Field Trip! | Clare

Last month, I visited the National Museum for the first time in…I don’t know…20 years? My last visit was when I was in college in the mid 90s. That is such a long time ago!

To be honest, I hardly remember what the museum looked like during my last visit. I just remember it as a boring old place that I was not interested in. I guess being older and going to visit on your own free will instead of being forced to for a grade gives it a new perspective for me.

I enjoyed looking at the paintings, sculptures and historical artifacts that were on display in the two wings of the museum. I especially enjoyed the feature on Bencab and his Sabel series — I was fascinated by the flow of his work. I couldn’t help but stare at the waves of the clothing depicted in the paintings (which were actually supposed to be trash bags). Seeing a portion of the Berlin wall and just thinking about the history that went with it was also amazing to experience.

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Entrance to the museum only costs P150.00. You are not allowed to bring bags inside so it is best to not bring any or you would have to leave them at their baggage counter. I was told that DSLRs were not allowed inside (along with flash photography) but there were several students ignoring that rule and the guards were not doing anything about it.

I wish that they had guides in every area of the museum to explain the things on display and give a more learning experience to the visitor. Even an audio guide would have been better than nothing. I just think that the relevance of some of the pieces are lost to some visitors because they do not understand the background of it. It would have been a more rewarding experience for them if there was something like that instead of pieces of paper that simply state where this and that was from and what it is called.

If you are interested in a visit, you need to be prepared to walk — a lot. There are several floors and a lot of space to visit. The second wing is across the street from the main one and you need to be prepared to cross a scary path that trucks fly by on (scary, I tell you). If you have a car with you, it is best to get your driver to just take you to the second wing by car.

The trip to the museum was a refreshing change from most of my trips to the city. Maybe one day I can go back and bring the family with me. Hopefully not after another 20 years!