Why not visit a museum today?

MANILA, Philippines - The country's natural attractions have been making headlines lately, topping travelers' polls as some of the must-visit destinations in the world.

They are not the only places worth discovering in the country, though. Our museums, too, are worth exploring for their world-class collections and one-of-a-kind offering.

Most of these museums can be found in Metro Manila and are accessible through public transportation. The entrance fee to most of them are also very affordable. One of them (the GSIS Museo ng Sining) can even be visited for free.

The GSIS Museo ng Sining in Pasay City

The GSIS Museo ng Sining is found at the second floor of the GSIS's main building. Here, you can view Juan Luna's celebrated "Parisian Life" and other works. Paintings by masters Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Vicente Manansala, HR Ocampo, Bencab, and Federico Alcuaz, among others, are also included in the museum's rich collection.

Apart from these permanent exhibits, the GSIS Museo ng Sining also holds monthly art activities, lectures and film showing that are also worth checking out.

The GSIS Museo ng Sining is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8 am to 12 nn and from 1 pm to 4 pm.

The Ayala Museum in Makati

No matter how many times we've seen the dioramas at the Ayala Museum, we are still amazed by them. These handcrafted dioramas depict 60 major events in Philippine history and it's a great way for children (and adults) to be acquainted with some of the events that shaped our nation.

Also on permanent display at the Ayala Museum is a boat gallery that traces the country's early maritime history; archaeological and ethnographic objects from the Northern and Southern Philippines; and paintings by Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo and Fernando Zobel. It also houses the water painting collection "After Damian Domingo." Damian Domingo, according to the museum's website, "is considered as the first important Filipino artist, known for his portraits, religious paintings and watercolor albums."

The Ayala Museum is open from 9 Am to 6 PM from Tuesdays to Fridays and from 10 AM to 7 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

The UST Museum in Manila

If religious artefacts and images from our nation's past are what you are looking for, then the University of Santo Tomas Museum is the place to go to. Located at the second floor of the university's main building, the museum is actually the oldest existing museum in the Philippines.

We remember being fascinated with the museum's rich collection of natural history objects when we first went there during our elementary days. It was only recently that we learned that the vast collection actually served as classroom materials for UST's Medicine, Pharmacy and Science courses during the 17th century.

Apart from these, the UST Museum also houses paintings that date back to the 16th and 17th centuries as well as those by Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, Manuel Zaragosa, Simeon Flores, Fabian de la Rosa, Fernando Amorsolo and his brother Pablo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Galo B. Ocampo, Vicente Manansala, Anita Magsaysay-Ho. It likewise has paintings by Francisco Goya, Cirio Fanigiulio and Romualdo Locatelli.

Coins, medals and historical memorabilia as well as Oriental art collections are also found in the museum.

The UST Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It is closed on public holidays and university holidays.

The National Museum in Manila

The National Museum in Manila is currently closed for renovations, but will be open by October. The museum includes the Museum of the Filipino People, the National Art Gallery, and the Planetarium.

Here, you can view Luna's Spoliarium and Hidalgo's Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho and works by the country's national artists.

The National Museum's website currently offers a 360-degree view of the Museum of Filipino People and National Art Gallery. You may view it here. 

The Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

If the first four museums we mentioned highlight the country's rich past, the Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City makes Science and the future come alive with its galleries of more than 250 interactive exhibits. Its five galleries include Atom, Universe, Earth, Technology and Life.

Outside the museum's entrance is its Science-in-the-Park, which includes play areas for children under the theme "Nature's Artful Play."

The Mind Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday.  Visit www.themindmuseum.org for information on its available time slots.