27 virtual museum tours you can take in the Philippines as world celebrates Int’l Museum Day

May 18, 2020 - 8:18 PM
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Leon and Galicano Museum
The Leon and Galicano Apacible Museum in Taal, Batangas. (Photo from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines)

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines encouraged Filipinos to visit the Facebook pages of different museums in the country as the world celebrates the International Museum Day amid COVID-19 lockdown.

The commission through its newly-created Twitter account shared that the pages of 27 different history museums are “very active” and included some pictures for visual reference in a thread.

The following museums are:

  1. Museo Nina Juan at Antonio Luna in Badoc, Ilocos Norte
  2. Museo ni Ramon Magsaysay in Castillejos, Zambales
  3. Museo ng Kasaysayang Panlipunan ng Pilipinas in Angeles City, Pampanga
  4. Museo at Aklatan ni Pangulong Diosdado Macapagal in Lubao, Pampanga
  5. Museo ni Mariano Ponce in Baliuag, Bulacan
  6. Museo ni Marcelo H. Del Pilar in Bulakan, Bulacan
  7. Museo Ng Kasaysayang Pampulitikal Ng Pilipinas in Casa Real, Malolos, Bulacan
  8. Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan
  9. Museo ni Manuel Quezon in Quezon City
  10. Presidential Car Museum in Quezon City
  11. Museo ng Katipunan in San Juan City
  12. Museo El Deposito, Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine in San Juan City
  13. Museo ni Apolinario Mabini in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa, Manila
  14. Museo ni Jose Rizal Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila
  15. Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite
  16. Museo ni Baldomero Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite
  17. Museo ng Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio in Maragondon, Cavite
  18. Museo ni Jose Rizal in Calamba, Laguna
  19. Museo ng Libingan sa Ilalim ng Lupa ng Nagcarlan in Laguna
  20. Museo ni Miguel Malvar in Sto. Tomas, Batangas
  21. Museo ni Apolinario Mabini in Tanauan, Batangas
  22. Museo nina Leon at Galicano Apacible in Taal, Batangas
  23. Museo nina Marcela Mariño at Felipe Agoncillo in Taal, Batangas
  24. Museo ni Jesse Robredo in Naga City
  25. Museum of Philippine Economic History in Iloilo City
  26. Museo ng Pamana at Kasaysayang Boholano in Loay, Bohol
  27. Museo ni Jose Rizal Dapitan in Zamboanga City

The NHCP said that Filipinos can also visit the agency’s official Facebook page dedicated to the history museums, as well as the different museums’ respective pages.

People can also take virtual tours of museums amid the community quarantine. Some of the museums that can be visited online are the Museo de IntramurosAyala Museum, and Presidential Museum and Library in Malacanang Palace.

These museums partnered with Google to make its galleries accessible despite travel restrictions imposed by the lockdown.

Non-essential travel remains prohibited under the modified enhanced community quarantine and the general community quarantine.

People can only travel if they are part of the industries allowed to operate and if they want to secure essential goods and services for their household.

Means of cultural exchange 

The International Museum Day is celebrated every 18th of May around the world.

It was established by the International Council of Museums and it invites museums in the global community to raise awareness of the museum’s important role in societies.

These roles include being a “means of cultural exchange” and enabling an “enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”

For this year, the theme of the commemoration is “Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion” which aims to “celebrate the diversity of perspectives that make up the communities and personnel of museums.”

The theme also aims to champion the “tools for identifying and overcoming bias” in what museums display, as well as the stories they tell.