Seven Filipino Individuals Named National Artists
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has conferred the National Artist Awards to seven exemplar individuals for their significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and culture on October 24, 2018, at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang Palace. Upon recommendation by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), after the rigid evaluation and selection process conducted by panels of artists, cultural workers, scholars and experts, visual artist Lauro “Larry” Alcala, theater advocate Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio, music master Raymund “Ryan” Cayabyab, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, architect Francisco Mañosa, literary writers Resil Mojares and Ramon L. Muzones were declared National Artists, joining the league of Filipino artists who have received the highest recognition bestowed by the nation. Throughout his 56 years of cartooning, Alcala utilized his comic strips to spice up the Filipino lives with witty illustrations, featuring over 500 characters in about 20 comic strips serialized in various publications. His iconic work Slice of Life, which had been circulated for decades, helped his avid readers and followers to …