15 museums, galleries to visit via Pasinaya’s hop-on, hop-off shuttle service

MANILA, Philippines — Good news for serious art enthusiasts this Pasinaya weekend! You can cover good ground on your quest to get acquainted with more artists, major artworks, and more venues for art and culture without causing a big dent on your pocket.

On February 3 and 4, the Paseo Museo feature of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)’s Pasinaya 2024 gives you the opportunity to visit as many museums and galleries as you can while you pay and donate what you can with its hop-on, hop-off museum tours.

The country’s largest multi-arts festival has partnered with various museums in Metro Manila to bring cultural and artistic experiences closer to more people, complete with important insights on Philippine history and heritage as well as contemporary arts. Simply hop on the CCP shuttle van and explore these 15 partner museums and galleries. 

1. National Museum of the Philippines. The National Museum of Fine Arts showcases several art exhibitions of classical Filipino masters, National Artists for the Visual Arts, leading Modernist painters, sculptors and printmakers. See and appreciate well-known masterpieces, such as Juan Luna’s “Spoliarium” and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo’s “The Assassination of Governor Bustamante.”

2. Fort Santiago and Casa Manila. In partnership with the Intramuros Administration, Pasinaya gives you the chance to follow the footsteps of Dr. Jose Rizal at Fort Santiago and the Rizal Shrine Museum. Both exhibit stunning memorabilia of the Philippine National Hero. You may also experience the historic architectural heritage at Casa Manila, with its Bahay na Bato structure.

3.  GSIS Museum. Established in 1996, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Museum showcases its rich art collection of National Artists for Visual Arts, such as Fernando Amorsolo’s “History of Philippine Music” mural as well as exhibitions from new and upcoming Philippine artists.

4.  Galleria Duemila. Established in 1975, Galleria Duemila is known as one of the oldest art galleries in Manila. The gallery highlights Filipino and other ASEAN contemporary artists and other modern masters such as Fernando Amorsolo, Fernando Zobel, Jose Joya, and H.R. Ocampo, among others.

5. Asian Institute of Maritime History (Museo Maritimo). Learn about Philippine seafaring and marine history through the rich repository of marine art, ship models and nautical artifacts of Museo Maritimo.

6. Museo Marino. The place highlights the rich history and experiences of the seafaring union Associated Maritime Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines-All Japan Seamen’s Union (AJSU-AMOSUP) through their exhibitions and informative displays giving tribute to the welfare of Filipino seafarers. Inside the museum, you can find replicas of the types of vessels many Filipino seafarers serve on, from cargo vessels to car carrier ships.

7. Manila Clocktower Museum. Designed by Architect Antonio Toledo in the 1930s, the iconic clock tower is accessible through Manila City Hall and stands at 100 feet high. Transformed into a museum in 2022, the Manila Clocktower Museum features an immersive and multi-sensory experience about the history of Manila, and also features changing exhibitions in the visual arts, design and fashion.

8. PWU SFAD Gallery. Located inside the Philippine Women’s University, the School of Fine Arts and Design Studio Gallery holds numerous exhibitions that showcased works of PWU alumni, students, faculty and organizations. It is designated as a studio gallery by setting itself as a laboratory for academic study, artistic exploration and inquiry.

9. Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD). Explore contemporary art exhibitions and other cultural and art-inspired activities showcasing the possibilities of technology and new media at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design.

10. Adamson University Museum. Adamson University Museum has two wings – the Vincentian Wing, exhibiting the history of the university from 1964 to present, and the Founder’s Wing, presenting the life of the university’s founder, Dr. George Lucas Adamson, and the early years of the Adamson School of Industrial Chemistry and Engineering.

11. Destileria Limtuaco Museum. Delve into the rich history of the Philippines’ oldest distillery, with insightful narratives about the establishment’s heritage and the individuals who have propelled this century-old business to its current success.

12. Bahay Tsinoy. Develop an understanding of the cultural identity of the Chinese-Filipino community at Bahay Tsinoy’s Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center. The museum has documented the history, lives and contributions of the ethnic Chinese in Philippine history.

13. CCA Benilde. The De La Salle–College of St. Benilde’s Center for Campus Art explores the intersections of art, design, society, communities and the environment through exhibitions of artists in several disciplines, as well as featuring works and collaborations with the student body of Benilde.  

14. Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art. This year, Pasinaya goes to Iloilo City. Festival participants can visit the first museum in the Visayas region dedicated to modern and contemporary art, the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA).

15. Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) cinematheques. Indulge in cinematic experience at the FDCP cinematheques in Manila and Iloilo City, as both serve as alternative theaters showcasing more diverse content offerings.  

CCP Pasinaya’s Paseo Museo tours start at 9:30 a.m., with the last trip of the day scheduled at 4 p.m. on both February 3 and 4. The multi-arts festival is simultaneously held at the CCP Complex, Circuit Makati, various partner museums and galleries in Metro Manila, ILOMOCA in Iloilo City, and in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

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