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.

Finally found the time to visit this museum during my most recent stay in Manila…read more The museum consisted of four floors. Ground floor had the ticket desk, bathrooms, the gift shop and a separate coffee stand was outside. The recommended starting point was the fourth floor and then make your way back down. I'll highlight my favorite sections of the museum: Reuniting the Surigao Treasure on the 4th floor was a joint exhibition with Banko Sentral Ng Pilipinas. It kicked off with a nice video introduction before entering to see the large collection of gold objects. It was well organized and documented. The women's waistbands had to be the highlight and were exquisite. The manton de Manila exhibit on the 3rd floor Main Gallery was quite beautiful with many finely handcrafted wraps. The Diorama Experience on the 2nd floor mapped out the Philippine history from prehistory until it established independence from the US as an international recognized country. There was an app to download if you wanted a VR experience as you followed the dioramas. It's centrally located in Makati and worth seeing. I spent almost 2 hours exploring.

I came here the day after I visited the Intramuros area of Manila. I wanted to further my lessons…read morein my own culture, but this time through art history and to get a view of the native people before the Spanish colonized and influenced the culture. I actually haphazardly ran into this museum a few days before just roaming through an upscale mall. It is very modern in location and in design. It is its own building on one of the corners of the mall complex, so it has its own entrance, don't have to go inside the mall itself. P750 admission for general and sure there is discount for seniors and students. That general price is like $14 US. The layout here is vertical versus just 1-2 floors. Here there are 4 floors and you start at the top and work your way down. We did this in 3 hours but one could easily be in here for 4-5 hours, if you read everything and put on headphones. Top floor was mostly a 'gold' exhibit depicting that these islands were a source for gold and thus became part of trade route for the seafaring people (Austronesians) that roamed the areas from mainland Asia to all the islands in Polynesia to Madagascar and the western coast of Africa. So within all this traveling you can see how so many influences can evolve culture from art to technology to language. These travel savvy people thrived from even 4000 years ago to about the 17th century when colonialism started to form modern countries. There was also a section on the clothing many tribes had during these times. Like these are the people who the Spanish fleet met upon arriving. 3rd floor was an art gallery but for Filipino artist mostly from the 1800s to the mid 1900s. Most of the exhibit showcase Fernando Amorsolo who was granted a national award for his depiction of rural life in the early 1900s. I was incredibly moved by this exhibit, as with just brush strokes he was able to capture a whole moment, that seems so everyday yet so symbolic of the culture. Some were more impressionist like where up close it just seems more abstract, but the further you get a clearer picture emerges. And he was also able to do some realistic portraits where it seemed like I could talk to the image. Lol. I think there is a lesser admission fee if you only wanted to view this floor only. 2nd floor is more like a history museum chronicling the timeline on when and how the Spanish came to colonize the islands, and how the country eventually claimed its independence in 1898. Very enriching experience for me and glad some of my family were willing to view it with me. 5 soul quenching stars!

This is probably one of the biggest events for all the art lovers in the Philippines. Art in the…read morePark happens only once a year for only one weekend which is why once it opens or even before it does, people are already in the area scouting for possible paintings and artwork that they can get their hands on. I'll tell you honestly, it can get crazy! What I love most about this event is that it allows people like me (who don't have much money, who don't know much about the art world) to be more exposed to all the young and old artists, the famous ones or the rising stars and have a greater appreciation of art. It also gives artists who are not always featured in the big and fancy museums to showcase their work in the public. You never know, you might find the next Manansala or Luna amidst it all.

Deep sigh. This is just going to be a rant on Philippine Art, move on while you still can!…read more Art in the Park is another exercise in showing who-you-know and is more of a"seen and be seen" kind of thing, more than anything else. Sure, there are cool artworks displayed that's under 20,000 pesos, and that brings down art to a level where the "Average" Filipino can afford it (Cause seriously, some paintings? scary. That's my annual income already.) And some works are really simple, letting people understand and experience art in an open, and less stuffy setting than, say, in a museum or one of those international galleries that are intimidating to set foot in. Apart from that? It's a lot of hipster kids dressing up in their weekend best, go around the park with a bottle of beer and a cigarette in the other hand. It's kind of... well. I don't think it brings the community together at all. Oh, well. Maybe next time would be better? (I am one of those kids trying to fit in with the "cool crowd". Haha, please notice me so I can sell artworks too.)

Looking at the artifacts left behind by Gregoria de Jesus, the "Lakhambini" or First Lady of the…read moreKatipunan, as well as the paintings here, I am swept into a world of fierce love and courage, and the extraordinary strength of this woman. I already knew then that Gregoria de Jesus, or Oryang, as she is more fondly called, is one of the most courageous women in Philippine history. But a glimpse of her life in this old house where she once lived made my respect for her soar and made her all the real to me. It was here that I learned of some of her bad-ass moves, like how she and other women smartly fooled Spaniards while Katipuneros were having meetings. She knew how to shoot, but she also tended to the wounded. She even has some teachings of her own posted at Bahay Nakpil-Bautista ("Sampung Aral ni Oryang"), some of them bad-ass too. I also got a warm feeling reading about her love story - how she was both unabashedly her own person and at the same time wife to Andres Bonifacio. When he died, Julio Nakpil, a general and the musical composer of Katipunan, took care of her protection and fell in love with her. The two married, and thus, Oryang lived in the beautiful stone and wood house of Bahay Nakpil.

The Bahay Bautista Nakpil is a former residence of the illustrious Nakpil family who have turned…read moreit into a museum-cum-workshop. The place has kept the old world charm of late 19th century Manila. Of special interest to art collectors are the wood carved santos created by master craftsmen and artisans at the site itself. The wooden carvings are not cheap. A bust or a head of a saint goes for P2,000 and is the most affordable of the sculpted works. The larger pieces go for anywhere from a low of P25,000 to a high of P100,000. It goes without saying that churches all over the country are among the favored clients of the sculptors, who unfortunately will never be known to the owners. Skilled as they are, they will never be known as artists like Castrillo or Orlina. This is a shame, but that's how the business side of art works. Still, the life-sized wooden santos are a joy to behold, and to own for those who can afford them.

Literally was in a grab car when I saw a sign of this event so I checked it out. ₽250 for…read moreseniors/students and ₽350 general admissions. Love the fact that someone decided to reused the extras wrist bands from last year for this year but turn it inside out. The transformed parking garage into many galleries was neat, thank god for a/c because maynila heat Issa killer. I enjoyed tea with the parents along with dessert to rest our tired feet from all the walking and art overload. My favorite was the archipelago exhibit featuring the vodka and gin lol.

Many art events happen in February. It's the month of art, after all. Now, I go to a lot of…read moreexhibits and conventions but this is one of my favorites. I mean, IMAGINE ALL THE PIECES AND INSTALLATIONS I'M GOING TO SEE. The Link is actually perfect for such events. Just think about the wide, open space that can be filled with booths and art installations. This year's event occupied two floors, so imagine how long it took me to view all of them. Admission isn't free, though. I believe I paid around Php 150 for the entrance, and there was an option to buy an accompanying booklet for the same amount. Looking back, I should've gotten it. I regret being stingy at the time. Oh well, there's always next year. And oh, students of Makati do not need to pay, so if you study there then it should be fine.

It's a cute and quaint museum. There are 3 floors of exhibits and the main one right now was the…read moreBenCab exhibit which was actually super cool cause it was sponsored by Samsung digital lol. We mainly came to just educate ourselves more and this is where I learned about the most famous name in the Philippines aside from God, Jesus, and Ayala: Rizal. They have buildings, parks, streets, you name it after this guy and the yuchengco museum had an entire floor dedicated to this guy and what he did for the Philippines. It was super cool. They have a good selection of paintings on the first floor including several Vincente Manansala's which are a big deal here (at the Ayala museum they had THREE huge rooms dedicated to Manansala's Art alone).

If you work or live in Manila and didn't know that the RCBC building was a cultural center, I'm…read morehere to tell you! The RCBC building at the end of Ayala Avenue has a fine arts theatre that has a lot of plays and shows and a museum! I've personally gone to the Yuchengco Museum quite a few times and I really like it there. Their permanent collection isn't so extensive but I enjoy how they always have new exhibits and even workshops. At least once a year they have the Habi exhibit and trade fair where entrepreneurs from around the country come together with local textile. I absolutely love this! I always come out of there with yards of textile for myself. There was once even a talk they gave about different tribes and what their patterns mean, it was a great experience! I love learning about our culture (especially when translated to textile) and I'm glad that there are venues like these that provide the opportunity to do so.

Try the Callos its amazing and the mango and Bagoong the food is delicious and fresh. The service…read moreis great and attentive to your every need. Also they have rooms and a wine store.Stringly recommend and close to the airport.Also the paella is not to.be missed.

The National Library is an anachronism - that's the only word that comes to mind. It's housed in an…read moreancient building along United Nations, inside the Luneta complex, and looks to be made from the same mold as the National Museum and Art Gallery. You need a library card to get in - an actual library card. They have an online catalog, but it's always broken, so you have to revert to their card catalogue. Card catalogue! Who even knows how to use one of those? Their elevator has a ceiling fan that might decapitate you any second, and to pick a floor, you need to pull a knob, twist it, and push it back in. But I consider all these ancient hardships as challenges - as all vast hoards of knowledge need a good set of obstacles to deter all but the most persevering. Once you get inside, you forget all these anyway. Your eyes focus on the rows and rows of books - ancient tomes covered in dust (because they don't clean), with pages that turn into even more dust when you try to flip them (what do you mean climate control?). Every bibliophile or history buff should spend at least an afternoon here. Bring a mask though, and an inhaler.