May 18 was International Museum Day and as a way of celebrating it, I went with my Dad to Museum of the Filipino People – the second building of what is collectively known as the National Museum. I didn’t get to visit this the last time I went. I also got in for free because there was an event that day although it normally has an entrance fee of P100 for adults and P30 for students with a valid ID.

Museum of the Filipino People

What’s there to see inside the Museum of the Filipino People? Well… a lot! You can see some of the ancient tools our ancestors used and outfits they wore for one thing. Here are some things that totally caught my eyes:

Ceramic tea pot from San Diego galleon 

This cylindrical thing is a coffin! 

Look how big this recorder is! 

Stone ear plugs – one word: Ouch!
The San Diego Galleon model
A ceramic vase recovered from San Diego galleon

Like the National Arts Gallery, this museum is huge! Dad said you might be walking inside this museum without knowing there’s an ax murderer waiting to spring on you in one of those deserted hallways. Guess I got my imagination from him! Haha. But well, even the kids who were there thought it could be haunted – they were making ghost like sounds actually.

I also went to Ayala Museum. Free entrance also because May 18 was International Museum Day. Now compared to National Museum, this museum is very modern. You’d be in awe with the various audio visual presentations they have. I know I was! 
This isn’t my first time to visit Ayala Museum. I went there before – a few years back but that was before it was renovated. It’s more hi-tech now. Loved viewing the gold artifacts which can be found on the fourth floor as well as the valuable ceramics which Chinese used to trade and sell. 
I specially loved the dioramas and the 1986 People Power history presentation which can be found on the second floor. The latter is my favorite part of our history. After all, it put the Philippines in the map! Up to this time, other countries try to achieve the same peaceful revolution we had but they haven’t been able to. 
Museums are great places to visit. It’s almost like traveling back to the past, seeing with your own two eyes how life was like in those days. I’m definitely visiting more museums in Manila because there’s just so much to see and well because history is my favorite subject next to English. 
Oh and I wrote articles about National Museum and Ayala Museum for WheninManila.com. Try to read it too will you? I’m just really proud that I got published there. (“,)