HOMEOF CULTURAL TREASURES
Museums and galleries play a role in promoting respect for cultural diversity
To advance national consciousness of the country’s rich cultural heritage and national identity, October is declared Museums and Galleries Month, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 798 s. 1991.
There will be free admission to all national cultural and historical museums and galleries, which will hold related activities such as lectures, workshops, conferences, heritage tours and exhibits.
This year’s theme, dubbed “Showcasing Cultural Diversity for Development and Peace,” acknowledges the role of museums and galleries in “promoting respect for cultural diversity which is a vital component of development and peace and in building a high trust and resilient Philippine society.”
Formally called Museum of Chinese in Philippine Life, Bahay Tsinoy comprises three segments. The Gallery of Rare Prints and Photographs depicts old Chinese occupations and old scenes of Binondo, while the Ching Ban Lee Ceramics displays tangible artifacts that attest to centuries-old trading between the two nations. The Jimmy Ongking Hall features Tsinoys in Nation Building, among them the late President Corazon Aquino and the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.
BSP Main Complex, Malate, Manila Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Sundays, holidays Admission fees: P100Adults and students; P90-group of 50 persons; P80-senior citizens, persons with disability Contact: (02) 708-7829 or e-mail tours@metmusuem.ph
Originally built in 1976 for international art exhibitions, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila has positioned itself as the home of contemporary art by Filipino and international artists. It takes pride on cultivating Filipinos’ own cultural and artistic heritage through BSP’s valuable collections of pre-historic gold and pottery, and colonial Hispanic art, among others.
The museum offers free admission every Tuesday (excluding guided tours) and free guided tours of the major exhibitions every Saturday at 2 p.m.