Gallery

International Workshop on World War Shipwrecks in Southeast Asia – Threats of Marine Pollution and Looting in Indonesia

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in Uncategorized.

Last 6-7 December 2023, Bobby C. Orillaneda, Curator of our Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division (MUCHD), participated in the Workshop on World War Shipwrecks in Southeast Asia – Threats of Marine Pollution and Looting at Grand Kemang Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Organized by UNESCO, the workshop aims to enhance regional awareness and interest in sustainable development and protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH). With a particular focus on World War shipwrecks, the workshop also seeks to reflect on current challenges and to facilitate expert discussions and regional cooperation to identify key safeguarding actions for maritime cultural heritage.

Country Representatives from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam as well as international experts from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, and Japan comprised the attendees. Mr. Orillaneda presented the “Status of World War II Shipwreck Research in the Philippines” as a Country Report on Session 1: Human Threats and Impacts of Natural Disaster and Climate Change on Sunken Warships – Issues and Challenges. He also moderated Session 2: Legal Regime for Preservation and Protection of Wrecks of Historical or Archaeological Significance, and Session 3: Country Presentations – Issues and Challenges of Cambodia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. He was also interviewed by UNESCO media and Dr. Noel Tan, Senior Archaeology Officer for the SEAMEO-SPAFA.

The conference participants have identified issues such as the 2001 Convention of the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, funding, infrastructure, government support, looting, climate change, shipwreck tourism, potentially polluting wrecks (PPW), and the values attached to WW shipwrecks. At the end of the workshop, a recommendation was drafted, recognizing the importance of Southeast Asian UCH, the threat it faces, and the need for cooperation among different stakeholders in each country as well as the larger Southeast Asian region with the help of the UNESCO 2001 Convention to address these issues.

“50 YEARS OF PHILIPPINE DESIGN AND BEYOND” EXHIBIT OPENS AT NMFA

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in Uncategorized.

Fifty years after its establishment, the Design Center of the Philippines, in partnership with  the National Museum of the Philippines and the DTI’s Malikhaing Pinoy Program, presents a retrospective view of momentous developments in a large-scale exhibition surveying “50 Years of Philippine Design and Beyond.”

Curated by Marian Pastor Roces and designed by Architect Royal Pineda, “50 Years of Philippine Design and Beyond” offers an expanded view of the many design practices that drove export markets and changed material culture in the Philippines. The exhibition demonstrates the ability of designed objects, images, and systems to narrate new ideas, focus on cross-cultural links, and drive economic engines.

The exhibition is staged at Galleries XXV, XXVI, and 4/F Mezzanine of the National Museum of Fine Arts. It will be open for public viewing after the holiday season.

The National Museum of Fine Arts is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9 AM to 6 PM. Admission is FREE!

#NationalMuseumPH #DesignCenterofThePhilippines #50YearsofPHDesign #PhilippineDesign

Archaeology in the spirit of Christmas: The bronze bell from Kalanay Cave

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in Uncategorized.

As we draw nearer to the peak of the holiday season, join us in unwrapping yet another archaeological treasure as this week’s #TrowelTuesday features a bronze bell from Kalanay Cave, Masbate!

The church bell has always been a popular Christmas symbol. In Christian tradition, the ringing of bells serves as a call to the community and signals the start of the Simbang Gabi (Night Mass) and Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass). 

Did you know that there are bells recovered from archaeological sites in the Central Philippines?

The Kalanay Cave site is a small burial cave located in Aroroy, Masbate Island. Archaeological investigations were conducted in the 1950s by the late Wilhelm Solheim II, an American anthropologist and archaeologist who pioneered the excavations on Masbate Island. The cave contained large quantities of pottery, stone and iron tools, and some fragmentary skeletal remains.

Potteries in various forms, shapes, and decorations were present in the cave, and most were classified as Kalanay. The majority of the Kalanay potteries are plain, while some of the decorated vessels are incised, impressed, and slipped. Jars vary in size, while bowls have a rounded bottom or a ring foot. Interestingly, a bell was also found inside the Kalanay Cave. The small, thinly encrusted bell is made of bronze and measures 27 mm in length and 12.5 mm in diameter. It has a loop top (with a 2-mm opening) and a free-swinging clapper inside, attached to a bar from the bottom of the bell.

Only little can be inferred about the life of the people who used the Kalanay Cave. Four individuals were likely interred in the cave, and one was below 18 years of age. Associated finds, other than pottery, are shell artifacts, nephrite adze, tektite, jade beads, and a number of metal artifacts including the bronze bell. There was no indication that the cave was inhabited; thus, it is classified as a burial site.

See some of the distinct Kalanay earthenware pottery by visiting the “Palayok: The Ceramic Heritage of the Philippines” exhibition at the National Museum of Anthropology. We are open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9 AM to 6 PM. Admission is FREE!

#NationalMuseumPH #BronzeBell #KalanayCaveSite #UnwrappingThePast #Aroroy #Masbate

Shell Bracelets

Posted on:  |  rochelle-van reyes Posted in Uncategorized.

Shell Bracelets in Prehistoric Philipines

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The holiday season is just around the corner! It’s that time of the year when we put on our best clothes for merry-making. Other than offering body protection from the environment, clothing is one of several means for people to express themselves. Body adornments, such as jewelry, are usually worn as an extension of clothing and enhance an individual’s look. Today’s #TrowelTuesday features shell ornaments—bracelets in particular—from the National Archaeological Collection!

Did you know that the oldest articles of jewelry were fashioned out of shells? Among these were beads made from the shells of dog whelks (Tritia gibbosula), a type of marine snail. The shell beads, dating to at least 142,000 years ago, were excavated at the Bizmoune Cave in Morocco. Archaeologists believed that these perforated shells, which could have been worn strung together, conveyed the wearer’s individual or group identity. 

In the Philippines, shell ornaments such as beads, bracelets, and pendants were recovered from several archaeological sites, with the earliest dating to 4,700 years ago in Duyong Cave. Specifically, shell bracelets possibly emerged in the archipelago around 3,500 years ago, as evidenced by shell artifacts recovered from Leta Leta Cave in northern Palawan. 

Shell bracelets are made from different types of shells such as cone snails, limpets, top snails, and giant clams, each exhibiting varieties of form and design across time and space. Their technology and usage seem to have persisted until the arrival of the Spanish. In fact, until the 20th century, anthropologists still documented a few indigenous communities manufacturing shell bracelets. An example of such a bracelet is displayed at the Lumad Mindanao Gallery of the National Museum of Anthropology.

Visit these artifacts at the National Museum of Anthropology! Open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9AM to 6PM. Admission is FREE!

#NationalMuseumPH #ShellBracelets

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“ALAMAT: REVISITING PHILIPPINE FOLKLORE” SPECIAL EXHIBITION OPENS AT NMA

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in News and Events, Uncategorized.

A special exhibition featuring award-winning, multidisciplinary artist Leeroy New and other emerging Filipino artists is now on view at the National Museum of Anthropology (NMA). “Alamat: Revisiting Philippine Folklore” draws from the mystical narratives and iconography of Philippine folklore, offering a harmonious confluence of tradition and modernity. 

Through a collection of paintings and sculptures on loan from J Studio, the exhibition pays a nostalgic tribute to the stories that have contributed to shaping the Filipino psyche. They beckon to embark on a stimulating journey between the ethereal and the quotidian, showing alternative views of the grotesque spaces of our imagination.

At the core of this exhibition, visitors may now explore the intersection of pre-colonial oral histories and futuristic science fiction that Leeroy New conveys with “Balay Balete”, a large-scale installation that appears to engulf the NMA Courtyard. In Gallery 2, he alludes to old tales about the pillars that cradle the earth, creating a fluorescent forest environment composed of reusable resin foam, upcycled plastic, bamboo, and other found materials. Together, these works transform the traditional anthropology gallery space into a thought-provoking, immersive experience. They were commissioned by pop culture magnate, Tim Yap, specifically for this exhibition, launching in conjunction with his annual star-studded Halloween costume ball last 30 October.

Experience “Alamat: Revisiting Philippine Folklore” at The Courtyard and Gallery 2 of the National Museum of Anthropology until 31 December 2023! Open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9 AM to 6 PM. Admission is FREE!

NMP IS NOW ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED; PRIME-HRM LEVEL II ACCREDITED IN RSP AND PM

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in News and Events, Uncategorized.

This year’s Museums and Galleries Month has been more meaningful as the National Museum of the Philippines received two recognitions this first week of #MGM2023: the NMP’s first ISO 9001:2015 Certification for its Quality Management System (QMS), covering the processes on the provision and management of museum exhibitions, visitor experience, and support services that are compliant with international standards, and the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) Maturity Level II in Recruitment, Selection and Placement (RSP), and Performance Management (PM) from the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

In a brief awarding ceremony conducted earlier today, October 6, Chairman Mr. Renato Navarrete and the President and Managing Director Mr. Joselito Soler of Certification International Philippines Inc. awarded the ISO Certificate to the NMP which was received by Chairman Andoni M. Aboitiz, Director-General Jeremy R. Barns, and Deputy Director-General for Administration Atty. Rosenne Flores-Avila. The entire NMP QMS Core Team, who made this long-standing goal a reality for the institution, were also present in the ceremony. This milestone certification was made in recognition of the NMP’s commitment to quality public service delivery.

Meanwhile, CSC Director II Claudia Abalos-Tan awarded the Certificate of Recognition to the NMP last October 4 for obtaining the PRIME-HRM Maturity Level II in Recruitment, Selection, and Placement, and Performance Management, recognizing the institution’s continuing efforts to improve its human resource management systems and practices. The certificate was received by DG Barns, DDGA Flores-Avila, Deputy Director-General for Museums Jorell M. Legaspi, and Chief Human Resource Officer Angelo S. Macario, together with the Human Resource Management Division Team. 

This achievement is a significant milestone for the NMP as it demonstrates its commitment to providing excellent service to its employees. The HRMD is steadfast in completing the evidence requirements in Learning & Development and Rewards & Recognition systems in its bid for the PRIME-HRM Bronze Award. 

The NMP warmly received both recognitions, which serve as tangible testaments to our commitment and ability to provide quality and timely services both to its personnel and to the Filipino people.

#NationalMuseumPH #ISOCertified #PRIMEHRM #HumanResources #QualityManagement

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