The Cultural Center of the Philippines Kaisa Sa Sining (CCP KSS) Mindanao Network names the roster of artists and culture specialists who will receive the 3rd Gador Award, a recognition for outstanding artists, cultural workers, and organizations in Mindanao. The Awarding Ceremony will take place on December 14, 2025, in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, co-presented by the CCP KSS Mindanao, City of Koronadal, and the Province of South Cotabato.
The awardees are: music artist Bayang Barrios (Agusan del Sur); dance master-visual artist Leonardo “Bing” Cariño (Gen. Santos City); cultural manager Carlo Ebeo (Koronadal City); anthropologist, literary artist-educator Dr. Nagasura Madale (Marawi City); filmmaker Gutierrez “Teng” Mangansakan (Maguindanao); theater director Romeo Narvaez (Gen. Santos City); Koronadal Hinugyaw Cultural Dance Troupe (KHCDT); contemporary dance group RMMC Teatro Ambahanon (Gen. Santos City), and the University of Mindanao Chorale (UMC) Davao City.
The Gador Award gives recognition to deserving individuals and organizations in Mindanao who have exemplified commendable work and services in cultural and artistic endeavors, and have been at the forefront of the research, development, preservation, education, and promotion of arts and culture in Mindanao for at least 10 years or more. The general criteria indicate that an awardee must have made exceptional accomplishments in creative work, leadership, resource management, education, artist support, audience development, community service, solidarity, and partnership.
Initiated by the CCP KSS Mindanao and facilitated by the CCP Cultural Exchange Department, the first batch of awards was conferred in 2020 to eight exceptional individuals and organizations who contributed immensely to the flourishing of arts and culture in the region, receiving the prestigious award. This was followed by a second batch of 13 awardees in 2022.
A full-blooded Manobo of Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, Bayang has leveraged her ethnic musicality as a solo artist to promote indigenous peoples’ rights, peace, respect for cultural diversity, women’s issues, environment protection, and social causes in the past two decades. She performed for Indigenous Peoples all over Southern Mindanao when she and her group heralded the “Kislap Katutubo (The Indigenous Spark)”, a series of workshops to help numerous marginalized artists find their feet in the Philippine Music Scene. She and the “Ang Naliyagan (The Chosen)” Band represented the Philippines in the Malaysian Music Extravaganza in Kuala Lumpur in 2019 and in the Indian World Music Festival in 2022. She was recently recognized by the Gawad Pilipino, an organization lauding the work of selfless Filipinos who helped many of their fellowmen during the Pandemic, as their ICON of Southern Philippine Arts and Music for 2022. Bayang also proudly represented the Indigenous Peoples March in the “BansaLumad” in Bukidnon, a peace caravan comprised of 7 different tribes, in early 2024. In September, she received the Fr. Theodore Daigler Award for Mindanao Culture and Arts at Ateneo De Davao University.
Cariño, a multi-awarded multi-disciplinary artist, has made notable creative works in the field of visual and performing arts. He is the founding artistic director of the renowned contemporary dance group RMMC Teatro Ambahanon. A European Commission Grantee to the OCSEAN Summer School at Uppsala University in Sweden, he is also a curator and a cultural educator who teaches at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, where he is Director for cultural development programs. He is a professional Interior Designer and the founding Member and former president of the Philippine Institute for Interior Designers Mindanao chapter. He has presented research papers in international conferences and received research grants from various government agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Ebeo is a distinguished cultural worker whose career spans more than two decades of leadership in cultural policy, heritage preservation, education, research, and international collaborations. His work bridges grassroots communities and global institutions, consistently advancing Filipino culture through partnerships with national agencies, higher education institutions, local governments, and international cultural organizations. Since 2023, he has been the prime mover and convenor of the initiative to inscribe the five landmark peace agreements between the Bangsamoro and the Philippine government into UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. He also convened the first International Conference on Languages and Community Heritage in Palawan, laying the groundwork toward the eventual inscription of the Tabon Cave as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ebeo serves as the ministerial head of the Oceanic Southeast Asian Navigators network in the Philippines, a consortium of 25 institutions across all continents dedicated to illuminating the Austronesian movement.
Madale is a retired professor in Cultural Anthropology, specializing in Peace Education, Non-violence, and Conflict Resolution at the Mindanao State University, Marawi campus. He is a strong advocate for Interfaith Dialogue since the 70s to the present and was a member of the 53 Commissioners that drafted the autonomy law in Muslim Mindanao in the 80s. He was the first chair of the Muslim communities, National Commission on Culture and the Arts (for six years), who initiated a project, School for the Living Tradition and Peace Education, as one of the major thrusts of the Commission nationwide. He was the first to organize clustering of the Muslim organizational structure and the first to initiate a publication series on the Muslim communities: The Maranaos; Lake Dwellers was one of the first of these series.
Mangansakan is a filmmaker, writer, visual artist, and curator whose body of work examines the interrelations of memory, identity, and faith within the sociopolitical landscapes of Mindanao and the Bangsamoro, in southern Philippines. His films are marked by their contemplative visual language and strong grounding in local histories, marking a distinct presence in Southeast Asian slow cinema. A leading figure in the Regional New Wave movement, Mangansakan has helped decentralize Philippine cinema from Manila, foregrounding the narratives and aesthetics of marginalized regions, advancing a more inclusive understanding of Philippine cinema. He is regarded as a pioneering Bangsamoro filmmaker whose work has reshaped how Filipino and global audiences imagine Muslim Mindanao. Beyond cinema, Mangansakan writes essays and fiction that deal with Mindanao’s culture, history, and politics.
Narvaez is an authority in theater arts in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, a Professor for Philosophy and Sociology at the Mindanao State University – General Santos City since the late 1980s. An alumnus of the MSU Marawi Sining Kambayoka Ensemble, he established the Kabpapagariya Ensemble (KE), a prominent theater company in Mindanao. He has written and directed numerous socially relevant theatrical productions such as “Dula-ta”, “Pagari” and “Kalbangi”, “Pagtahud” 2021, “Kalbangi” 2019, “Ina Kulay” 2018, “Tubig/Pamato” 2017, “Palapa Su Ina” 2012, “Dula Ta” 2009-2019, “Pagari, Brothers for Peace” 2012, and “Banay ni Crisanta”, among others. He served as an Executive Committee member of the NCCA National Committee on Dramatic Arts, for many years. He was part of the team that managed Budayaw 2017: Bimp Eaga Festival Of Cultures (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines East Asean Growth Area) in September 2017 in General Santos City.
KHCDT exemplifies cultural excellence and dedication to the preservation and promotion of Philippine heritage through dance. Established on October 28, 2003, the KHCDT has consistently represented the country in numerous local, national, and international cultural events, showcasing the elegance of Mindanaoan dances and the harmonious fusion of the Tri-People cultures—the Settlers, the Moro, and the Indigenous communities. Their major works and achievements include showcasing local culture on national and international stages. The core of the troupe’s work revolves around cultural preservation and performance, particularly focusing on the indigenous cultures of Mindanao. In recent years, KHCDT has further amplified its cultural impact through major performances at the DTI National Fiesta Haraya (2024) and the Opening Ceremonies of the SRAA and the National Folkdance Workshop (2025).
Ambahanon is renowned for its innovative and experimental approach to contemporary dance and theater. The group is led by Artistic Director Leonardo Rey S. Cariño. The company is distinguished by its commitment to developing original works and nurturing emerging choreographers. Its repertoire exceeds 200 pieces, many of which are showcased during its annual in-house festival, the Last Quarter Intensives (LQI), which features choreography competitions, alumni collaborations, and dance film presentations, fostering a vibrant creative community. It has achieved national acclaim, notably winning the grand prize at the 2009 Mindanao Modern Dance Competition and earning recognition at the CCP through the Wifi Body Festival; recognition of Julius Lagare, who was awarded the “Most Promising Young Choreographer” by the CCP and the Japan Foundation; international debut at the Asia Contemporary Dance Now! festival in Fukuoka, Japan. In 2016, Teatro Ambahanon institutionalized its Director’s Prize competition—a platform for the development and presentation of original contemporary dance works. This initiative has since evolved into a weeklong festival to LQI, which serves as a showcase for innovative choreographic work by both emerging and mid-career artists.
Founded in 1993, the UMC has gained significant national and international acclaim for its excellence in choral music, showcasing a diverse repertoire that often includes pieces representing Mindanao and Filipino culture. Known for its diverse repertoire, which includes classical pieces, sacred music, and Filipino folk/contemporary compositions like “Daluyong”, “Arimaonga”, “Noche”, and “Gapas (Pundayaw hi Apu)”. UMC takes pride in presenting the richness of Mindanao’s cultural identity, ensuring that local traditions are celebrated on stages where they might otherwise remain unseen. For more than thirty years, the UMC has brought the voices of Mindanao to wider audiences, celebrated Filipino artistry abroad, and nurtured young artists who continue the work of preservation and advocacy. UMC is proud to have earned top awards in prestigious choral contests: Grand Champion Mixed Choir Category / Best Interpretation Of The Contest Piece / Jury-Selected Representative To Asia Choral Grand Prix 2025 – 2023 Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival; Grand Prix Winner / Chamber Category Winner (Gold) / Mixed Choir Category Winner (Gold) / Jury-Selected Representative To The World Chorale Championship 2025 – 2024 Taipei International Chorale Competition; Grand Prix Finalist – 2025 Asia Choral Grand Prix in Singapore and the 2025 World Chorale Championship in Taipei City, Taiwan.
Over the past decade, cooperation and exchanges between the CCP and the KSS network have become increasingly dynamic. To date, the CCP KSS network has grown to a total of 81 organizations nationwide, with 29 in Luzon, 21 in Visayas, and 31 in Mindanao.
The CCP KSS Mindanao Network is composed of 31 members, namely: Mindanao State Univ. (MSU) Iligan Institute of Technology; MSU-Marawi City; MSU-Maguindanao; MSU-Sulu; MSU Gen. Santos City; MSU Tawi Tawi College of Technology and Oceanology; Central Mindanao University-Musuan-Bukidnon; Ateneo de Davao University; Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges Marbel and General Santos; St. Francis Xavier College-San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; DMC College Foundation-Dipolog; La Salle University, Ozamiz City; Jose Rizal Memorial State University Dapitan and Dipolog; Xavier University Cagayan de Oro City; Notre Dame College of Jolo, Sulu; Holy Cross College of Davao; Province of South Cotabato; Province of Zamboanga del Sur; Province of Zamboanga Sibugay; Koronadal City; Tacurong City; Cities of Lamitan and Isabela, Basilan; Cotabato City; Dapitan City; Municipality of Glan; Municipality of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; Dumendingan Arts Guild Pagadian City; Musikahan sa Tagum Foundation; and Hulma Iligan Creatives Collective.
For more information on programs and events, check the CCP’s official website (https://culturalcenter.gov.ph). You may also follow its official social media accounts on Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube, alongside the Facebook page of the CCP Cultural Exchange Department.
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