DARHATA SAWABI
Darhata Sawabi is a Tausug textile weaver originated from island of Jolo, Sulu province. She is one of those who has dedicated herself to the art of pis syabit creation. She was hailed as an expert in weaving colorful squares of cloth used for the pis syabit and for adornment of the native attire, bags, and accessories as well as in teaching the art to the younger generation. Her art was distinguished for its bold, contrasting colors, the evenness of the weave and faithfulness to traditional designs.
Darhata Sawabi received the National Living Treasures Award at year 2004, the following year Darhata died on March 12, 2005
AMBALANG ANSALIN
Apuh Ambalang Ausalin is a Filipino master weaver from the city of Lamitan, Basilan. She learned weaving through her mother, who was previously reputed to be the best weaver in Basilan and first practiced the craft by using coconut strips.
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Apuh Ambalang, as she is called by her community of weavers, is highly esteemed in all of Lamitan. As a young girl, her mother, who was the best weaver of her time, mentored Ambalang. She practiced with strips of lugus and coconut leaves (mat-making material). Having learned from her mother the expert, Ambalang, using the backstrap loom, started to weave all designs of the bunga sama category, then took on the sinalu’an and the seputangan, two of the most intricate categories in Yakan weaving. They are the most intricate since the former requires the use of the minutest details of diamond or rhomboid designs, and the latter demands balance and the filling up of all the spaces on the warp with pussuk labung and dinglu or mata-mata patterns.
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Ausalin was given the National Living Treasure Award by the Philippines through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2016.
eduardo mutuc
Eduardo mutuc also known as "Tatang Eddie". He was born on October 12, 1949 in Apalit, Pampanga. Got married by the age of 20 yrs old. Learned and become skilled in traditional art of pimukpuk metalwork.
He dedicated his life to creating religious and secular art in silver, bronze, and wood. His intricately detailed retablos, mirrors, altars, and carosas are in churches and private collections. A number of these works are quite large, some exceeding forty feet, while some are very small and feature very fine and delicate craftsmanship.
In the history of The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award was institutionalized through Republic Act No. 7355., there has been only one Kapampangan recipient and it is Mr. Eduardo Tubig Mutuc of Apalit, Pampanga who was conferred this prestigious recognition in 2004.