Cultural Tour Part I

Cultural Tour Part 1.

On  Saturday August 11^th  2018. Today is the schedule for cultural tour part one. We wake up early at 8 am. Because we have made an appointment with Dr. Stephen to go to the National Museum of Fine Arts. Actually, in the morning the weather is not as bright as yesterday, it is so cloudy today which indicates that it is going to rain. But that does not prevent us from taking this cultural tour.

 First, we went to the Campus by using LRT. Dr. Stephen has waiting for us at the campus. After we arrived at the recto station, which is the last station, we continue our way by walk until Campus. Well, it is correct that today is rain. But, three of us forget to bring our umbrella, that’s why we are just walk as fast as we can in order that we will not get wet. Well, after arrived at the campus Dr. Stephen looking for umbrella for us in order that we can still go to the museum, after that Sir Jef comes and bring two umbrellas and also some foods for us, after we get an umbrella, we continue our trip to get the Jeepney to take us to the museum. After we get a jeepney, we continue our way.

Well, this is the second experience of us by using a jeepney. And in the middle of road, we stop and continue to get a new Jeepney to take us to the Museum. After arrived at the museum, the rain hasn’t stopped yet. And in the museum, there are so many people. Yes, that’s because this is weekend so that people will spend their weekend by visiting the museum. There is also a group of children that visit this museum, so that the museum really crowded today. Well, now we walk around to surround the museum. This National Museum is very big. It has four floor, and the building is very nice. The building was originally designed by Bureau of Public Works (Precursor of the Department of Public Works and Highways).

National Museum of Fine Arts, formerly known as the National Art Gallery, is an art museum in Manila, Philippines. It is located on Padre Burgos Avenue across from the National Museum of Anthropology in the eastern side of Rizal Park. The museum, owned and operated by the National Museum of the Philippines, was founded in 1998 and houses a collection of paintings and sculptures by classical Filipino artists such as Juan Luna, Felix Resurre ion Hidalgo and Guillermo Tolentino. The neoclassical building was built in 1921 and originally served to house the various legislative bodies of the Philippine government. Known as the Old Legislative Building (also the Old Congress Building), it was the home of the bicameral congress from 1926 to 1972. When we first enter the museum we see the very large painting.

In World War II, Japanese forces in Manila bombed and destroyed the building in February 1945. Most of the structure was beyond repair, except for the still-standing central portion. With the inauguration of the Republic of The Philippines in 1946, the building was reconstructed to be the home of Congress. It was rebuilt by the U.S. Philippine War Damage Corporation to the same dimensions but with less interior and exterior ornamentation. Reconstruction began in 1949, while the Congress moved back the same year. The two wings of the building were completed in 1950. The building was rebuilt mostly from memory, with the aid of a few remaining blueprints. 

There are so much galleries in this museum. I will just mention some galleries. First we enter in the Gallery V. This gallery honors Dr. Jose P. Rizal (1861-1896) known widely for his practicum and acclaimed novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Displayed here are several portrait busts and paintings of Rizal by eminent Filipino artists from the early to mid 20^th century, such as Isabelo Tampinco, Graciano Nepomuceno, Guillermo Tolentino and Martino Abellana. A prominent doctor and writer, Rizal was also a skilled artist. Included in this gallery is his drawing of the view of Gendarmenmarkt from his 1886 visit to Berlin, as well as his sculpture Bust of Ricardo Carnicero, San Pablo Ernitana, Oyang Dapitana and Mather’s Revenge, a declared National Culturan Treasure.

            Next, in gallery I Luis I. Ablaza Hall. Christian themed art in the Philippines was prevalent in the 17^th to the 19^th centuries when parts of the country were under Spanish colonial rule. Many of these religious images were of carved wooden santos (saints) made by unknown artists, as well as reliefs and paintings of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. This gallery also features a National Cultural Treasure, a retablo (altar piece) fron the church of San Nicolas de Tolentino in Dimiao, Bohol.

            For gallery III that is 100 Treasures of Philippine Art, from the collection of the Bangko Sentral Ng Philipinas. This gallery also known gallery of paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of Sacred Art.

And still many more galleries in this museum. Such a nice experience for me to visits this place. There are some museums that there were in National Museum of The Philippines that are National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of  Anthropology,  National Museum of Natural History, National Planetarium, and Regional Museums which consist of Butuan National Museum, Sugbu (Cebu) National Museum and Samboaga National Museum. And here is some the picture from the museum.

            After we walk around the museum, then we are going to continue our trip. Because of the rainy weather so that we waiting for the rain stop first then we continue our trip. It is about 20 minutes we wait until the rain stop, and then we continue our trip to go to the rizal park. Actually, we have planned to go to Manila Ocean Park,. In the middle of the road, we walk by using an umbrella, because of the very strong winds cause our umbrellas almost fly. Unfortunately the rainy weather the storm forced us to stop our journey. So that we decided to back home earlier due to the rainy weather.