Spending an afternoon at the National Museum of the Philippines turned out to be one of the most…read morefascinating ways I could have learned more about my husband's country of birth. And honestly, I was not fully prepared for just how vast and layered Philippine history actually is. The National Museum complex is enormous and covers multiple museums and collections ranging from natural history, anthropology, archaeology, fine arts, indigenous cultures, colonial history, biodiversity, and the many different regions and peoples that make up the Philippines. Walking through the exhibits, you quickly realize the Philippines is not just "one culture," but a massive tapestry of languages, traditions, histories, and influences shaped by centuries of trade, migration, colonization, resistance, and survival. One of the most famous highlights inside the museum system is Juan Luna's *Spoliarium*, an enormous and emotionally powerful painting considered one of the greatest treasures of Filipino art and nationalism. Even tourists unfamiliar with Philippine history usually stop in awe when they see the sheer scale of it in person. Outside the museum, I was especially fascinated by the massive "Tree of Life" structure inside the National Museum of Natural History. It stretches dramatically upward through the center of the building and symbolizes the incredible biodiversity and interconnected ecosystems found throughout the Philippine islands. It is honestly one of the most visually striking museum interiors I've seen anywhere. Now, fair warning: If you visit during school hours, prepare yourself for children. Children everywhere. Apparently Filipino schools absolutely love bringing students here for field trips, and during our visit there were enormous groups of excited students moving through nearly every section of the museum. Honestly though, it was actually kind of heartwarming seeing so many kids actively engaged and learning about their own country's history. The museum itself is very large, and once you start walking, you are going to be walking quite awhile. One small complaint I did have was the lack of seating areas throughout some sections. At a certain point my husband and I found ourselves quietly scanning corners for open benches like exhausted archaeological explorers searching for buried treasure. Still, the experience was absolutely worth it. I loved wandering through the exhibits with my husband, listening to him explain little pieces of Filipino culture and history to me while I absorbed it all through fresh eyes. It felt less like simply visiting a museum and more like gaining a deeper understanding of a country and people I have grown to love deeply myself. The Philippines truly is a beautiful country -- not just in scenery, but in history, resilience, culture, and spirit. And this museum does a wonderful job reminding visitors of that.

During our travels in the Philippines, we made the most of our time visiting the cultural gems…read moreManila has to offer with the National Museum being one of them. My non-Filipino husband was interested in learning about my heritage which inspired my cousin to put together a day trip to the museum. The National Museum is comprised of multiple buildings which are: *The National Museum of Fine Arts *The National Museum of Anthropology *The National Museum of Natural History All are within the same compound but if you plan to visit all 3 buildings be prepared to wear comfortable shoes fit for a day's worth of walking. I also recommend bringing a bottle of water if you can. The museums are free to the public and we managed to visit two out of the three buildings (Fine Arts and Anthropology). We briefly visited the Fine Arts building and were impressed by the massive murals steps within entering. The most moving and impressive works come from one of the country's renowned painters, Juan Luna. His masterpiece, Spoilarium, is one not to miss. It was also interesting to read up on his life which oddly had a dark and ill-fated twist. The Anthropology building has fascinating curated material with discovered relics spanning the country. Some of the oldest material on exhibit dates from 5 BC. Currently artifacts continue to be uncovered/donated and the collection perpetually grows. Overall, the Anthropology museum was our favorite. We left very impressed with the exhibits. Aside from the common touristy things to do, don't discount the National Museum. The information and history behind each piece will leave you culturally enriched.

I first found out about the School of Design and Arts' Museum of Contemporary Art and Design when I…read moregot lost while looking for the bathroom. I opened the wrong door and - voila! - there's a naked dude pretending to be a statue (not naked naked, he had a sort of a tea cozy on his equipment because this was still a Catholic school), among other exhibitions. I learned that day that the College of Saint Benilde had its own museum, and that the exhibits were mostly occupied by the students of the School of Design and Arts, as well as the occassional famous person. I thought it was really cool, and I ended up getting a selfie with the naked dude statue because why the hell not.

MCAD is a really beautiful space for art. I'm not sure the students at Benilde, La Salle, and St…read more Scho know how lucky they are to be in such close proximity to a gallery that, though still pretty young, manages to hold beautiful, interesting exhibits of artists from all over. The last show I've seen was the one-man exhibit of Paul Pfeiffer, entitled Vitruvian Figure, and there has not been a better use of MCAD's hugeness in a while. Recreations of the Philippine arena, a moving image of a sunrise/sunset, and a dark theater screening of a spoken word choir performance echoing the video installations outside really drove the point home of how greatly the museum space elevates the art housed within it. What's great too is that they involve the CSB student body by giving some the opportunity to be mediators and engage visitors by speaking about the works and answering questions about them. It's a pretty cool thing, as it allows people to have a more personal exchange with the works there. I'm glad they've gotten their own entrance along one of the side roads now. Though I fear for the open shelving they have as their bag deposit, it does open the museum a little more to the public. MCAD brims with so much possibility and I look forward to my next visit.

₽100 per person for the entrance fee which hats must be taken off. The museum opens at 10am and I…read moregave myself about an 1.5 hours to view the exhibits. You can take photos of the art without flash except the rococo painting by the restrooms. On Tuesday's it's there is no cost to enter.

Nice little museum, thought provoking and a window to the socio economic and political climate of…read morethe Philippines over the past few decades. More importantly a very profound picture of the Filipino psyche in regards to government, church, religion and general everyday life. If you visit Manila, do not pass here without going in for a couple of hours.

When you are an artist looking for some inspiration, better head to the National Art Gallery and be…read moreinspired by works of the great masters! Art Gallery is one of the buildings that make up the National Museum. The other one being the Museum of the Filipino People (which I highly suggest you visit as well). The Art Gallery houses the very popular Spoliarium by Juan Luna (yes, years of hearing this in the classroom over and over again finally paid off) and also The Assassination of Governor Bustamante (El Asesinato del Gobernador Bustamante by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. I would like to thank my teacher in my Jose Rizal course in college for teaching me everything I needed to know about these paintings. After you have been mesmerized by those two paintings, which by the way, is located in the old House of Representatives Session Hall, you will encounter the 1st Gallery that houses religious artifacts dating back from the 17th-19th centuries. Then more paintings await you upstairs. Two of my favorite galleries are the Gallery IV: Academic and Neoclassical Sculpture and Gallery V: Homage to Dr. José Rizal.

The National Art Gallery, the art arm of the National Museum, is a rather impressive collection of…read morenotable and historically significant local artworks. The building that houses this gallery used to be the Legislature building, and served double-duty as the home of the Senate of the Philippines until 1996. Talk about relics. Just to clear up some confusion, when locals point to this building as the National Museum, they're technically half-right. Up until a decade ago, this building WAS the whole National Museum. Now, the artifacts of the National Museum have been divided between two buildings, with all the anthropological stuff moved to The Museum of the Filipino People at the former Finance Building. This building, however, still houses the Natural Sciences exhibits until the National Museum of Natural History building has been completed. Now with that out of the way... Admission to both museums is at P150 from Monday to Saturdays. On Sundays, you can come in for free. The P150 is a steal from the first hall alone when you scope out the first painting you will see: The Spoliarium. The Spoliarium, a huge mural depicting fallen gladiators, is arguably the most important artwork done by a Filipino (Juan Luna). The artworks featured in the building are divided by time periods, and I won't go discussing them in detail because hey, my idea of a masterpiece would probably differ from yours. But you know what? Do yourself a favor and go through the entire museum. It's a fascinating peek on how we as a people, historically speaking, took so-called "elitist" art forms and made it our own. The building itself is an attraction; do check out the former Senate Plenary Hall and take it all in.

"...because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff... Nerds are…read moreallowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can't-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they're saying is 'you like stuff.' Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, 'you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness'." -John Green I'm a nerd, plain and simple. And it sucks that there isn't a lot of support or a definite community for people like me in the Philippines. Finding a Doctor Who fan in this country is like trying to find a Dingdong Dantes fan in Africa. And my heart breaks every year that I don't get to go to the San Diego Comic Con. So when I found out that there's such a thing as a toy museum in Manila, I jumped at the chance to see what's inside. I basically dragged my girlfriend over to Manila Ocean Park and ogled the rather small but still awesome collection for hours. Stormtroopers! The Fellowship! The Iron Throne! Smeagol! They're all here! Remember that scene in This is the End when they're in heaven and they're told that they can wish for anything, and they wished for a Backstreet Boys reunion? I'd wish to be surrounded by these toys (ehem, action figures) and maybe that Backstreet Boys reunion too.

If you're a fan of comic book superheroes, the Star Wars franchise, and the epic fantasy adventure…read moreLord of the Rings, this museum is for you. The Amazing Stories of Yexel's Museum features life-sized interpretations of various superheroes and fantasy characters. My favorite part of the collection is the Iron Man Room that is a replica of Tony Stark's "walk-in closet". The Tony Stark groupie in me puked rainbows when I realized that I'm surrounded by different powered armors (general purpose and specialized!). There's also an autographed replica of the Arc Reactor. Too much awesomeness in one room, I tell you! The Star Wars collection is another favorite of mine. A room filled with Stormtroopers awaiting Darth Vader's orders-- one can almost hear the Imperial March, not to mention Darth Vader's raspy breathing! I hope they add some members of the Rebel Alliance to the collection though. A life-sized Chewbacca, or even Yoda, would be perfection.

Beautiful to experience the old Philippines looking at antique furnitures and photos. A must see…read morefor new generation. No entrance fee. Grab the opportunity and visit the museum

Very nice museum worth the visit Lots of things to see…read moreplaces in the museum Had to come back the next day to finish viewing the museum

Beautiful place perfect for students and adults to learn and unwind. I recommend for anyone to…read morecheck out with good photo opportunities and experience something new

Art in Island is a beautiful museum. Featuring an assortment of interactive art and an exhibition…read morearea, there is something for every age and every art lover. Some optical illusions of famous work, shadow walls, a state of the art 360 viewing room, and 3D pieces make this place a phenomenal way to spend a few hours. They have nursing rooms and a lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. Oh yeah, wear sox or you will have to buy some; there are no shoes allowed.

My trip to the Philippines wouldn't have been complete without visiting Intramuros…read more We took a rideshare and our driver dropped us off on Soriano Ave & General Luna St. As soon as we got out of the vehicle, a tour guide approached us. He had one of those pictorial cards and pointed to the photos of where his stops would be. His tour price was reasonable. We signed up with him right on the spot. It was half walking and half riding around in an e-cart. He was a seasoned tour guide and knew his way around Intramuros. The e-cart driver was a safe driver too. We stopped by top destinations like Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, and Baluarte de San Diego. I'm glad there were interpretive signs at each spot. We saw some kalesas too. Our guide was accommodating and flexible with our time. He also directed us to restrooms as needed. It was a good private tour. Right place, right time. We took a lot of photos. We were able to pay him in cash money Philippine Pesos after the tour ended. Something to think about when touring Intramuros is that it gets pretty hot. I would recommend bringing a handheld electric fan and/or an electric neck fan, a power bank to charge electronics, a UV umbrella, water and snacks. Wear good shoes, light clothes, and put on sunscreen as well. If it's your first time Intramuros, there is a lot to absorb. You can always return and explore on your own, at your own pace once you know the lay of the land. Intramuros was a good place to visit for Philippine history, culture, and architecture.

My cousins brought me here when I visited, and this place contains so much of the Philippine's…read morehistory with the Spanish invasion. So much sadness for those who were tortured and killed to even the death of the country's hero. It makes you appreciate your own life and the freedom you have. If you'd like to learn more of its history, it's definitely a place to visit when you're in Manila.

This is the very popular painting of filipino painter Sir Juan Luna. It describes slavery that…read moreshows in this art of his...ok