Guide to Manila museums

FILIPINOS in general are far from being culture vultures. In fact, if not for school field trips and the patronage of tourists from abroad, museums in this country would hardly thrive.

Considering the lack of enthusiasm for art museums and galleries, Metro Manila has a surprising number of them. It's high time we banish the notion that museums are dull and purely educational. They are there to interest and move us.

For those who want to give our museums a chance, here's a simple guide to the more notable ones in Metro Manila.

The National Museum has a wide collection of artworks of 19th-century masters, National Artists for the visual arts and leading contemporary artists. Its main attraction is the huge "Spoliarium" by Juan Luna that won a gold medal in the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain in 1884.

The old museum is still undergoing renovation, but you can still see some of the displays. You can also check out the National Museum of the Filipino People at the old Finance Building where you can see Rizal's sculptures. There's an entrance fee of 100 pesos for adults and 30 pesos for students and children.

For April and May, the museum is open to the public only from Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In June, it will go back to its regular schedule schedule -- Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The San Agustin Museum is a private museum. It is really an old monastery that showcases the Augustinian ecclesiastical art collection. There are old paintings of saints and colonial religious art including vestments, carrosas and santos.

Museum hours are from 9 a.m. to 12nn and 1 to 5 p.m. daily. Adults are charged 45 pesos, college students 20 pesos, high school students 15 pesos and elementary students 10 pesos.

Another stop would be the Metropolitan Museum of Art located at the Bangko Sentral Complex. One can find artworks of Filipino and international artists, some of which are on loan from different museums abroad. You can also visit the Lower Galleries where the gold and pottery collections are displayed. The galleries themselves are very modern and are a welcome change to the Old-World atmosphere of the collections.

The museum is open daily, except Sunday and holidays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance fee is 50 pesos for adults and 30 pesos for students and children.

At the Cultural Center of the Philippines, one can find the Museo ng Kalinangang Pilipino, which is home to archeological and Islamic pieces, Asian musical instruments and works of contemporary Filipino artists.

Admission fee is 20 pesos for adults and 10 pesos for students. It is open daily from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., except on Mondays. The Contemporary Art Museum (Center for Visual Arts) is located on the fourth floor of CCP.

At the Financial Center of the CCP Complex is the GSIS Museum and Archives, which displays masterpieces by famous painters and sculptors such as Amorsolo, Ocampo, Alcuaz, Orlina and Abueva.

The museum opens at 8:45 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m., with a two-hour break from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Admission is free.

You can also visit the Ayala Museum on Makati Avenue. It is known for its dioramas depicting our country's history. It also houses paintings of artists from the 19th century to the present. You can also see the display on the evolution of the Filipino dress.

Museum hours are as follows: guided tours, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. (Tuesday and Friday); taped tours, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Tuesday-Sunday); nonguided tours, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (Tuesday-Sunday). Adults are charged 55 pesos, while students and children, 35 pesos.

The Lopez Memorial Museum is located at the ground floor of the Benpres Building, corner of Meralco Avenue and Tektite Road, Pasig City. Its art collection includes many works of Luna, Hidalgo, Amorsolo and other Filipino artists. It also has a wide collection of Filipiniana books and documents and memorabilia of Dr. Jose Rizal.

It is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Admission fee for adults is 70 pesos, for high school and college students 60 pesos and for elementary students 50 pesos.

Other interesting places to see are the university museums and galleries.

The University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences is the country's oldest museum. It has a large and extensive collection of flora, fauna, rock and mineral specimens, physics and medico-legal materials, pharmaceutical specimens, paintings and sculpture, religious images and ceramics, ethnographic artifacts, coins, medals, rare books and memorabilia. Its art collection includes Lunas and Hidalgos. In fact, before one enters the museum, located at the ancient UST Main Building, one finds art everywhere: the magnificent sculptures by the Italian Francesco Monti (who taught at UST) atop the building, the Rolando Llamas mural depicting the history of UST at the lobby, and as one ascends the grand UST wooden staircase to proceed to the Mezzanine where the Museum is, the murals by Carlos "Botong" Francisco and Galo Ocampo depicting the missionary work of the Dominicans. UST's College of Fine Arts gave birth to the modern art movement in the Philippines and the representative works of this movement--by Manansala, Lorenzo, Edades and other artists who were UST faculty members--are in the Museum.

Museum hours are from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday. Adults can get in for 30 pesos and students for 20 pesos. UST students and alumni have free admission. Unfortunately, the museum is closed for the summer for renovation.

The De La Salle Art Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Library Building. Besides the regular exhibitions of paintings, prints and photographs, it shows alternative works from the likes of Agnes Arellano, Gerardo Tan and Katya Guerrero. Displays may be viewed during school days. Admission is free.

Through the years, the Ateneo Art Gallery has acquired a collection of distinct pieces, from traditional to modern works. It has in its permanent collection sculptures by Abueva, Lamberto and Hechanova. Viewing hours are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on school days and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Admission is free.

The UP Vargas Museum charges UP students 10 pesos and others 15 pesos. It has several galleries showcasing different artworks of late 19th-century artists, the deans of the UP School of Fine Arts and National Artists. The third floor lobby displays the sculpture collection. The museum is open from Monday to Friday, 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m.