Experience Museums and become better

People are beginning to enjoy the new norm, going places and having fun after the previous lockdowns and community quarantines brought about by the pandemic. Where to go? Did you know that there are numerous museums in the provinces of Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon, (CALABARZON) mostly free and easy to find?

Why museum? It is one of the best places to visit. The mind-and-soul enriching experience inside a museum is a way of finding oneself. Educational values are given. Every museum visit inspires, enhances the creation of fresh ideas, opens new perspectives, it helps elevate the kind of thinking of the visitors, not merely the entertainment and appreciation of collection and stories of past culture, the arts, and history, especially when one is curious enough to engage.

In the Province of Cavite, these are some of the interesting places: Museo de La Salle in DLSU-Dasmarinas, Museo ng Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio in Maragondon, Museo ni Baldomero Aguinaldo and Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Pacific War Memorial Museum in Corregidor Island, and a lot more.
In Laguna, there are three in Binan: Binan City Museum, the Historic Alberto Mansion, and the School of Rizal Site Museum. There is Museo ni Jose Rizal Calamba; Museo de Santa Rosa and Casa Zavalla in Santa Rosa; Museo ng Libingan sa Ilalim ng Lupa ng Nagcarlan, UPLB Museum of Natural History, Bahay ni Paciano Rizal and IRRI Riceworld Museum in Los Banos; Cleanergy Center-Aboitiz Powerplant Museum in Bay-Calauan, and many others. Pila Museum is temporarily closed.

In Batangas, there is Casa de Segunda, Museo ng Katipunan and Museo ng Lipa in Lipa City, Enrique Zobel Museum in Calatagan, Museo ng Batangas and Pastor Ancestral House in Batangas City, Museo ng Tanauan and Museo ni Apolinario Mabini in Tanauan City, Museo ni Miguel Malvar in Sto. Tomas, Museo nina Leon at Galicano Apacible, Museo nina Marcela Marino at Felipe Agoncillo and the Taal Heritage Town in Taal.

In Rizal, there are Blanco Family Art Museum, Angono Petroglyphs in Angono-Binangonan; and Pambayang Museo ng Morong among others.

In Quezon, there is the AERA-Villa Escudero Museum in Tiaong, Arella-Suguitan Museum in Lopez, Casa Comunidad in Tayabas, Gintong Yaman ng Quezon in Lucena City, Museo ng Gumaca, Museo ng Lucban, Museo ng Mauban. in Sariaya, and others.

When in a museum, you learn as you are entertained. But there is something else happening within you as a visitor. You get to connect and identify. You are reminded of your identity and some flashes of memory just come unintentionally. Eventually, something will change and you become better. Museum-going is key to the discovery of national identity.

If we are to be a strong nation, we have to have a strong foundation that comes not from the outside but from within. Patriotism can be acquired in frequenting museums and heritage destinations. Try going to the one nearest you and find out for yourself. The sooner, the better.