Author: National Museum of the Philippines

The National Museum of the Philippines officially received a collection of holotype specimens from Dr. Lawrence R. Heaney, a distinguished mammalogist and biogeographer from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, last July 29.

The turnover features 48 zoological holotypes of rats and bats, 3 archaeological mammal holotypes from Callao Cave, and 604 additional zoological specimens collected from various regions across the Philippines, including Mount Kitanglad, Mount Pulag, Mount Banahaw, the Sierra Madre mountains, as well as Lubang, Mindoro, Sibuyan, and Camiguin islands. These will be part of the NMP’s National Zoological and National Archaeological Collections, further advancing research in mammalogy, biodiversity, and conservation.

The specimen turnover by Dr. Heaney was attended by NMP representatives led by Director-General Jeremy Barns, Acting Deputy Director-General for Museums Arvin Manuel Villalon, OIC Directors Maileen Rondal (National Museum of Natural History), Dr. Marriane Ubalde (National Museum of Anthropology), and Anne Rosette Crelencia (National Museum of Fine Arts), Zoology Division Curator Marivene Manuel-Santos, and Archaeology Division Curator Dr. Mary Jane Louise Bolunia, as well as staff from various NMP divisions. Also present were University of Melbourne students under Dr. Nicole Tse, lecturer at the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation and a longtime collaborator of the National Museum.

Dr. Heaney’s extensive research in the Philippines began in 1981, particularly in the country’s forested mountain regions, and has resulted in groundbreaking discoveries in the taxonomy and biogeography of Philippine mammals. His collaboration with Filipino scientists has fostered important advancements in biodiversity conservation, and the newly acquired specimens are expected to serve as crucial references for future scientific studies.

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Last 8 July 2025, the National Museum of the Philippines offered a special preview of its newest regional component museum in Baler, Aurora.

Among those who attended the preview were Ambassador Miguel Utray Delgado of Spain, Chairman Regalado Trota Jose, Jr. of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Director Cesar Gilbert Q. Adriano of the National Library of the Philippines, and Mayor Rhett Ronan Angara of the Municipality of Baler.

In his message that gave an overview of the museum, Director-General Jeremy Barns emphasized the NMP’s vision for NMP Baler to become a tribute not only to Aurora’s rich cultural and natural heritage but also to the enduring friendship between the Philippines and Spain. He also encouraged guests from various institutions to support and cultivate NMP Baler as a space of meaningful encounters between people’s histories and ideas. 

The Director-General also expressed his gratitude to the late Senator Edgardo Angara and former Senator and now Education Secretary Sonny Angara for championing the establishment of NMP’s presence in Baler.

The special preview, held in conjunction with the 23rd Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day, also featured the pop-up exhibition “Encuentros: Tracing Philippine-Spanish Connections”, which featured carefully curated objects from our national collections. 

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Last 5 July 2025, National Museum of the Philippines Cebu launched the exhibition “𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲”, in collaboration with the Philippine Map Collectors Society (PHIMCOS). It highlights the history of cartography and mapmaking in the Philippines as seen from various historical and foreign perspectives, and also recognizes Cebu’s role as a center of trade, culture, and foreign contact in our early history, in its contribution to modern cartography in the country.

The evolution of maps, as illustrated in the exhibition, showcases the diverse perspectives on the Philippines’ geographical and topographical features and its relations with neighboring states and territories over the centuries.

Among the pieces featured in the exhibition are an English edition of the Spice Map originally produced by the Flemish-Dutch mapmaker Petrus Plancius and the iconic 18th-century maps made by Jesuit priest and cartographer Pedro Murillo Velarde, which are known for their striking accuracy and artistic quality.

The exhibition runs at NMP Cebu from July 2025 to January 2026. Make sure to drop by if you’re in the area!

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Photo Credit: Sun Life Philippines and Metro Ad-vantage Media Marketing Services Co.

Last 1 July 2025, the National Museum of the Philippines, in partnership with Sun Life Philippines, Liter of Light, and Odangputik Art Space, unveiled the Circle of Light, an art installation composed of nearly 3,000 solar lamps at the Liwasang Rizal.

The exhibition, done in celebration of Sun Life Philippines’ 130th founding anniversary, is also a strong showing of the NMP and Sun Life’s shared commitment to sustainable community development.

NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns highlighted that partnerships like this can shine a light on the challenges faced by many Filipinos. “Initiatives like the Circle of Light remind us that even the smallest beam can cut through darkness, and that through collective effort, we can illuminate a path forward toward a more inclusive and compassionate society,” he added.

In another great feat, the installation also broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Display of Solar-Powered Lamps, an achievement previously held by India.

After the exhibition, the solar lamps will be donated to communities in Rizal’s Talim Island and other areas in CALABARZON.

The exhibition is another milestone in the continued partnership between the two institutions, which began when the Sun Life Philippines Foundation became an inaugural donor of the National Museum of Natural History. Gallery 1 of the NMNH, which houses the taxidermied remains of Lolong and a variety of flora and fauna specimens, is named the “Sun Life Philippines Exhibition Hall” in recognition of the company’s generous gift to the nation.

The Circle of Life exhibition is on view at Liwasang Rizal and the National Museum of Natural History until 9 July 2025.

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