Pala'wan epic chanter Masino Intaray, Manlilikha ng Bayan, dies at 70

Pala'wan storyteller, musician, and Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee Masino Intaray passed away last November 30 due to complications brought on by diabetes. He was 70 years old.



The master musician lived in Brooke's Point town in Palawan province, but was born near Makagwa Valley. He was a skilled and proficient player of the basal (gong), aroding (mouth harp), and babarak (ring flute). He was also well-versed in kulilal (songs) and bagit (vocal music), according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

And like any good epic chanter, he had the endurance, memory, and creativity to chant epics, narratives, and myths into the night and for several nights in a row.

Intaray was awarded the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, or National Living Treasures Award, in 1993.

The award is conferred upon a “Filipino citizen or group of Filipino citizens engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino, whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the present generations in his/her community with the same degree of technical and artistic competence,” according to Executive Order no. 236.

“An outstanding master of the basal, kulilal and bagit is Masino, a gifted poet, bard, and musician who was born near the head of the river in Makagwa valley in the foothills of the Mantalingahan range,” NCCA Chairman and Professor Felipe M. De Leon Jr. said of Intaray.

“Masino and the basal and kulilal ensemble of Makagwa valley are creative, traditional artists of the highest order of merit.”

Leading cultural artist in Palawan Dinggot Conde-Prieto also spoke of Intaray in a Facebook post: “Perhaps because it was little-known that we in Palawan had a national living treasure, a 1993 Gawad Manlilikha Awardee, the indigenous equivalent of a national artist from the Makagwa valley in Brooke's Point, it is thus just as little-known that we have lost part of our cultural wealth in the passing of epic chanter and musician Pala'wan Masinu Intaray.

“After a protracted struggle with diabetes compounded by a series of strokes and a 10-day hospital confinement last November where no more could be done for him, he was brought back to his kälang bänwa last Friday, 29th November. Ama Masinu left this realm for a more mysterious one in the early hours of Saturday, 30th November. It is with deep affection, and fondest memories of our travels together, of Makagwa's moonlit nights' lessons on the Pala'wan that I grieve for our loss as Palaweños, as Filipinos.

“Ama Masinu now rests in Ampüq's great kälang bänwa in the sky, to sing far greater songs, to play eternal kusyapi melodies,” the post concluded.

Intaray leaves behind a wife, four sons, and an entire community grieving. He was buried on Tuesday, December 3. — Vida Cruz/BM, GMA News