Carrying with it sacredness, excellence and decades of hard work, the title of National Artist (NA) is the highest recognition awarded to Filipino creatives in dance, music, theater, the visual arts, literature, film and broadcast arts, architecture and allied arts and design, honoring them as patrons of the arts. This year, the country awaits the next roll of National Artists as the selection process is currently ongoing.

But what happens when such sacred patrons meet political power?

Like a conclave, no one knows what exactly happens during the deliberations for a National Artist. Who are the nominees, and who will proclaim them? Citizens outside the deliberation body know nothing. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) make the recommendations, but the President gives the final approval.

In a democratic country, votes are non-negotiable. Yet in the selection for National Artist, democracy stops when it reaches the top authority — the President, whose power can either grant or deny the award to an individual whose name and works have gone through the eye of a needle.

Calling for the great ones

Caution: Only the greatest in their field may enter. The Order of National Artist (ONA) Secretariat announces the opening of nominations through media releases and letters to qualified organizations. Candidates may be nominated under the category in which they have made their most significant contributions, with other accomplishments incorporated into the citation.

Nominations may be submitted by government and non-government cultural organizations, educational institutions, private foundations and councils.

Take note, there will be no conflict of interest here. Certain personnel, including members of the Research Group, NCCA Board of Commissioners, Secretariat, CCP Board of Trustees, and staff, and living National Artists, are ineligible to submit or endorse nominations. Key officers of the NCCA and CCP are automatically ineligible for nomination.

Greatness comes with a receipt of outstanding works, as nomination submissions must include supporting documents such as a cover letter and board resolution, a notarized nomination form, a detailed curriculum vitae, a list of significant works, a high-resolution photograph, a video documentation of works, copies of published reviews, and the contact details of a nominated Presenter who can discuss the nominee’s qualifications during deliberations.

The battle of the fittest

Once nominations are received, the ONA Secretariat reviews submissions for completeness and accuracy. The Research Group then evaluates the validity, quality, and significance of the nominees’ works, compiling comprehensive profiles that reflect each nominee’s most outstanding achievements.

The Council of Experts conducts the first level of deliberations, reviewing the Research Group’s presentations and shortlisting nominees for the second level.

Their deliberations follow rules on how many nominees per category may advance, with all decisions accompanied by written justifications.

The second level is handled by the Jury of Experts, who listen to presentations from the nominated Presenters, review the shortlisted candidates, and conduct a secret balloting to determine which nominees advance. The Jury provides a written justification for each candidate elevated to the third level.

Artists who reach the third level have undeniably demonstrated remarkable impact in their fields.

Yet the National Artist honor goes beyond talent; it recognizes those who embody the enduring spirit of Filipino creativity and whose works keep the Filipino identity alive. At this stage, a joint panel composed of the NCCA Board of Commissioners, CCP Board of Trustees, and living National Artists further reviews and deliberates on the nominees. Those who secure more than half of the votes from this third panel are forwarded to the Office of the President for final approval.

Arts vs politics

As controversial as the term “insertion” is today due to the current corruption scandals, its impact has echoed across both the political and artistic landscapes in the history of National Artist awards.

In 2009, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo used her “Presidential prerogative” to insert three names beyond the recommendations of the NCCA and CCP. The first was theater veteran Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, then NCCA executive director, which raised concerns over a breach of protocol. Other insertions included filmmaker Carlo J. Caparas, architect Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa, and fashion designer Jose “Pitoy” Moreno.

This sparked legal petitions from prominent personalities, including living National Artists at the time: Napoleon Abueva (visual arts), Arturo Luz (visual arts), Ben Cabrera (visual arts), F. Sionil Jose (literature), Bienvenido Lumbera (literature), Virgilio Almario (literature), and Salvador Bernal (theater design).

Although the four artists’ artistic contributions were recognized, the Supreme Court in 2013 invalidated Arroyo’s conferment, citing “grave abuse of discretion.”

The controversy extended further: Arroyo also dropped musician Ramon Santos from the list, naming only Manuel Conde (film and broadcast arts), Lazaro Francisco (literature), and Federico Alcuaz (visual arts — painting, sculpture and mixed media).

Santos was later conferred the honor by Benigno Aquino III in 2014. Similarly, Nora Aunor was initially denied due to alleged past involvement with drugs but was finally conferred the award by Rodrigo Duterte in 2022.

Questions quietly linger. With final approval resting with the Office of the President, merit alone may not tell the whole story. Who truly decides on this prestigious honor? They say great artists are born, not made — but in this case, perhaps the opposite is true. The balance of talent, recognition, and discretion leaves plenty of room for debate.