Missing visual artists at the 2022 Order of National Artist

The visual arts community in the country is raising hoots about the conspicuous absence of the Order of National Artists for Visual Arts in 2022.

Generally, there are painters, installation artists, artisans, etc. who are disappointed with the non-nomination and non-proclamation of any visual artist in the honor roll.

Will their gripes just be relegated to the dustbin and backseat of arts history?  

“Maraming nagrereklamo sa online tungkol sa kawalan ng (There are many online complaints on the sidestepping) National Artist for Visual Arts this year,” revealed Gem Suguitan, a cultural heritage conservationist, writer, museum owner and curator and visual artist.

Cultural worker Bervely Wico Siy without incriminating the list of the current recipients of the award has suggested that Agnes Arellano, Araceli Dans, Pacita Abad, Imelda Capile Endaya, Nena Saguil, Brenda Fajardo and Julie Lluch, all female artists could have been all deserving of nominations and recognition.

Even outstanding architects and other related fine artistes were bypassed but these were the final deliberations and judgment of the two duly instituted agencies, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), mandated to nominate and submit to the President of the Philippines who in turn proclaimed the National Artists with finality.

Not until such proclamations are questioned in court or in any complaint body, the decision of the authorities is irrevocable.

Just the same, a thorough investigation and rigid selection are in order without political intervention or influence peddling.

The conferment went on last Thursday at Malacanang with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the main man in the house.

The new eight National Artists of 2022 are Nora Aunor and Ricardo Lee, also known as Ricky Lee for Film, Fides Cuyugan-Asensio for Music, Gemino Abad for Literature, Agnes Locsin for Dance, among the living and Marilou Diaz-Abaya for Film, Antonio Mabesa, popularly known as Tony Mabesa for Theater and Salvacion Lim-Higgins for Fashion Design, all posthumously.

There’s no question about the credibility and excellence of these artists who were the second batch of National Artists declared under the Duterte regime.

The National Artist Award created under Proclamation 1001 of the President Ferdinand E. Marcos administration and issued on April 27, 1972, is the highest national recognition given to Filipinos who have made significant and outstanding contributions to the development of Philippine arts.

At the moment, the country has eighty six national artists.

Among the prizes, aside from the monetary incentives, given to a national artist are a gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and a citation.