THE NOMINATION period for the Order of National Artist (ONA) or “Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining” Award is now open. This was disclosed by National Commission for Culture of the Arts executive director Oscar G. Casaysay and Cultural Center of the Philippines vice president and artistic director Dennis Marasigan during the press conference held last Friday, April 18, at SM Lanang.
“We’re reaching out to our fellow Dabawenyos and Mindanaoans. It is high time to nominate our pride – our local artists – to the Order of National Artist,” said Casaysay, a Dabawenyo, who is also leading the roadshow to raise awareness on the ONA, especially in Mindanao.
Currently, there are only 5 Mindanao-born awardees of the ONA, compared to 67 from Luzon, 35 from the National Capital Region, and 9 from Visayas.
“This prestigious award is the highest national recognition given to a Filipino individual, who has made significant contributions to the Philippines through their achievements in the fields of architecture and allied arts, dance, design, film and broadcast arts, literature, music, theater, and visual arts”, Marasigan said, as he disclosed the award’s rationale and criteria to the press.
The candidates may be nominated under one category where the artist made his or her most notable contribution, but his or her other merits will be added to the citation. Nominations may be submitted by government and non-government cultural organizations, educational institutions, as well as private foundations and councils.
To be nominated to the ONA, the artist must meet the following criteria: living artists who are Filipino citizens at the time of nomination and at the awarding, as well as those who died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of their death; artists, who through the content and form of their works, have contributed in building a Filipino sense of nationhood; artists who have pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style, thus, eaming distinction and making an impact on succeeding generations of artists; artists who have created substantial and significant body of works and/or consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their artform, thus, enriching artistic expression or style; and artists who enjoy broad acceptance through prestigious national and/or international recognition, such as the Gawad CCP para sa Sining, CCP Thirteen Artists Award and NCCA Hataya Awards (Alab and Dangal), critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works, and respect and esteem from peers.
Honors and privileges entitled to those conferred with the Ona, include rank and title of National Artist, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines; the National Artist gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and citation; a lifetime emolument and materials; and physical benefits, such as cash awards, lifetime monthly stipends, medical and hospitalization benefits, and coverage by a life insurance policy by the Government Service Insurance System and/or private insurance companies.
The order is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines and conferred by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.
The deadline for submission of nominations is on June 30, 2024. For more information, you may log in to https://ncca.gov.ph/ or visit their official Facebook page.
