NMP LAUNCHES MOBILE MUSEUM BOXES (MMB) SIERRA MADRE


In celebration of Museums and Galleries Month 2026, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), through its Botany and National Herbarium Division (BNHD), is launching the traveling exhibition ”From Mountain Roots to Museum Routes: Mobile Museum Boxes for Sierra Madre’s Role in Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainability, and Climate Resilience”, or the Mobile Museum Boxes (MMB) Sierra Madre.
The initiative is undertaken in collaboration with the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) Infanta Chapter; Mabuwaya Foundation, Inc.; the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP); the Forest Foundation Philippines; and the Local Governments of the Municipalities of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar, Quezon Province.



MMB Sierra Madre is a travelling exhibition initiative that highlights the rich natural and cultural heritage of the southern Sierra Madre mountain range and its surrounding communities. Through the exhibition, audiences are invited to discover the region’s biodiversity, heritage, and the important relationship between its natural environment and its people.


Since its inception in 2015, the MMB has travelled extensively throughout the Visayas and Mindanao, with a particular focus on geographically inaccessible communities. By bringing museum exhibitions directly to these areas, the initiative seeks to make the museum experience more accessible and inclusive, extending the NMP’s mission of promoting and preserving the country’s natural and cultural heritage.
For 2026, MMB Sierra Madre takes the form of a travelling exhibition installed inside a bus, repurposing the Education on Wheels (EOW) vehicle previously used by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. This mobile format will allow the exhibition to reach a wider range of communities and venues across Luzon.




The exhibition will feature 12 boxes containing terrestrial plants, animals, aquatic organisms, forest products, and material culture of communities indigenous to the Sierra Madre and its surrounding areas. By bringing these stories and collections closer to communities, the exhibition seeks to deepen appreciation for the Sierra Madre and inspire greater commitment to its protection and conservation.
The travelling exhibition is expected to be presented at various locations with the following schedules:
- 7-11 October 2026 – Municipality of Real, Quezon
- 12-16 October 2026 – Municipality of Infanta, Quezon
- 16-30 October 2026 – Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) – Santa Mesa (Main Campus)
- November 2026 – PUP Education On Wheels Satellite Areas in Tondo, Manila and Payatas, Quezon City; and PUP Satellite Campuses in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, and Santa Maria, Bulacan
- 23-29 November 2026 – DOST-SEI National Science and Technology Week 2026 at General Santos City
Through initiatives such as Mobile Museum Boxes Sierra Madre, the National Museum of the Philippines continues to bring museums beyond their walls and closer to communities, making the country’s natural and cultural heritage more accessible to all.













