Even though it is not as big and as high-sheen as its counterpart in New York, the Metropolitan Museum in Manila is one of the most prized museums in the Philippines for its permanent, changing, and traveling collections of contemporary and modern visual arts. Unlike other museums, it aims to bring art to everyone via its interactive stations and educational activities.
Modern and indigenous artworks are displayed in Metropolitan Museum (Photo by juan tan kwon)
Exhibitions
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, or The Met as locals call it, houses some of the country’s national treasures. Among these are from the collection of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines). The basement gallery is peppered with gold ornaments, barter rings, ritual pieces, and other proofs of a flourishing pre-colonial Filipino society, actively engaged in international and local trade. The other part of the basement features pre-Hispanic pottery, ritual articles, household implements, burial vessels, and other hallmarks of Filipino art and culture from the 8th to 13th centuries.
The Rocked Age exhibit showcasing music as an art form (Photo from Google images)
Straddling along the museum’s basement hallway may make you walk down memory lane, through the era of Spanish colonization, which left artifacts such as religious images and paintings by some of the country’s most illustrious Spanish-time artists like Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and Juan Luna.
Apart from permanent exhibitions, the museum also highlights temporary and traveling displays. For updated schedules, call the Exhibition and Education Programs department at (+ 63-2) 536-1566 or (+ 63-2) 523-7855. You may also send a fax to (+ 63-2) 523-0613 or e-mail info@metmuseum.ph.
Attractions and activities
The Met’s tactile exhibits are also among its unique features. These interactive exhibits allow visitors to touch and explore art pieces. To know which activities are on display, call the Exhibition and Education Programs department (see contact details above).
For film-showings, forums, lectures, and other activities, there is the Met’s auditorium, but for buying art pieces, the go-to place is the museum’s White Cube gallery.
Dining
A Filipino artist's craft resembling piano keys for "Makign Do: The Mang Emo + Mag Himo Grand Piano Project" (Photo by Jeff Werner)
Aside from feeding the eyes, the Met also aims to make the palate happy through its own restaurant, the Met Café, which offers Filipino and international cuisine as well as thematic specialties inspired by an ongoing exhibit.
Fees and opening hours
The Met is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday. The pottery and gold exhibits are open until 4:20 p.m., Monday to Friday. Entrance fee is P100. Guided group tours (minimum of 50 people) can be inquired at Tel. Nos. (02) 521-1517 / 536-1566 / 523-0613.
Tour policies
Bags are required to be check-in at the guard-on-duty before entering the museum. Photography, smoking, drinking, eating, and touching the pieces are not allowed, except in designated areas such as the interactive section and the restaurant.
How to get there
The Met is at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, capital Manila. Via LRT Line 1 (ticket: P15): get off at either Vito Cruz or Quirino Stations, ask directions and walk from there to the museum. Via bus (P10) or jeepney (P7): Take the CCP orange shuttle, get off at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and Pablo Ocampo Street, and walk to the right along the service road until you reach the museum. Via taxi: take a taxi from any point of Manila (Php30 flag down rate).
Tags: Attractions, Day trip, Dining, Entertainment, Manila, Museum
