Here Are the Philippines’ 10 New National Artists

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has proclaimed 10 National Artists for 2025, recognizing achievements across architecture, dance, fashion, film, literature, music, theater, and the visual arts.

Created in 1972, the Order of National Artists is the Philippines’ highest national recognition for individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of the country’s arts. The honor is administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Here is a brief introduction to the 10 honorees and the work behind the distinction. Robb Report Philippines congratulates the country’s newest National Artists on this remarkable honor.

Gabriel Formoso, Architecture

Gabriel Formoso was an important figure in postwar Philippine architecture. He began his practice in 1939 and later founded Gabriel Formoso & Partners, now GFP Architects. His most prominent projects include The Peninsula Manila, an enduring landmark on the corner of Ayala and Makati avenues. Formoso, who died in 1996, was recognized posthumously.

Rafael “Nonoy” Froilan, Dance

Rafael “Nonoy” Froilan is a dancer, choreographer and teacher who began in folk dance and became one of Ballet Philippines’ leading male dancers. His career has encompassed classical ballet, modern dance, and Filipino works. As a teacher, he has also helped train generations of professional dancers. Froilan received the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 2020.

Maria Beatriz “Patis” Tesoro, Design (Fashion)

Patis Tesoro has devoted more than five decades to Philippine dress and textiles. Her work is distinguished by handwoven fabrics, embroidery, vivid color and elaborate surface detail. Through her interpretations of the baro, terno, and other forms of Filipiniana, she has brought the work of Filipino weavers, embroiderers, and craftspeople to a wider audience.

Armando “Bing” Lao, Film and Broadcast Arts

Bing Lao was a screenwriter, director and mentor whose methods had a marked influence on Philippine independent cinema. He wrote or co-wrote films including Pila Balde, Kubrador, Serbis, and Kinatay. He also established the Found Story Screenwriting Workshop, where filmmakers learned to construct stories from observed life. Lao died in 2024.

Gregorio Brillantes, Literature

Gregorio Brillantes was celebrated for English-language short fiction marked by intellectual rigor and close observation of Filipino life. His books include The Distance to Andromeda and The Apollo Centennial. The latter’s title story is widely regarded as a landmark of Philippine speculative fiction. Brillantes, a Palanca Awards Hall of Famer, died in 2025.

Nicanor Tiongson, Literature

Nicanor Tiongson is a critic, playwright, educator, and cultural historian whose scholarship has examined Philippine theater, film, and popular performance. He served as vice president and artistic director of the CCP and edited the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. He is professor emeritus of the UP Film Institute.

Alfredo S. Buenaventura, Music

Alfredo S. Buenaventura is a composer, conductor, and educator born in Santa Maria, Bulacan, in 1929. Trained at the University of Santo Tomas and Centro Escolar University, he has written orchestral, choral, operatic, and band music. His compositions frequently draw upon Philippine history, religious traditions, and indigenous musical material.

Teodoro Hilado, Theater

Teodoro “Teddy” Hilado was a lighting designer and theater practitioner closely associated with the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He served as the CCP’s technical director during its formative years and created lighting for major theater and dance productions, including works by National Artist Alice Reyes. Hilado received the honor posthumously.

Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Visual Arts

Imelda Cajipe Endaya is a visual artist, curator and writer known for printmaking, painting, mixed media, and installation. Her work explores Philippine history, identity, migration, and women’s lives. She co-founded Kasibulan, a collective of Filipino women artists, and is the first woman named National Artist in the Visual Arts category.

Nunelucio Alvarado, Visual Arts

Nunelucio “Nune” Alvarado is a painter from Negros whose work records the lives of sugar workers, farmers, vendors, and other laboring Filipinos. His forceful figures and vivid palette are closely associated with the social realities of Negros. The struggles of seasonal sugarcane workers, or sacadas, remain central to his art.