National Living Artists

Tesoro’s, the veritable treasure house of everything Pinoy, celebrates its 61st anniversary with a significant tribute to the genius of the Filipino. The store, which carries the best in local arts and crafts, now becomes a long-lasting sanctuary of Filipino heritage through an exhibit made in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through its Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Committee which pays tribute to the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA), our National Living Artists Awardees. No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo graced the opening of the exhibit, together with Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, Presidential Adviser and NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and Prof. Felipe M. de Leon, junior chairman of the GAMABA Committee. According to Tesoro Group CEO Ma. Isabel Tesoro, this synergy between Tesoro’s and the GAMABA is the perfect vehicle in which to showcase the best in Filipino ingenuity, enhance our self-worth as a people and hopefully lead to a sense of national identity.

Other cultural luminaries, like former NCCA chairman Dr. Jaime C. Laya, noted collectors Don Ado Escudero and Danny Dolor, glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, journalist Bambi Harper and former CCP chairman Baltazar Endriga praised the well thought-out exhibit. The 11 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan awardees are Samaon Sulaiman, Masino Intaray, Alonzo Saclag and Uwang Ahadas for the traditional performing arts; Lang Dulay, Salinta Monon, Haja Amina Appi and Darhata Sawabi for the weaving tradition; Ginaw Bilog and Federico Caballero for folk literature; and Eduardo Mutuc for metallurgy.

Congratulations to Tesoro’s, the NCCA, the GAMABA Committee and the GAMABA awardees. You make us proud to be Filipino!

(The GAMABA Collection is open to the public free of charge Mondays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the fourth floor of the Tesoro Building at 1325 A. Mabini St., Ermita, Manila.

For inquiries, call 524-3936 to 40.)

Greetings

Happy birthday to our celebrators today, Philam’s Jose Cuisia Jr., Henry Zabarte, Christian Monsod, Dr. Ramon Batungbacal and Menchu Romero.

Advance birthday greetings to Menchu Katigbak, Celine Bautista, my godson Joshua Leveriza, businessman William Cu-Unjieng, Fred Elizalde and Claudio de Luzuriaga, July 17; Don Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Sixto Orosa III, Mary Ann Ojeda and Mariles Cacho Romulo, July 18; columnist Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil and businessman Oye Fores, July 19; society photographer Baron Patrick de Koenigswarter and Store Specialists’ Nedy Tantoco, July 20; Corito Galvez de Claro and Oli Laperal, July 21; Mita Rufino and Mimi Valerio, July 22.

So, how was your week?

(For comments or inquiries, please e-mail me at jjlitton@indanet.com)