Revisiting The National Museum of the Philippines in 2024

I decided to start the new year by spending an entire day at The National Museum of the Philippines. Since January 2 was not a holiday, I thought that the museum would be empty but I forgot that students have not gone back to school yet. The museum was teeming with kids and teenagers.

The Manila City Hall is visible from the entrance to the National Museum of Fine Arts

The Spoliarium


How to Get There

I decided to take the Pasig River Ferry to the museum. I realized that this was the least stressful way to get to Manila from Mandaluyong. I even got to see different kinds of birds while on the ferry. The travel time is one hour though so it is not for people who have an appointment or schedule to keep. 


The nearest landmark to the National Museum is Rizal Park but the park is currently undergoing renovations so its facade is no longer easily recognizable. When facing the Manila Bay, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Anthropology are on the right side of Rizal Park while the National Museum of Natural History is on the left. The nearest train station is LRT UN Avenue. 


Entrance Fee

The National Museum is still free. Visitors just need to present a valid ID.


The National Museum of the Philippines.

The National Museum of the Philippines is composed of three buildings: The National Museum of Fine Arts, The National Museum of Natural History, and The National Museum of Anthropology.  





The National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts is my favorite out of all three. It also had the least crowd probably because kids find art boring.




Here are some paintings and sculptures in the gallery that I found very interesting.




Juan Luna's La Bulaqueña


Juan Luna's bronze bust






Most of the important and famous pieces are found at the ground level of the museum and here are the most important ones.





Who doesn't know Juan Luna's Spoliarium and The Parisian Life? These are some of the must-see pieces in the museum. You would probably remember the small sculpture by Rizal named Mother's Revenge from your history classes.

Here was something I did not expect to see. Apparently, in Rizal's own words, he was married to Josephine Bracken as he gave her a book with the words 'to my dear and unhappy wife' inscribed. Now that's something they don't teach you in school!

The National Museum of Anthropology

I did not like The National Museum of Anthropology that much because I felt like we were only being shown what conforms with the narrative that has been approved. I found it amusing that one of the visitors explained to her child that the Aeta tools being displayed were what their ancestors used in the past. I mean does she even have a drop of Aeta blood?



Ever heard of Philippine Jade? Well apparently, it's a thing!

Here is proof that our ancestors were visited by aliens.






Ancient Astronaut Theorists say yes!


The National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History was the most crowded of all three. 



I guess if I were a kid, I would also find this part of the museum complex the most interesting.




Reminders when visiting The National Museum of the Philippines

1. Oversized bags should be deposited at the baggage counter.

2. Flash photography is not allowed.

3. Food and drinks are not allowed inside the museum.

4. There is no dress code but people generally wear smart casual to museums.


Museum Schedule

The National Museum of the Philippines is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Here are some historical buildings near the Lawton Ferry Station.

Manila Metropolitan Theatre



This is the Manila Central Post Office that burned down in May 2023.




Liwasang Bonifacio


Comments

  1. RoseTuesday, January 02, 2024 11:49:00 PM

    The info regarding the museum schedule and your reminders are very helpful. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFriday, February 09, 2024 12:25:00 PM

    Thank you for sharing. I need to visit this museum in the future.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Register to DITO Promos Thru Text

Image
I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to register to DITO promos without going through their app. I don't know why but apparently DITO's app needs internet connection to be accessed. How very counterintuitive! Imagine, I was about to register to a Smart Promo just to access their app and subscribe to a promo! Anyway, thank goodness I was able to find a way to subscribe to DITO promos without using their app. Here is how you can register to DITO promos thru text: 1. Text HELP or 0000 to 185. This is free of charge. 2. You will receive a reply with the menu. Choose 'Buy Promo'. 3. Choose your desired promo and confirm your purchase. That's it! Now you just have to wait for a text confirmation or try to check if you can now access the internet. Hope this helps you out!
READ MORE

Zamboanga Hermosa song lyrics

Image
Zamboanga hermosa, preciosa perlita Orgullo de Mindanao Tus bellas dalagas son las que hermosean Tu deliciosa ciudad. Flores y amores que adornan tu jardin Eres la imagen del bello eden Zamboanga hermosa, preciosa perlita Orgullo de Mindanao. Here is a YouTube video of Zamboanga Hermosa by Major Chords (03:30 mark). Zamboanga Hermosa was written by Vicente Orendain during the early part of the 20th century. It's all about the Chabacano de Zamboanga. Bien Chabacano is the first and only blog designed for Chabacano language enthusiasts which discusses and analyzes Chabacano word origins,Chabacano grammar and vocabulary, and so much more! Click here to visit Bien Chabacano now.
READ MORE

Cuando by Comic Relief song lyrics

Image
I could describe Comic Relief in two words: cutting edge. Gone now are the times when all the Chabacano songs that we hear were about the place itself. We finally heard a pop song in Chabacano. What's great is that it's not just any Chabacano pop song, it's a good one too. It doesn't sound corny like the other songs that we hear and it's very modernized so the youth could very much relate to it. Pirmi kita ta oi: bueno pa el maga Bisaya, bale el maga de ila cancion. Pues, ahora tiene ya tambien kita bale canciones en Chabacano. Cuando Lyrics by Comic Relief Que tal man tu ahora? Donde anda? Libre ba tu, puede yo lleva pasea Pasencia conmigo Si bodi man yo Pero precura yo dale contigo el todo Hinde ba tu ta sinti? De jalo lang que sufri Ta canta este cancion Con todo mi corazon pati mi pensamiento Cuando, cuando contesta? Pirmi yo ta resa Que kita dos ay queda Tu dulce palabra Pirmi yo ta espera Cuando tu contesta Si hinde ahora Cunda
READ MORE