Five digital Philippine history museums you should visit

A screen capture of the virtual tour of the Old Senate Building of the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Museums are a vital learning resource for students and teachers alike, and it has been traditionally a non-negotiable destination of countless field trips that students take at least once a year. It is not difficult to see why this is the case: museums are designed for learning. The various artifacts, artworks, and other materials hold potential to make any history or art class come to life for the students, instead of being confined to the four walls of the classroom. Yes, we can all talk about the historical object in class, but nothing beats seeing the historical object right in front of you. As the old adage goes, to see is to believe; and in museums, we don’t just see historical objects, we could engage with them.

The global pandemic has wrought chaos to the otherwise orderly world of experiential learning provided by museums. But fret not, as many museums are now starting to digitize, extending the museum experience to the cyberspace.

In this article, we list five vital Philippine history museums a history student, teacher, or enthusiast should visit in the new normal.

1. The National Museum of the Philippines. The Philippine government’s agency that operates a number of museums in the country. These include the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Natural History, among others. 360 videos of these museums exist, such as Botong Francisco’s greatest work at the Old Senate Session Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Natural History, and this virtual tour of the National Museum. Let’s hope more virtual tours are added in the future.

2. The Presidential Museum and Library. Many of the memorabilia of many presidents of old are housed in the Executive Building of the Malacañan Palace. Luckily, virtual tours of the museum are available through Google Arts and Culture. There are currently two that could be accessed online: one is Relics of Power: Remembering the Philippine Presidents, and the other is Malacañang as Prize, Pulpit and Stage.

3. The Ayala Museum. The usual trip to the superb Ayala Museum may cost quite a sum for the regular student, but some of its exhibits are accessible online. Check out its online exhibitions, digital materials, videos, and other materials through the Ayala Museum’s Online Resources.

4. The Intramuros Museum. The historic Walled City of Manila boasts a wide collection of historical artifacts from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries of the country’s Spanish colonial period. Fortunately, Google Arts and Culture features a virtual reality tour of the Intramuros, from Plaza Roma, Baluarte de San Diego, Puerta del Parian, and other spots in the historic site. Many of the artifacts housed in the museum are also publicly available through online exhibits. An online visit would certainly be a rewarding learning experience.

5. The Martial Law Museum. A project by the Ateneo de Manila University, the Martial Law Museum is a one-stop-resource for all things relevant to understanding the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and the Martial Law period. The online museum has a rich digital library and a dedicated teaching resources page. Many of its materials are available in both English and Filipino, and scalable according to the visitor’s grade level. This online museum is surely a worthwhile visit for students and teachers alike.

So, go ahead, explore these sites and go on virtual tours. It may not be exactly the same as visiting physical museums, but while we do our best to stay at home and protect ourselves and our loved ones, we might as well enrich our knowledge of our country’s history, arts, and culture.