7 National Artists named
A prominent fashion designer, two award-winning film directors, a literary giant, a theater pioneer, an architect and a painter have been conferred the coveted titles of National Artist by President Arroyo in recognition of their contributions in the field of arts, Malacañang announced recently. The Chief Executive signed Proclamation Numbers 1823 and 1829 naming the new national artists. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the list of the latest inductees in the Order of National Artist Award is led by the late Manuel P. Urbano, a.k.a. Manuel Conde, who became popular for his satirical films which include the classic “Juan Tamad” series. Regarded as among Asian’s finest directors in the 1950s, Urbano was posthumously bestowed the National Artist Award for Film and Broadcast Arts. His “Genghis Khan” movie earned the admiration of the film critics of the Venice Film Festival in 1950. The said film established Conde’s reputation as an international filmmaker, especially when film cri...