National Artists

The Order of National Artists (Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the highest national
recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of
Philippine arts; namely, Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, and
Architecture and Allied Arts. The order is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the President of
the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.

JUAN F. NAKPIL

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR ARCHITECTURE (1973)

May 26, 1899 – May 7, 1986

Juan F. Nakpil, architect, teacher and civic leader, is a pioneer and innovator in Philippine architecture.
In essence, Nakpil’s greatest contribution is his belief that there is such a thing as Philippine
Architecture, espousing architecture reflective of Philippine traditions and culture. It is also largely due
to his zealous representation and efforts that private Filipino architects and engineers, by law, are now
able to participate in the design and execution of government projects. He has integrated strength,
function, and beauty in the buildings that are the country’s heritage today. He designed the 1937
International Eucharistic Congress altar and rebuilt and enlarged the Quiapo Church in 1930 adding a
dome and a second belfry to the original design.

Among others, Nakpil’s major works are the Geronimo de los Reyes Building,Magsaysay Building, Rizal
Theater, Capitol Theater, Captain Pepe Building, Manila Jockey Club, Rufino Building, Philippine Village
Hotel, University of the Philippines Administration and University Library, and the reconstructed Rizal
house in Calamba, Laguna.

PABLO S. ANTONIO

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR ARCHITECTURE (1976)

Born at the turn of the century, National Artist for Architecture Pablo Sebero Antonio pioneered modern
Philippine architecture. His basic design is grounded on simplicity, no clutter. The lines are clean and
smooth, and where there are curves, these are made integral to the structure. Pablo Jr. points out, “For
our father, every line must have a meaning, a purpose. For him, function comes first before elegance or
form“. The other thing that characterizes an Antonio structure is the maximum use of natural light and
cross ventilation. Antonio believes that buildings “should be planned with austerity in mind and its
stability forever as the aim of true architecture, that buildings must be progressive, simple in design but
dignified, true to a purpose without resorting to an applied set of aesthetics and should eternally
recreate truth”.

Antonio’s major works include the following: Far Eastern University Administration and Science
buildings; Manila Polo Club; Ideal Theater;Lyric Theater; Galaxy Theater; Capitan Luis Gonzaga Building;
Boulevard-Alhambra (now Bel-Air) apartments; Ramon Roces Publications Building (now Guzman
Institute of Electronics).
LEANDRO V. LOCSIN

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR ARCHITECTURE (1990)

August 15, 1928 – November 15, 1994

Leandro V. Locsin reshaped the urban landscape with a distinctive architecture reflective of Philippine
Art and Culture. He believes that the true Philippine Architecture is “the product of two great streams of
culture, the oriental and the occidental… to produce a new object of profound harmony.” It is this
synthesis that underlies all his works, with his achievements in concrete reflecting his mastery of space
and scale. Every Locsin Building is an original, and identifiable as a Locsin with themes of floating
volume, the duality of light and heavy, buoyant and massive running in his major works. From 1955 to
1994, Locsin has produced 75 residences and 88 buildings, including 11 churches and chapels, 23 public
buildings, 48 commercial buildings, six major hotels, and an airport terminal building.

Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of Brunei, which has a floor
area of 2.2 million square feet. The CCP Complex itself is a virtual Locsin Complex with all five buildings
designed by him — the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International
Convention Center, Philcite and The Westin Hotel (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza).

ILDEFONSO P. SANTOS, JR.

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR ARCHITECTURE (2006)

September 5, 1929 – January 29, 2014

Ildefonso Paez Santos, Jr., distinguished himself by pioneering the practice of landscape architecture–an
allied field of architecture–in the Philippines and then producing four decades of exemplary and
engaging work that has included hundreds of parks, plazas, gardens, and a wide range of outdoor
settings that have enhanced contemporary Filipino life.

Santos, Jr., who grew up in Malabon, made his first mark with the Makati Commercial Center where he
introduced a new concept of outdoor shopping with landscaped walks, fountains and sculptures as
accents. Santos, Jr.’s contribution to modern Filipino landscape architecture was the seminal public
landscape in Paco Park.

Santos, Jr.’s most recent projects were the Tagaytay Highland Resort, the Mt. Malarayat Golf and
Country Clubin Lipa, Batangas, and the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Imus, Cavite.

.
JOSÉ MARÍA V. ZARAGOZA

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR ARCHITECTURE (2014)

1912-1994

José María V. Zaragoza’s place in Philippine architecture history is defined by a significant body of
modern edifices that address spiritual and secular requirements. Zaragoza’s name is synonymous to
modern ecclesiastical architecture. Notwithstanding his affinity to liturgical structures, he greatly
excelled in secular works: 36 office buildings, 4 hotels, 2, hospitals, 5 low-cost and middle-income
housing projects; and more than 270 residences – all demonstrating his typological versatility and his
mastery of modernist architectural vocabulary.

Zaragoza puretime graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila in 1936, passing the
licensure examinations in 1938 to become the 82nd architect of the Philippines. With growing interest in
specializing in religious architecture, Zaragoza also studied at International Institute of Liturgical Art
(IILA) in Rome in the late 1950s, where he obtained a diploma in liturgical art and architecture. His
training in Rome resulted in innovative approaches, setting new standards for the design of mid-century
Catholic churches in the Philippines. His prolificacy in designing religious edifices was reflected in his
body of work that was predominated by about 45 churches and religious centers, including the Santo
Domingo Church, Our Lady of Rosary in Tala, Don Bosco Church, the Convent of the Pink Sisters, the San
Beda Convent, Villa San Miguel, Pius XII Center, the Union Church, and the controversial restoration of
the Quiapo Church, among others.

Zaragoza is a pillar of modern architecture in Philippines buttressed by a half-century career that

produced ecclesiastical edifices and structures of modernity in the service of God and humanity.

FRANCISCO T. MANOSA

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR ARCHITECTURE (2018)

February 12, 1931

Born in Manila on 12 February 1931 to Manuel Mañosa, Sr., a Harvard-educated Sanitary Engineer who
was instrumental in designing Manila’s waterworks system, and Maria Tronqued, film and stage actress,
“Bobby” was the seventh in a brood of eight. He spent his childhood in Calle Azcarraga (now C.M. Recto
Ave,), where the family first resided before moving to suburban San Juan. After finishing his high school
studies at San Beda College, Mañosa enrolled at the U.S.T. College of Architecture, graduating with a B.S.
Architecture degree in 1953. With two of his brothers, Jose and Manuel, both B.S. Architecture
graduates from the same school, they founded the architectural firm, Mañosa Brothers in 1954. Some of
the group’s significant works were the Sulô Restaurant at the Makati Commercial Center (1962), the
Hidden Valley Springs Resort, the Makiling Conference Center, the restoration of the Guadalupe Ruins,
Colegio San Agustin in Makati, the Murray & Herminia Lopez Otstott Residence in Forbes Park, Makati,
and the San Miguel Corporation Corporate Headquarters in Ortigas Center, Pasig City (1979).

In 1976, Francisco established his own firm, Francisco Mañosa & Partners. Here, he had more freedom
to put into realization his vision of Philippine Architecture inspired by the bahay kubo and the bahay na
bato, When asked what makes architecture truly Filipino, he once answered: “Filipino values, Philippine
climate, and the use of indigenous materials.” As discussed in Eric Caruncho’s monograph, Designing
Filipino, The Architecture of Francisco Mañosa, foremost of Filipino values which influenced his work
were love for family, the extended family, and its place in the wider social network, not to mention the
Filipino’s baroque sensibility and love for ornamentation. He believed Philippine climate calls for tropical
architecture whose features include accommodations to the wet and dry seasons. These features
include high ceilings, large windows, low eaves and overhangs to provide both shade and protection
from the sun and rain. Filipino structures need to breathe, with free interchange between interior and
exterior spaces. And lastly, it’s about the use of indigenous materials such as bamboo, rattan, coconut
shells and trunks, dried anahaw leaves, capiz shells, and volcanic rock.

All or most of these features can be seen in his architectural works, from his masterwork the Tahanang
Pilipino (1980), better known as the Coconut Palace; the Mañosa House (1983) in Ayala Alabang; the Lu
Ym House (2000) in Banilad, Cebu City; the Amanpulo (1994) at Pamalican Island, Palawan; the Pearl
Farm Resort (1994) in Samal Island, Davao; the Mactan Shangri-la Resort & Spa (1993) in Mactan Island,
Cebu; and the Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa in Panglao, Bohol.

A devout Catholic and a deeply religious man, Mañosa is also known for his ecclesiastical works such as
the St. Joseph Parish Church (1976), better known as the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ Church, the Mary
Immaculate Parish (1988) in Moonwalk Village, Las Pinas City, and the Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace
(1989), better known as the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas Center.

Among his institutional works which stand out are the Ateneo Professional Schools (2000) in Rockwell
Center, the JMT Corporate Center (1992) in ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, and The Aquino Center (2001)
in Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac. He was also involved in the restoration and transformation of Corregidor
Island (1992) into a war memorial and tourism zone and the masterplan for the redevelopment of the
Quezon Memorial Circle (1980s).

Among his other works were the LRT Train Stations and the Elsie Gaches Village (1998) in Alabang-
Zapote Road, Muntinlupa City.

His legacy lives on in Mañosa & Company, a multi-disciplinary design firm, and Mañosa Properties, Inc.,
a real estate development firm founded by his children, Dino, Bambi, and Angelo, which offers artisanal
real estate inspired by the bahay kubo.

Now at the autumn of his life, it was indeed a fitting tribute to the man and his works that the National
Artist Award for Architecture was given to him in his lifetime, with his family present to witness its
conferment.