With the on-going pandemic, our opportunity to visit art galleries and museums in the Metro is not happening soon, and it’s sad…but the internet got our backs!

More than just a form of entertainment and source of our Instagram-worthy photos, touring around museums and other historical sites has been a haven for many in rediscovering the nation’s soul through art masterpieces and artifacts.

Well, technology saves the day again for the nth time, virtual tours for some of the most visited arts-and-culture spaces can now be accessed 24/7 online.

To make your extra free time educational and productive, take a virtual tour of these local museums in the comfort of your homes!

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS – MANILA

For months now, a virtual tour of the National Art Gallery and the Museum of the Filipino People is still currently available for enthusiasts and goers.

A 360° view ultra-sharp digital rendering of National Artist Carlos V. Francisco’s “Filipino Struggles through History”, the massive 10-panel painting is located at the Old Senate Session Hall, is one of the highlights in the online tour. This endeavor was successfully created when the museum complex collaborated with photographer Fung Yu and digital heritage preservation project Pamana.ph.

PRESIDENTIAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY

Malacañang’s Presidential Museum and Library, a small museum that stores reference material and memorabilia on the history and heritage of the Philippine presidency, offers a 360° virtual tour via Google Arts and Culture.

Here you can explore some important collection in Philippine leadership history and get to see some sculptures and portraits of previous presidents, copies of official historical records, and even activist placards from the past tucked inside the Palace’s Kalayaan Hall.

Yup, PH history junkies, this is for you all!

AYALA MUSEUM – MAKATI

In June 2019, Ayala Museum has been temporarily closed for renovation, but to continue serving its avid fans, the museum has shifted to digital displays and exhibitions in the meantime on Google Arts and Culture.

The Makati-based museum is one of the first art-spaces in the country which adopted technology as a new form to still showcase physical collections and stories behind the artifacts.

MUSEO DE INTRAMUROS – MANILA

One of the newest museums in the country, Museo de Intramuros, has adapted technology to relive history at home. It opened to the public last May 2019 and houses around 500 religious artifacts found in old churches near and around the Walled City.

If your scheduled visit here was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can still go on a virtual tour here in the meantime as the Intramuros Administration has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to create six online exhibitions of various religious sculptures. 

Don’t miss the chance to see some magnificent pieces and learn about our culture in the walls of Museo De Intramuros.

THE JORGE B. VARGAS MUSEUM – UP DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY

For 7 months now, The Vargas Museum, located inside the University of the Philippines-Diliman is a collection donated by Jorge B. Vargas who is an alumnus of the university and the country’s first executive secretary during the Commonwealth period, has been offering a free virtual tour for everyone.

The hashtag #VargasMuseumVirtualMode on its official Facebook and Twitter accounts has been utilized to share works at the museum wherein some of the prestigious works by late 19th century artists such as Fabian de la Rosa and Fernando Amorsolo, Juan Luna and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo were housed.

The Vargas museum curators have been encouraging the viewers to also share their own artworks through the hashtag. 

Museum hopping has been seeing as one of the most favorite hobbies of Filipinos in the past years, it goes to show that our admirations for our culture and history is truly evident and undeniable.

Soon, you can feel and experience again all the wonders and magic of these art-spaces in-person, but now, you should prioritize safety, and make the most out of your virtual tours.