MANILA -- Ambalang Ausalin, one of the Philippines' Manlilikha ng Bayan, has passed away. She was 78.

According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Yakan textile weaver died at 4 a.m. on Friday.

She is survived by daughter Vilma Ausalin, her grandchildren, and students from the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Apprenticeship Program.

NCCA did not give further details about her passing.

Ausalin, who hails from Parangbasak, Lamitan City in Basilan, is known for her mastery of different Yakan weaving techniques such as suwah bekkat (cross-stitch-like embellishment) and suwah pendan (embroidery-like embellishment).

She was conferred the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasures Award in 2016.

Aside from NCCA, Vice President Leni Robredo also mourned Ausalin's passing, saying she "fought to preserve the tradition of Yakan weaving."

"Sa pagpanaw ng Manlilikha ng Bayan, patuloy tayong nakikiisa sa ating Yakan weavers sa pagsiguro na mananatiling buhay ang kanilang tradisyon, para sa pangarap na mas magandang bukas," she said in a statement.