The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Story and photo by Alvin I. Dacanay
In a move applauded by ordinary Filipinos, the National Museum of the Philippines announced last Thursday that admission to its museums nationwide is now “permanently free of charge.”
In a post on its official Facebook page, the National Museum said its board of directors decided to adopt a policy of free general admission beginning July 1 “in order to build upon significant spikes in viewership, especially among younger Filipinos.”
They noticed these increases in the last three years, “when general admission has been made free of charge for various traditional reasons, such as National Arts Month in February, National Heritage Month in May, and National Museums and Galleries Month in October.”
“Enhancing universal access by all Filipinos to what we proudly exhibit as our national patrimony and heritage has always been a primary concern, and with this new policy we hope to reach more people than ever before, both by encouraging visits to our museums, and by bringing the National Museum’s programs and resources to communities throughout the national capital and all the regions of our archipelago,” the National Museum said.
“By this measure of free admission, which is supported, in terms of the nationwide operations of the agency, by a solid institutional budget drawn ultimately from all Filipino taxpayers through the national budget, we hope to better achieve our goals, and fulfill general expectations, of serving as a true national museum institution dedicated to the benefit of the entire Filipino people and the wider world,” it added.
Before the announcement, the National Museum charged an entrance fee of P50 for students, P120 for senior citizens, and P150 for adults.
Public response to the announcement was positive and swift, with the Facebook post on the new policy garnering more than 30,000 “Likes,” 16,755 “Shares,” and more than 4,500 comments as of Saturday afternoon.
One commenter, Jinggay Soroño, praised the move, saying that “this means free access and exposure to history, culture and the arts! I hope every school takes advantage of this.”
Another, Raymond Pasiliao, said: “What a wonderful way to promote Filipino history, culture, and the arts. This is the best news I have heard in a long time!”
A third, Jeremy Martinez Badong, thanked the National Museum and expressed hope that “people would respect the displays and stop making ‘dangerously close’ poses beside each artifact and display.”
“We must have a collective responsibility to take care of our historical treasures,” he said.
Some commenters, while lauding the permanent free admission, aired concerns about the income loss the National Museum will experience and the impact on its operations.
One of them, Maria Paz Fabella, said: “If we, the people, want our museums to remain well-maintained and the staff taken care of, perhaps, we can do our little part and consider donating a few pesos every time we visit? It can be P1, P5, P10, etc. Every peso helps.”
“Think of it as your contribution to help our cultural-preservation projects, so that we leave something for future Filipinos to enjoy,” she added.
Another, Abby Garduce Benesisto, also thought asking donations is a good idea. “We must instill in people’s minds that their experience [of visiting the National Museum] is really worth something and comes with a price, even if [it’s] only nominal.”
“The government, private sector, and civil society [have] a collective duty to contribute to the maintenance and preservation of our cultural heritage,” she added.
Housed at the Old Legislative Building in Rizal Park, Manila, the National Museum operates and maintains the National Art Gallery; the National Museum of the Filipino People; the Planetarium; the soon-to-open National Museum of Natural History; and 13 regional museums, including those in Angono town, Rizal province, and Vigan City, Ilocos Sur province.
The National Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Tuesday to Sunday.