monthly stipend, life insurance, state funeral benefits, and a place of honor in state functions, national commemoration ceremonies, and cultural presentations. /mcm/cb