The Husband and I have been planning for the longest time to visit museums around Manila but just couldn’t find the time. Thanks to a blog post online (c/o our friend Zer), we found out about the guided tour of the National Museum.

If you have forgotten how great it is to be a Filipino, wanted to be reminded of our history, or experience Filipino culture at its best, then forget the mall this weekend and join the National Museum tour. Each tour is three hours long, starting at 10AM sharp in front of the Museum of the Filipino People. Wear comfortable shoes as you will be going up and down the stairs and even cross the street to access the other building.

The tour guide, John Silva is a senior consultant of the National Museum and an advocate for the arts and heritage preservation. I enjoyed his anecdotes and his passion in encouraging people to embrace our history and culture. There were a few moments when I just couldn’t help but get teary eyed thinking about our brave heroes and the sufferings of our kababayans. I always knew Filipinos are creative but after seeing preserved artworks with my own eyes, I was just blown away. The 82 year old woman who weaves these amazing patterns from her dreams was just one of those people. Makes you wonder what happened to our generation.

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And the paintings. I was speechless and my heart felt like it was going to burst seeing the old and the new. I’ve seen the Spolarium once when I was a kid and but it doesn’t compare to what I felt last Saturday when I saw the huge painting again. It’s the real deal. And the story behind it? I’ll leave it to you to find out on your own.


Entrance to the room containing the Spolarium painting. The Husband didn’t take a photo for a reason. I don’t know what that is yet but he said he will blog about it soon.

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So please, visit the National Museum. You will not regret it. Even if art bores you, there are plenty of areas that you can explore. The entrance is Php100 but if you take the guided tour, which I hope you will, it will cost Php700 for three hours. The funds will go to John Silva’s I LOVE MUSEUM PROGRAM. He brings public school teachers to the National Museum and gives them a 7-hour tour to encourage them to bring their students to the museum instead of the malls.

Tour Dates: Oct 1, 4, 5, 8, 29, Nov 2, 5, 9, 12, 19, 22, 23, 26
For reservations, please email: jsilva79@mac.com

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE
Padre Burgos Street (In the former Finance Building on Rizal Park, Manila)
Telephone: +63 2 527 0278
Fax: +63 2 527 0306
Monday – Saturday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Admission: P100