Lesson 9
Promotion and Preservation of Philippine Museums
The Historic Presentation Division (HPD) of the NHCP aims to promote Filipino cultural
heritage through the presentation, protection, and development of historic museums,
archives, shrines, landmarks, art galleries, and other historical structures. It keeps itself
abreast and updated with the latest on scientific and information technologies in relation
to the field of historic conservation.
Museums of the Philippines
A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its
development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates,
and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the
purposes of education, study, and enjoyment.
Five (5) Best Museums in the Philippines
Within these museums lies the grandness and richness of human culture and its legacy.
Visit them and see how fabulous and finest they are:
1. University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences
Location: University of Sto. Tomas, Espana Boulevard, Manila
Starting out as Gabinete de Fisica an observation room of mineral, botanical and
biological collections for science courses especially in Medicine and Pharmacy in the 17th
century, the University of Santo Tomas Museum known to be the oldest existing museum
in the Philippines boasts of a vast collection. Preserved for over 300 years, the collection
expanded to include cultural pieces and artifacts.
2. Ayala Museum
Location: Makati Ave. cor. Dela Rosa St., Makati City
Located at the heart of the country’s business district, Makati City, the Ayala Museum is
one of the most important and most visited private museums. It houses a large number of
rare and priceless cultural and historical items not found elsewhere in the country.
For over 40 years, its handcrafted dioramas of Philippine history scenes have impressed
visitors. But the Ayala Museum really has so much more to offer. The Maritime Vessels
Collection of finely crafted ship models paying tribute to ancient boats is worth every visit.
The museum’s fine arts collection, which includes paintings by Juan Luna, Fernando
Amorsolo, and Fernando Zobel, representing Philippine art from the late 19th to the 20th
century, is not one to be missed. It also holds a small collection of ethnographic artifacts of
Filipino minority communities that include tools, weapons, ritual objects, clothing, body
ornaments and musical instruments.
3. Rizal Shrine
Location: Calamba, Laguna
Being one of the most frequented historical and tourist sites in Laguna, Jose Rizal
Shrine in Calamba has an average of 270.000 visitors annually. The museum is a replica of
the ancestral house where Jose Rizal was shaped and molded and who would later
become the finest expression of his race.
With the house destroyed during World War II, President Elpidio Quirino ordered the
reconstruction of the national hero’s home through the supervision of National Artist,
Architect Juan Nakpil. It was inaugurated in 1950. One of the known features of the
Spanish-Colonial house is a deep well that has become a “wishing well” for tourist and
visitors. It is home to various memorabilia, books, manuscripts and artworks that
belonged to the Philippine national hero. (This author fortunately visited the shrine in the
past).
4. The Mind Museum
Location: JY Campos Park, 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
The mind Museum is the first world-class science museum in the Philippines that
makes everything you didn’t bother learning in grade school suddenly so fascinating.
It has five interesting galleries namely: 1. The Story of the Universe: Its Beginning and
Majesty; 2. The Story of the Earth: Its Story across the Breadth of Time; 3. The Story of
Life: The Exuberant Varieties of Life; 4. The Story of the Atom; The Strange World of the
Very Small; 5. The Story of Technology: The Showcase of Human Ingenuity-presenting
science through five main stories.
All the exhibitions are originally designed by Filipino artists and fabricators who
worked closely with both local and international scientists.
5. National Museum of the Philippines
Location: Taft Ave, Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila
The National Museum, officially the Museum of the Filipino People, in Rizal Park, Manila
was originally designed as a public library in 1918 before it was inaugurated on July 16, 1926.
In 2003, renovations started to transform it into the National Art Gallery.
The National Museum is the premier institution and repository of the Filipino heritage.
Within its walls are National Art Gallery, Planetarium, and the regional museums. This
massive archaeological, anthropological, botanical, geological, and zoological artifacts and
diverse artworks by local artists.
Promoting and Preserving Archives
Archives are places where records of all types and formats are kept and made
accessible for research and other purposes. They are good place to find primary sources,
both unpublished materials and those that have been published for their parent
institution’s members or constituencies. Personal and institutional records of all types can
be found in archives, as well as mass media, ephemera, oral histories, and event artifacts.
Archives are distinct from libraries with regard to their functions and organizations,
although archival collection can often be found within library buildings:
1. The National Archives of the Philippines (NAP)
This or in Filipino (Pambansang Sinupan ng Pilipinas) is an agency of the Republic of the
Philippines mandated to collect, store, preserve and make available archival records of the
Government and other primary sources pertaining to the history and development
Of the country. It is the primary record management agency tasked to formulate and
implement the records of management agency. Tasked to formulate and implement the
records schedule and vital records protection programs for the government. The Archives as
it is organized today was a result of the passage of Republic Act 9470 in 2007, but its roots
can be traced back to at least the 19th Century when the Spanish colonial government in the
Philippines established its Division of Archives.
NAP is presently located at Velco Centre, Roberto Oca St, Port area, Manila, Metro
Manila.
2. Family History Library
Most vital records should be available at the Family History Library and Family History
Centers. The microfilmed records include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage
contracts, and notarial records.
The Family Library has filmed the most important genealogical records from this
collection, including:
• Cemetery records (cementerios)
• Inheritance records and inventories of personalestates (bienes de difuntos)
• Marriage records (matrimonious)
• Census records (vencidarios, estadisticas, padrones de chinos)
• Military records (quintas, guardia civil, hojas de servicio)
• Immigration and naturalization records (naturalizacion de Espanoles, radicacion de
estrangeros)
• Notarial records (protocols)
3. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) formerly National Statistics Office (NSO) which
is under the jurisdiction of the office of the Civil Registrar General has several
Records of birth, marriage, death, etc. There are branches all over the Philippines but its
main office is located at PSA Complex, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.
4. National Library of the Philippines (Records Management and Archives Office)
The National Library of the Philippines has a valuable 45,000 volume Filipiniana
collection of biographies, local histories, bibliographies, and gazetteers. It also has a
collection of rare books and manuscripts, newspapers and brochure, microfilms, atlases,
maps, and manuscripts of rare books collection.
The NLP has approximately 11 million documents from the Spanish Colonization
period (1552-1898) and a few records from the American occupation period (1898-1946).
Unfortunately, thousands of documents have been lost due to careless handling,
deliberate destruction, and natural deterioration caused by termites, mold, and moisture.
The National Library of the Philippines can be located at T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita,
Manila, 2801.
The following libraries shelve Filipiniana collections:
• The Ayala Museum Library has over 3,500 rare books and manuscripts:
Ayala Museum Library and Iconographic Archives
Makati Avenue
Makati, Manila
• The Jorge B. Vargas Filipinian Collection Houses, Vargas personal collection of rarebooks,
documents, and manuscripts:
Jorge B. Vargas Filipiniana Foundation
214, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong, Manila
• The Fr. Luis G. Merino Library has rare holdings from 1700 on, Philippine history,
architecture, cultural arts, and the restoration of the historic walled City of Intramuros
The following collection includes mostly documents from the American occupation
period, with some records from the Spanish colonization period, and a few modern
records:
• U.S Embassy, American Historical Collection Ateneo de Manila University Quezon City,
Metropolitan Manila, Philippines
Besides the libraries listed above, each province has a library that stores valuable
local histories. Some municipalities and cities have libraries that collect local family
histories and other important genealogical records. Also, each municipality has a local
civil registrar office that keeps valuable family history information.
Promoting and Preserving Historical Shrines, Landmarks, and Sites
Historical shrines refer to historical sites or structures and revered for their history or
association as declared by the National Historical Institute. Among these shrine are.
1. Rizal Monument (Bantayog ni Rizal)
Basic Information:
Location: Rizal Park, (Luneta, Manila
Designer: Richard Kissling
Date of Inauguration: December 30, 1913
Dedicated to: To the memory of Jose Rizal, patriot and martyr
Why you should visit it:
The monument of rizal Park (Luneta) is considered by many as the most popular, most
visited and most photographed monument in the Philippines. It housed the remains of
Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist, novelist, poet, journalist, ophthalmologist, and a national
hero.
Rizal wrote the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to expose the cruelty
and injustice of the Spanish ruling government in the Philippines during his time. Because
of his revolutionary writings, he was executed by a firing squad in Luneta on December
30, 1896.
There are at least 118 Rizal monuments in the Philippines and at least 10 in the other
parts of the world. There’s even a replica of the Rizal monument in Luneta on December
30, 1896.
2. Bonifacio Monument (Monumento)
Basic Information:
Location: Grace Park, Caloocan City, Metro Manila
Designer: Guillermo Tolentino
Date of inauguration: November 30, 1933
Dedicated to: To the memory of Andres Bonifacio, the founder and Supremo of the
Katipunan.
Why you should visit it:
Andres Bonifacio is popularly known as the father of the Philippine Revolution, and
the founder and Supremo of the katipunan or the Samahang Kataastaasan,
Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK). He is an icon of bravery and pride
of the Filipinos.
The monument is one of the most beautiful works of art in the Philippines. It was
designed by national artist Guillermo Tolentino, who also sculpted the famous University of
the Philippines, Oblation statue.
An important historical and cultural landmark in the Philippines, the monument has
twenty-three figures, including Emilio Jacinto (popularly known as the brains of the
Katipunan) and the three martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Apolonio Burgos, and
Jacinto Zamora (well known by many Filipinos as the GOMBURZA).
3. Lapu-Lapu Shrine
Basic information:
Location: Liberty Shrine, Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Dedicated to: Lapu-lapu, a native chieftain of Mactan who defeated Magellan in the battle
of Mactan in 1521.
Date built: Sometime in 1969 through R.A 5695
Why you should visit it:
Lapu-Lapu is considered as the first Filipino hero who successfully defended the
Philippines from the Spanish invasion. He’s a symbol of courage and success in defeating
enemies. In fact, his image is the central figure in the seal of the Philippine National Police
and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
He is best known as the hero of the Battle of mactan on April 27, 1521. The battle of
Mactan stopped the invasion of Magellan in Cebu and delayed the Spanish occupation of
the islands of Magellan in Cebu and delayed the Spanish occupation of the islands by over
forty years until the expedition of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1564.
The monument of lapu-Lapu is located in Liberty Shrine (Mactan Shrine), where the
historic battle of Mactan took place at dawn on April 27, 1521. The area is also the place
where Magellan Shrine and the marker of the spot the Portuguese conquistador was killed
are located.
4. Magellan Shrine
Basic information:
Location: Liberty Shrine (Mactan Shrine), Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Dedicated to: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
Date built: 1866
Why you should visit it:
The monument of Magellan is the oldest in this list. It was built in 1866 that makes
The monument almost 150 years old now. The monument or shrine of Magellan is just a
few steps from the statue of Lapu-Lapu. Both monument and other important markers of
events that happened during the historic battle of Mactan are found in Liberty Shrine or
Mactan Shrine.
Ferdinand Magellan may be remembered by Filipinos as an enemy of the legendary
hero Lapu-Lapu but the Portuguese explorer is also recognize by many as the man who
rediscoved the Philippines. The Portuguese explorer is also recognized by the world as the
one who organized the Spanish expedition from 1519 to 1522 that resulted to the first
circumnavigation of the Earth. A few steps from the monument of Magellan is a marker on
the exact spot where thr Portuguese explorer was killed during the Battle of Mactan who
brought Christianity in the Philippines.
5. Mac Arthur Landing Memorial National Park
Basic information:
Location: MacArthur Landing Memorial Park, Palo, Leyte
Designer: Anastacio Caedo
Date of inauguration: October 20, 1981
Dedicated to: General Douglas MacArthur, his entourage, and all the soldiers who fought
and died in the battles of Leyte during the World War II.
Why you should visit it:
MacArthur Landing Memorial Park in Palo beach was the site where the Allied Forces
led by General Douglas MacArthur landed in Leyte on October 20, 1944. The monument
also reminds us the fulfillment of MacArthur’s iconic words and promised “I shall return”.
The fulfillment of that promise was the start of the Leyte invasion and his
Campaign to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese occupation during the World War II.
This historic event also led to the battle between the Japanese Imperial Navy and the
US Navy (with the help from the Australian Royal Navy). The Battles of Leyte Gulf is
recognized by many historians as the largest naval battle in history.
The Leyte Landing monument is composed of seven double-life-sized bronze statues of
General Douglas MacArthur, Philippine President Sergio Osmena, Lieutenant General
Richard Sutherland, Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo, Major General Courtney Whitney,
Sergeant Francisco Salveron and CBS Radio correspondent William J. Dunn.
The monument also resembles the iconic photo of MacArthur and his entourage during
the historic A-Day Landing as captured by Gaetano Faillace.
6. Sandugo (Blood Compact) Shrine
Basic information:
Location: Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City, Bohol
Designer: Napoleon Abueva
Dedicated to: The peace pact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565.
Why you should visit it:
The province of Bohol in Visayas is not only home to the magnificent Chocolate Hills
and clear water beaches but also to rich historical sites. One of the most famous landmarks
and historical sites in the Philippines is the site of the Blood Compact (Sandugo) between
Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565 to insure the friendly relations between
the Spaniards and the Filipinos.
Among the monuments in this list, the Blood Compact shrine commemorates
friendship rather than battles or wars.
The Blood Compact monument is one of the works of Napoleon Abueva, a Filipino
national artist and also called as the “Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture”.
7. Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor)
Basic Information:
Location: Mount Samat, Pilar, Bataan, Philippines
Designer: Lorenzo del Castillo and Napoleon Abueva
Date built: 1970
Dedicated to: The Soldiers who fought for freedom in the Battle of Bataan.
Why you should visit it:
Mount Samat in Bataan was the site where the Philippine and American soldiers took
their last stand against the invading Japanese forces in the Battle of Bataan. After a three-
month battle, Bataan fell and surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. This Japanese
victory led to the infamous Bataan Death March that involved 60,000-80,000 Filipino and
American prisoners of war. The march resulted to more than 20,000 dead Filipino and
American prisoners of war.
The Shrine of Valor was built not only to honor the gallantry of the Filipinos who fought
the Japanese invaders in the Battle of Bataan, the Philippine government declared April 9
as national holiday. The day is known as Araw on Kagitingan or Day of Valor.
8. Sultan Kudarat Monument
Basic information:
Location: Isulan, Kudarat
Dedicated to: Sultan Kudarat, the Muslim brave hero and Mindanao’s most powerful
ruler.
Why you should visit it:
Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat, popularly known as Sultan Kudarat, is considered
as the greatest Sultan of Maguindanao and the most powerful Sultan of Mindanao.
His monument located in front of the Provincial Capitol building of Sultan Kudarat is a
testament of his bravery, ingenuity and relentlessness in conquering Mindanao and other
parts of the Philippines from the authority of Spain.
The sultan of Maguindanao never allowed the Spaniards to conquer his sultanate. That
is the reason why Spain failed to invade the whole of Mindanao and convert the natives to
Roman Catholics.
The valiant ruler of Mindanao was declared a national hero during the presidency of
Ferdinand Marcos.
9. Pinaglabanan Shrine and the Spirit of Pinaglabanan
Basic Information:
Location: N. Domingo corner Pinaglabanan Street, San Juan, Metro Manila
Designer: Eduardo Castrillo (designer of the Spirit of Pinaglabanan monument)
Date built: 1974
Dedicated to: The brave Katipuneros who fought and died in that battlefield.
Why you should visit it:
Pinaglabanan Shrine commemorates the Battle of San Juan del Monte, the first attempt
of the Katipuneros led by Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto to fight the Spanish forces in
late August of 1896.
Although the battle of San Juan del Monte was won by the Spaniards, the
Katipuneros, who were only armed with bolos and homemade guns, did not lose their
spirits. The guts and bravery of the Filipinos who fought during the battle sent a warning
to Spain that their colonization of the Philippines will soon be over.
The five-hectare Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine includes the Museo ng Katipunan, the
Battle of Pinaglabanan statue (statue of a woman supported by two children, holding up a
bolo), and the monument of the Spirit of Pinaglabanan (the shrine’s centerpiece which is
statue of elongated figures created by Edgardo Castrillo).
10. Balangiga Encounter Monument
Basic information:
Location: Balangiga, Eastern Samar
Designer: Napoleon Abueva
Date built: September 28, 2003
Dedicated to: The heroism of the local freedom fighters in Samar
Why you should visit it:
The Balangiga Encounter Monument reminds us that Filipinos will not back down to fight
for freedom against any foreign invader-even against the mighty American forces.
On September 28, 1901, the church bells of Balangiga were rung to signal an attack by
native bolo fighters from Balangiga and the nearby villages of Lawaan, Giporlos and
Quinapondan that killed more than 50 US soldiers. The encounter, popularly known as the
Balagiga Masacre, was described as the United States Army’s worst defeat during the
Philippine-American War.
The attack outraged Gen. Jacob Smith and instructed his men to kill all Filipinos who
were capable of bearing arms, including boys over 10 years old. Thousands of locals were
killed and homes were burned under Smith’s order.
The historic bells of the church at Balangiga were taken by the Americans as war booty.
The bells have not yet been returned to the town’s church even up to this day.
11. EDSA Shrine
Basic information:
Location: Ortigas Center, EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Ugong Norte, Quezon City
Designer: Various artists
Date built: 1989
Dedicated to: The peaceful outcome of the People Power Revolution in 1986
Why you should visit it:
The EDSA Shrine was originally built to commemorate the events during the People
Power Revolution and its peaceful outcome. The People Power Revolution (also called the
EDSA Revolution or the Philippine Revolution of 1986) was a series of nonviolent
demonstrations joined by over two million Filipino civilians including several political,
military and religious personalities on February 22-25, 1986.
The people power revolution caused the departure of the dictator President Ferdinand
Marcos and the restoration of the country’s democracy.
The Shrine includes the seven-meter bronze statue of Our Lady of peace, sculpted by
Virginia Ty-Navarro. It has also two chapels-the San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel and the Chapel of
Perpetual Adoration-where catholic devotees can offer a prayer.
12. People Power Monument
Basic information:
Location: Corner of EDSA and White Plains Avenue in Barangay Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon
City
Designer: Eduardo Castrillo
Date built: 1993
Dedicated to: The brave Filipinos who marched on the streets of EDSA during the People
Power Revolution in 1986.
Why you should visit it:
The monument is about 0.89 kilometers from the EDSA Shrine.
The Filipinos earned the respect of the world when they successfully demonstrated
The power of the people without using violence to end dictatorship and regain democracy
in the Philippines.
