The Ministry of Culture, in compliance with the Act enabling him as president of the Evaluation Commission, announces to the winner of the San José 2025 Decoration, the highest distinction that the Panamanian State grants to a teacher or teacher of national popular art.

The selection was made by an inter-institutional committee with representatives from AMSMEs, MICI, MIF, MIDES, MiAmbiente, INADEH, the National Folklore Commission of MEDUCA and the Ministry of Culture itself.

For this edition, seven outstanding artisan and artisan have been put forward: Norma de Dickson, Roger Rodriguez, Gloria Lina Hernández, Rolando Mora, Hilda González, Rita Quintero and Heriberto Martínez. Each candidacy was strictly evaluated with ten established criteria, including: experience with the artisan exercise, authenticity, transmission of knowledge, cultural impact, inputs to the development of the artisan sector and national and international projection.

Following the deliberation process, the artisan teacher Gloria Lina Hernández, outstanding for her trajectory with traditional Panamanian hats and her invaluable work as a transmitter of ancestral knowledge, was selected as deserving of the San José 2025 Decoration.

The official surrender of this recognition will be held next July 30, during the inaugural event of the 45th National Crafts Fair, to be held at the ATLAPA Convention Centre.