By: Carla M. Pacis

      The Museum of the Filipino People is housed in one of the most beautiful buildings in Manila. It houses the anthropological (Ed. Anthropology is the science of human beings) and archeological (Ed. Archeology is the study of past human life) collections of the National Museum. The collections are displayed in separate rooms on four floors that can be reached by scenic elevators that look out to a beautiful courtyard on which sits an authentic Igorot hut or by stairs with beautiful balustrades. On the First Floor is the Wreck Site of the San Diego, a ship that sank of Fortune Island in Batangas, loaded with porcelain from China for shops in Spain; Pamana, the Museum's shop and The Best of Philippine Art: Selected Pieces from the National Museum Collection. On the Second Floor are the Treasures of the San Diego and an exhibit on Five Centuries of Maritime Trade. The Third Floor exhibits are called "Kasaysayan ng Lahi (The Story of the Filipino People) where one can trace the geological history of the Philippines from pre-history to its recent past and "Kaban ng Lahi" (Archeological Treasures of the Philippines). The Fourth Floor has several rooms that can be used for exhibits.

      The National Museum was founded in 1901 to provide a home for the large number of Philippine artifacts and scientific specimens. Unfortunately, these were moved around several times. In 1945, after the end of World War II, much of the collection was destroyed. It was not until 1978 that the collection was reassembled and installed in the Old Senate Building. In 1997, the Museum of the Filipino People was inaugurated in what was the Department of Finance. Hopefully, in the near future, the rest of the collection of over one million items can be properly displayed again at the Old Senate Building and in what is now the Department of Tourism. Visit the Museum of the Filipino People, Agrifina Circle, Manila and know more about your country, yourself. END