Author: National Museum of the Philippines

Inilunsad ng Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas (NMP) at ng Asian Cultural Council Philippines, katuwang ang DF Art Agency, ang panibagong eksibisyon ni Demi Padua na pinamagatang “𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬.” nitong 12 Agosto.

Tampok dito ang 14 na likhang sining na gumagamit ng 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆 𝒍’𝒐𝒆𝒊𝒍 technique, kung saan ito ay tila nagiging makatotohanan dahil sa paggamit ng mga ilaw, anino, at optical illusions.

Ang paglulunsad at ribbon-cutting ng eksibisyon ay pinangunahan nina Unang Ginang Liza Araneta Marcos, NMP Board of Trustees Chairman Andoni Aboitiz, NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns, ACC Philippines Foundation Chairman Ernest de Leon Escaler, ACC Global Chairperson Josie Cruz Natori, at Demi Padua.

Bukod sa pagiging selebrasyon ng ika-25 taong anibersaryo ng ACC Philippines Foundation, ang eksibisyong ito ay fundraiser rin para sa ACC Philippines Fellowship Program, na sumusuporta sa mga Pilipinong manlilikha sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga oportunidad para sa pag-unlad at pandaigdigang kolaborasyon.

Bukas sa publiko ang 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 mula 𝟏𝟑 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 sa President Sergio Osmeña Hall, 2/F, National Museum of Fine Arts. Bukas ito araw-araw, mula 9:00 ng umaga hanggang 6:00 ng gabi. LIBRE ang pagpasok!

#NationalMuseumPH #LayersandShadows #DemiPadua #AsianCulturalCouncilPhilippines

Sa pagdiriwang ng 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤, ikinagagalak naming ibalita na ang anim sa pitong meteorite o bulalato ng Pilipinas ay nasa Pambansang Museo na!

Noong ika-5 ng Agosto, opisyal nang naidagdag sa Pambansang Koleksyon ang mga piraso ng 𝐏𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚 (𝐏𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚, 𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟗), 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧 (𝐈𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫, 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟎), at 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐨 (𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐) 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬—ang una, ikalawa, at pinakabagong nasaksihan at naitalang bulalato sa bansa.

Ang Pampanga at Paitan ay handog ng 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦, na kinabibilangan nina Melvin Lam, Mar Christian Cruz, Abraham Catiis, at Allen Yu. Samantala, ang mga ilang piraso ng Ponggo ay ibinahagi ni G. Cruz mula sa kanyang personal na koleksyon. Ang tatlong bulalato na ito ay maisasama na sa hanay ng Pantar, Bondoc, at Orconuma meteorites na kasalukuyang nakatanghal sa Philippine Meteorites Exhibition sa National Museum of Natural History.

Dagdag pa rito, nakatanggap din ang Pambansang Museo ng bagong ispesimen ng Orconuma mula kay G. Cruz, piraso ng Pantar mula kay G. Catiis, at bahagi ng Nantan meteorite ng Tsina mula naman kay G. Lam.

Sa parehong okasyon, iprinesenta rin ang mga kamakailang donasyon sa Museo tulad ng:

• Kumpletong representasyon ng mga 𝐭𝐞𝐤𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐞 o taeng bituin na nabuo mula sa Australasian Impact Event—isang cosmic impact na pinaniniwalaang naganap sa rehiyon ng Timog-silangang Asya mga 788,000 taon na ang nakalipas, mula kay G. Aubrey Whymark, at

• Isang 21-gramong 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟕𝟑 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 na nagmula pa sa ating Buwan (lunar meteorite) at iba pang bihirang mga ispesimen, gaya ng 𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞, 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬, at 𝐮𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 o kung tawagin ay 𝐙𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐝𝐞, mula kay G. David Herskowitz. 

Bagaman simpleng mga bato sa unang tingin, ang mga bagong bahaging ito ng ating Pambansang Koleksyon ay mga tagapagsalaysay ng mahabang kasaysayan ng sangkalawakan—mga piraso ng kalawakan at daigdig na nag-uugnay sa agham, kultura, at ating imahinasyon. 

#NationalMuseumPH #PhilippineSpaceWeek #YamangKalawakan #meteorite #tektite

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.

#NationalMuseumPH

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. 

#NationalMuseumPH #NMPBaler