Beyond the galleries: how the National Museum is redefining the Filipino museum experience for IMD 2026

Filipinos love tangible keepsakes, and the NMP is tapping into this with the launch of the NMP Passport. Far from just a novelty item, this beautifully crafted physical booklet is designed to ignite a sense of wanderlust and cultural pride.

Available initially in limited, highly sought-after copies (with future batches planned to be sold via the NMP Coop), the passport encourages visitors to explore the 21—and counting—regional component museums (RCM) across the country. Each location features a customised stamp.

“Our aim is for the passport not only to serve as a keepsake or a souvenir, but to be used when you are travelling throughout the country,” a spokesperson of NMP explained, who handled the Google Form registration of the initial batch of passports. “We hope that people not only head to the central museums of NMP here in Metro Manila, but also be able to visit our RCMs from Batanes to Sulu.”

To sweeten the deal, the passport includes pages for notes, trivia, and favourite objects. It also introduces a thrilling gamification element: for every six museums visited, travellers earn a puzzle-piece medal. Completing all 21 museums will make you complete the medal similar to those given to marathon finishers.

To address the shortage of physical tour guides, given the massive daily foot traffic—which can reach up to 4,000 visitors in the central museums alone—the NMP also launched the Museo Guide app today, now available for download on App Store and Google Play Store.

This app which features Fine Arts, Anthropology and Natural History walkthroughs is a massive leap forward for accessibility and personalised learning. Not every visitor wants a strict, guided tour; some prefer to explore at their own pace. By scanning QR codes on selected objects, visitors can unlock expansive stories, historical contexts, and audio guides—perfect for those with hearing impairments or Filipinos abroad seeking a virtual taste of home. The app even offers thematic tours tailored to how much time you have, whether you are squeezing in a 30-minute quick look or a 60-minute deep dive.

Best of all, the app ensures that the museum experience outlasts the visit itself. “The learning does not stop inside the museum,” Villalon pointed out. “It can continue beyond the museum, you can go home, and you can do your notes.”

The NMP has lined up a massive roster of activities today to foster unity, dialogue, and joy through culture. Whether you are in Metro Manila, the Cordilleras, or Mindanao, there is something for everyone.

At the National Museum of Fine Arts, the day began with the launch of the NMP Passport and Museo Guide App at the NMP Auditorium, followed immediately by a symposium titled “Museums Uniting A Divided World Through Diverse Perspectives”, which will run until 12nn. Visitors can also enjoy “Arki Bingo” around the NMFA premises from 11am to 2pm, and join the “Art Bridging Divides” special guided tour and interactive activity from 3pm to 5pm in the galleries.

Right next door at the National Museum of Anthropology, guests can participate in “Laro’t Pamana: Heritage at Play” at the Southwest Landing Area from 9am to 6pm, or test their navigational skills in “Saan Ako Nakita? I-Map Na Yan!” across the galleries from 10am to 5pm.

Meanwhile, the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) will host “Wildlife Folds: Exploring the Diversity of Philippine Fauna Through Origami” at the Upper Courtyard from 9am to 11am. Later in the afternoon, the NMNH will hold a ceremonial turnover of donated LG devices at the Lower Courtyard from 3pm to 4pm, host the “2026 Night at the Museum: Detective Game” from 4:30pm to 8pm, and conclude with a flora-inspired arts and crafts workshop called “Blooms and Beyond” from 5pm to 6pm.

The celebration extends far beyond Metro Manila, with exciting programs at the Northern and Southern Luzon National Museums. In the Cordilleras, beginners can join the Abol basic weaving workshops in Kiangan, Ifugao from 9am to 11am, while the NMP Ilocos in Vigan will hold “Ti Museo kas Pagdadanggayan: The Museum as Space for Harmony” from 9am to 4pm. Down south, children can enjoy an introductory weaving class at the Tabon Caves Complex in Quezon, Palawan from 9am to 12nn and families can join “Play the Past, Unite the Present: Laro ng Lahi sa Museo” in Daraga, Albay from 2pm to 4pm.

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In the Visayas, the regional museums are packed with interactive events. NMP Cebu will start the morning with “Mangayam sa Museyo: Find the Museum Objects” from 9am to 11am, followed by two afternoon sessions from 1pm to 5pm exploring “Sa mga Mata ni Martino: The Social Impact of Art” and “Connecting Worlds by Embracing Sugbuanon Cultural Diversity: The Sama Bajau in Cebu’s Maritime History”. NMP Iloilo is hosting "Museum Mania: Level Up Your Childhood Games!” all day from 9am to 4pm. Over in Negros Oriental, NMP Dumaguete is running “The World At Your Fingertips” from 9am to 5pm, while NMP Bohol in Tagbilaran City will feature “Tagbo: A Cultural Convergence for Unity and Understanding” from 1pm to 6pm.

Finally, the Mindanao National Museums are offering a wide array of cultural engagements. NMP Sulu in Jolo will hold “Panayam Kalalamihan” in two sessions, from 9am to 11am and again from 2pm to 4pm. In Butuan City, young heritage enthusiasts can join “Kabot: Junior Archaeologists’ Dig and Discover Adventure” from 9am to 12pm. NMP Butuan will also host the “Kabilin sa Caraga” heritage quiz bowl from 1pm to 4pm and the “Usiba!: Let’s Play Laro ng Lahi” traditional games from 1pm to 5pm. NMP Zamboanga is offering a “Sketch and Stay” activity from 9am to 4pm, while NMP Davao will celebrate with “Kasikas: A Creative Community Activity” from 1pm to 4pm.

In a world that often feels increasingly fragmented, our shared history remains the strongest thread that binds us together. The launch of the NMP Passport and Museo Guide app, alongside today’s vibrant nationwide festivities, is more than just a modernisation of museum services—it is a heartfelt invitation to reconnect with our roots.

As Villalon beautifully noted, the ultimate goal of these initiatives is to give every visitor the “opportunity to learn and love the Philippines, meaning to say, be proud of being Filipino”. Whether you are tracing the stories of our ancestors through an interactive app, engaging in traditional games, or collecting a customised stamp from a regional museum, you are participating in the vital act of remembering.

After all, as Villalon observed, “Filipinos love tangible things, it’s not just an idea. Filipinos want something to hold on to”. And what better to hold onto than the physical reminders of our rich, enduring heritage?

A museum is not simply a quiet repository for the past; it is a mirror reflecting the vibrant, unbreakable spirit of the Filipino people. Today, the doors are wide open, the barriers are down, and our history is waiting. It is time to step inside, explore, and let our heritage unite us once again.

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