ILOILO CITY – Federico Caballero, a recipient of the 2000 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure) award from Calinog town, Iloilo province, died on Saturday, August 17, at the age of 88.
Family members confirmed the death of Caballero, a cultural bearer of the Suludnon and Panay Bukidnon tribes.
CABALLERO in March 2008. (Tara Yap)
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) also announced his demise in his hometown.
With the encouragement of anthropologist Alicia Magos and her team at the University of the Philippines-Visayas, Caballero was instrumental in documenting and teaching the Sugidanon epic chanting, the pre-colonial tradition of storytelling in Panay Island, to the younger generation.
“Throughout his life, he dedicated himself to the practice, transmission, and documentation of the oral literature of his community, particularly the Sugidanon, which comprises 10 epics,” the NCCA said.
“These 10 epics, which are presented in ligbok, a poetic language intricately linked to Kiniray-a, yet no longer spoken, represent an expansive folklore that demands unwavering commitment and exceptional talent to master,” the NCCA added.
With his dedication in reviving tradition that was once seen as inferior, Caballero was able to educate the people of Iloilo and Panay Island that a rich culture existed prior to the colonization of Spain.
Caballero’s family and distant relatives have been continuing his legacy by teaching at the school of living tradition in Garangan, a mountain barangay.
The NCCA is making arrangements with Caballero's family for a State funeral.
His remains lie in state in Purok 2, Barangay Garangan, Calinog.