Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | August 12, 1887 [1] |
Preceding Agency |
|
Jurisdiction | Philippine arts and cultural development |
Headquarters | National Museum of Fine Arts, Padre Burgos Avenue, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila, Philippines 14°35′12″N120°58′52″E / 14.58667°N 120.98111°E |
Annual budget | ₱537.44 million (2021) [2] |
Agency executives |
|
Parent department | Department of Education National Commission for Culture and the Arts |
Website | www |
The National Museum of the Philippines (Filipino : Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas) is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines including ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological, and visual arts collections. From 1973 until 2021, [3] the National Museum served as the regulatory and enforcement agency of the government of the Philippines in the restoring and safeguarding of significant cultural properties, sites, and reservations throughout the Philippines. The mandate has since been transferred to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. [4]
The National Museum operates the National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, and the National Museum of Natural History, all located in the National Museum Complex in Manila. The institution also operates branch museums throughout the country.
The National Museum also established and operates regional museums across the Philippines: National Museum Eastern-Northern Mindanao (Butuan), National Museum Central Visayas Regional Museum (Cebu City), National Museum Western Visayas (Iloilo City), National Museum Western-Southern Mindanao (Zamboanga City), and National Museum Ilocos (Vigan City), to name a few.
The first predecessor to the current National Museum of the Philippines organization was the Museo-Biblioteca de Filipinas which was established by royal decree by the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines on August 12, 1887. Its first museum-library opened at the Casa de la Moneda along Cabildo Street on October 24, 1891. It later moved to a building along Gunao Street in Quiapo before it became defunct sometime around the onset of the American occupation of the Philippines in 1900. [5]
The American-supervised Philippine Commission established the Insular Museum of Ethnology, Natural History, and Commerce under the Department of Public Instruction on October 29, 1901 through Act No. 284 to replace the museum-library. The Insular Museum was founded to complement the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes which was later renamed as the Bureau of Ethnological Survey. After the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, the Insular Museum was renamed as the Philippine Museum. The Bureau of Ethnological Survey was abolished as a separate bureau and was reorganized as the Division of Ethnology under the Bureau of Education in 1905. It was subsequently moved to the Bureau of Science in 1906. [6]
In 1916, the organization of the Philippine Museum underwent another overhaul. Through Act No. 2572, the Philippine Library and Museum was created through the merger of the Division of Ethnology and the Fine Arts Division of the Philippine Museum. The Philippine Museum's Natural History Division was retained under the Bureau of Science. [6]
The National Museum of the Philippine Islands would be established on December 7, 1928 through Act No. 3477. It was placed under the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. It was abolished in 1933 by Act No. 4007. The Division of Fine Arts was placed under the Philippine Library and Museum (now National Library of the Philippines) while the Division of Ethnology was placed under the Bureau of Science. The National Museum Division was created from the merger of the Division of Ethnology and the Natural History Division. The National Museum Division was renamed as the National History Museum Division with the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce named as its parent agency via Commonwealth Act No. 453 in 1939. The Division was later merged to the National Library's Division of Fine Arts to become the National Museum under the Office of the Executive Secretary. [6]
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II brought the Natural History Museum Division and the National Library's Fine Arts Division back under a single organization, but the museum lost a large part of its collection during the Liberation of Manila of 1945 when the Old Legislative Building and the Bureau of Science Building was destroyed. The organization which resulted from the divisions' merger was named as the National Museum and was placed under the Office of the Executive Secretary. [5] The Legislative Building was later restored.
The museum's role in cultural growth was recognized as contributing to government's desire for national development. [7] In 1966, President Ferdinand Marcos signed Republic Act No. 4846 or the Cultural Properties and Protection Act.[ citation needed ] In 2013, President Noynoy Aquino launched the construction of the National Museum of Natural History, which opened in 2018. Aquino also backed the construction and development of several regional museums, including the museums in Batanes, Vigan, Marinduque, Bohol and Iloilo, among others, while supporting the heritage preservation projects of the National Museum, including the restoration of churches damaged by natural calamities, including churches in Cebu, Bohol, and Eastern Samar. [8] In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte changed the agency's name from National Museum to National Museum of the Philippines through Republic Act No. 11333. [9]
The National Museum Complex consist of the central museums of the National Museum of the Philippines. These are the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology, and the National Museum of Natural History. The National Planetarium was also part of this complex.
Museum | Opened | |
---|---|---|
National Museum of Fine Arts | 2000 | |
National Museum of Anthropology | 1998 | |
National Museum of Natural History | 2018 |
The National Museum has also established numerous satellite museums outside Metro Manila.
Museum | Location | Opened |
---|---|---|
NM Cordillera Regional Museum (National Museum Cordillera) | Kiangan, Ifugao | 1984 |
NM Ilocos Regional Museum Complex (National Museum Ilocos) | Vigan and Magsingal, Ilocos Sur | |
NM Cagayan Valley Regional Museum (National Museum Cagayan Valley) | Peñablanca, Cagayan | 1980s |
NM Bicol Regional Museum (National Museum Bicol) | Daraga, Albay | |
NM Central Visayas Regional Museum (National Museum Central Visayas) | Cebu City | 2023 |
NM Western Visayas Regional Museum (National Museum Western Visayas) | Iloilo City | 2019 |
NM Davao Regional Museum (National Museum Davao) | Davao City | 2024 |
NM Eastern-Northern Mindanao Regional Museum (National Museum Eastern-Northern Mindanao) | Butuan | 1978 |
NM Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Museum (National Museum Zamboanga Peninsula) | Zamboanga City | 1986 |
Museum | Location | Opened |
---|---|---|
NM Batanes Area Museum (National Museum Batanes) | Uyugan, Batanes | 2012 |
NM Marinduque-Romblon Area Museum (National Museum Marinduque-Romblon) | Boac, Marinduque | 1995 |
NM Bohol Area Museum (National Museum Bohol) | Tagbilaran, Bohol | 2018 |
NM Sulu Archipelago Area Museum (National Museum Sulu) | Jolo, Sulu | 1982 |
NM Dumaguete Museum | Dumaguete, Negros Oriental | 2022 |
Museum | Location | Opened |
---|---|---|
NM Kabayan Burial Caves Site Museum (National Museum Kabayan) | Kabayan, Benguet | 1982 |
NM Tabon Caves Site Museum | Quezon, Palawan | 1972 |
Angono Binangonan Petroglyphs | Angono and Binangonan, Rizal | |
The National Museum had a satellite museum in Bolinao, Pangasinan. It was an archeological museum featuring historic objects retrieved from the different parts of the province. It first opened in 1970. [10]
The Planetarium was planned in the 1970s by former National Museum Director Godofredo Alcasid Sr. with the assistance of Mr. Maximo P. Sacro Jr. of the Philippine Weather bureau and one of the founders of the Philippine Astronomical Society.
The building started on construction on 1974 and completed 9 months after. It was formally inaugurated on October 8, 1975. The Presidential Decree No. 804-A, issued on September 30, 1975, affirmed the Planetarium's status. The Planetarium is located between the Japanese Garden and the Chinese Garden at the Rizal Park. [11]
The National Museum offers numerous lectures, workshops, and seminars annually. However, most of these events happen at the museums within Metro Manila. More than 80% of provinces in the country have yet to possess a museum under the authority of the National Museum. A partial reason for this lacking is the non-existence of a Department of Culture. In late 2016, a bill establishing the Department of Culture and the Arts and another bill strengthening the National Museum, including its regional museums, were filed in the Senate. Both bills were formally introduced in early 2017, but neither prospered in the legislation process due to lack of support from lawmakers. [12]
In 2023, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC agreed to return the remains of 64 Filipinos that it acquired without consent during the American occupation for anthropological research, including to support racist beliefs about white supremacy, and stored at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, to the National Museum following discussions with the latter and the Philippine Embassy. [13]
In February 2024, the museum received a donation of four early 19th-century panels depicting various saints from the pulpit of Boljoon Church in Cebu from Union Bank of the Philippines CEO Edwin Bautista. The news of the donation led to demands from the Archdiocese of Cebu as well as officials and residents of the province for the panels to be repatriated, citing the fact that they had went missing from the church during the 1980s due to either theft or an illegal sale by the parish priest. [14] In response, the museum said that it was open to share the panels with Cebu, adding that the donors procured the panels through legitimate means, “highlighting their commitment to ethical acquisition.” [15] A copy of the deed of donation of the panels obtained by Rappler read that the panels should stay with the museum, which would hold them in perpetuity and put them on display, while acknowledging that the panels came from Boljoon Church. [16] On April 1, the Cebu Provincial Board passed a motion to file charges against the National Museum and others who took custody over the panels. [17]
Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's employment, business, and entertainment activities.
Dumaguete, officially the City of Dumaguete, is a 2nd class component city and capital of the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 134,103 people. It is the most populous city and the smallest city by land area in Negros Oriental.
Rizal Park, Luneta, also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area of 58 hectares. The site on where the park is situated was originally known as Bagumbayan during the Spanish colonial period. It is adjacent to the historic Walled City of Intramuros.
Boljoon, officially the Municipality of Boljoon, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,525 people.
Dean Conant Worcester, D.Sc., FRGS was an American zoologist, public official, and authority on the Philippines. He was born at Thetford, Vermont, and educated at the University of Michigan. Worcester's involvement with the Philippines began in 1887 when he joined a scientific expedition to the region as a junior member. This experience laid the groundwork for his controversial career in the early American colonial government, which commenced in 1899. He held firm beliefs in the colonial mission and vehemently opposed Philippine independence. Worcester's influence extended as he served as the Secretary of the Interior of the Philippine Islands until 1913. Afterward, he shifted his focus to business endeavors, particularly in coconut farming and processing, cattle raising, and maritime shipping lines. He died in the Philippines, leaving behind a legacy of both public service and entrepreneurial success.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the Philippines mandated to provide protection against natural calamities and to ensure the safety, well-being and economic security of all the people, and for the promotion of national progress by undertaking scientific and technological services in meteorology, hydrology, climatology, astronomy and other geophysical sciences. Created on December 8, 1972, by reorganizing the Weather Bureau, PAGASA now serves as one of the Scientific and Technological Services Institutes of the Department of Science and Technology.
The National Museum of Anthropology, formerly known as the Museum of the Filipino People, is a component museum of the National Museum of the Philippines which houses Ethnological and Archaeological exhibitions. It is located in the Agrifina Circle, Rizal Park, Manila adjacent to the National Museum of Fine Arts building.
Juan Marcos Arellano y de Guzmán, or Juan M. Arellano, was a Filipino architect, best known for Manila's Metropolitan Theater (1935), Legislative Building, the Manila Central Post Office Building (1926), the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (1934), the Central Student Church, the old Jaro Municipal Hall (1934) and the Old Iloilo City Hall (1935) in Iloilo, the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol (1936), the Cebu Provincial Capitol (1937), the Bank of the Philippine Islands Cebu Main Branch (1940), Misamis Occidental Provincial Capitol Building (1935), Cotabato Municipal Hall (1940) and the Jones Bridge during the pre-war era.
The Philippine Normal University is a public coeducational teacher education and research university in the Philippines. It was established in 1901 through Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission "for the education of natives of the Islands in the science of teaching". It has campuses in Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9647, it is the country's National Center for Teacher Education.
The architecture of the Philippines reflects the historical and cultural traditions in the country. Most prominent historic structures in the archipelago are influenced by Austronesian, American architectures.
The National Archives of the Philippines is an agency of the Republic of the Philippines mandated to collect, store, preserve and make available archival records of the Government and other primary sources pertaining to the history and development of the country. It is the primary records management agency, tasked to formulate and implement the records schedule and vital records protection programs for the government. The archives as they are organized today are a result of the passage of Republic Act 9470 in 2007, but its roots can be traced back to at least the 19th century during the Spanish colonial government.
The Saint Matthias Parish Church, commonly known as Tumauini Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Tumauini, Isabela, Philippines, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Ilagan. It became a separate parish independent from Cabagan under the advocacy of Saint Matthias in 1751.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima, commonly known as Boljoon Church, is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Our Lady of the Patronage in the municipality of Boljoon, Cebu, Philippines, under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu.
The San Isidro Labrador Parish Church, commonly known as Lazi Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Lazi, Siquijor, Philippines within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dumaguete. It became an independent parish in 1857 under the advocacy of Saint Isidore the Laborer.
The Bureau of Customs is a Filipino government agency that is responsible for the collecting of customs duties, excise duties, and other indirect taxes in the Philippines. It is part of the Philippines Department of Finance.
The National Museum of Natural History is the national natural history museum of the Philippines. It is located along Agrifina Circle in Rizal Park, Manila.
The National Planetarium, also known as the National Museum Planetarium, was a planetarium owned and operated by the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila. It was a 16-meter (52 ft) dome located in Rizal Park between the Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden on Padre Burgos Avenue in the central district of Ermita. It opened on October 8, 1975.
Cebu's 2nd congressional district is one of the seven congressional districts of the Philippines in the province of Cebu. It has been represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines since 1916 and earlier in the Philippine Assembly from 1907 to 1916. The district consists of the southern Cebu municipalities of Alcoy, Argao, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Oslob, Samboan and Santander. It is currently represented in the 19th Congress by Edsel Galeos of the Lakas-CMD.
The Iloilo Customs House is a historical building in Iloilo City, Philippines. It was built in 1916 to a design by American architect Ralph Harrington Doane, then Consulting Architect of the Bureau of Public Works in the Philippine Islands. Among the three American-era customs houses in the Philippines, it is the second largest and second oldest. The building is located at Muelle Loney Street and Aduana Street along the Iloilo River and still houses the offices of the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Immigration in Iloilo City.