Let’s museum-hop at the City of Love

To visit Iloilo City is to experience the diversity of Filipino culture as expressed in the Ilonggos’ love for cooking and food and their determination to preserve, protect and promote the tangible manifestations of the city’s glorious past like heritage houses and prominent landmarks. The richness of Filipino heritage can also be seen preserved, protected and promoted in several museums in the city, which are either managed by the government or private institutions and culture advocates. As we hop from one museum to the other, let’s discover the similarity of our culture and traditions and be inspired to help in its preservation.

National Museum Western Visayas

National Museum Western Visayas exhibitions feature the National Collections on anthropology, fine arts and natural history. This landmark is so easy to spot in the capitol area because the building is the former Prison of Iloilo or Iloilo Provincial Jail. Declared an Important Cultural Property in December 2016, it was built in 1911 and was used as jail until 2006. One will discover the colorful textile heritage of the region in Habol Panay: The Woven Artistry of Western Visayas exhibition. Find out how the beautiful landscapes and seascapes of the region were formed and what happened to the elephants and stegodonts that used to roam Panay, Guimaras and Negros in the Geology and Paleontology exhibition. Discover the Bisayans’ love for gold that they send it with their dead even afterlife in the Ang Tamung nga Bulawan (The Oton Gold Death Mask) exhibition. Time travel to the 1800s to 1900s Philippines in Bugasong to Barcelona: Felix Laureano, First Filipino Photographer. Appreciate the richness and diversity of flora and fauna of the Visayas in mobile museum boxes Biodiversity of the Visayas and Pambansang Museo sa Barangay. Spend quality time with your family and friends in our learning and art corners where you can do rock art, mask-making, color our heritage, and even DIY weaving. One can also join in public and educational programs like lecture series, workshops and demonstrations.

NHCP Museum of Philippine Economic History

The NHCP Museum of Philippine Economic History features the development of trade and commerce in the Philippines, including the historical events that shaped it. It seeks to highlight the journey of the Filipino people toward economic self-sustainability, recovery, and equitable progress. The museum has 13 galleries with informative displays, artifacts and interactive features detailing the journey of the nation toward self-sustainability, innovation, and self-enterprise. One can learn the diverse trade products of the Philippines like tobacco, manila hemp, and handwoven textiles. It is aptly situated in a former bustling trading house, Ynchausti y Compañia building that was built in 1905 by the pioneering multinational company in the country, the Ynchausti Y Compania (YCO). YCO was brand known to Filipinos at the turn of the 20th century – the paints and floorwax, the usual items found in Filipino households.

NHCP Museum of Philippine Maritime History

The newly-opened NHCP Museum of Philippine Maritime History will steer a guest into the seafaring traditions of the Filipinos. Surrounded by waters, Filipinos’ navels are attached to water, and what a better way to celebrate this connection through this museum. The museum highlights Philippines’ rich maritime history, particularly in boat building and seafaring. It also traces the evolution of boat building and sea navigation in Philippine history and presents the impact of technological developments in the field of navigation and boat building in the maritime history of the Philippines to inspire appreciation of Filipino maritime heritage. The museum is the former Iloilo Custom House.

Museo Iloilo

Museo Iloilo is another iconic landmark in Iloilo City. This contemporary building was designed by Ilonggo architect Sergio Peñasales. The museum is operated by a foundation that espouses the promotion of Ilonggo culture and traditions. It is also a space for local artists to display their works. Exhibitions in Museo Iloilo vary – from precolonial potteries, Spanish-period religious sculptures and ceramics, contemporary artworks, among others.

Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art

The Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art transports one into the boundless creativity and imagination of artists of international, national and regional prominence. It is the first museum built by Megaworld, and the first museum in the Visayas and Mindanao dedicated to modern and contemporary art. It has a large art collection, particularly by collector Edwin Valencia. It also has a dedicated space for performance arts and works of Ilonggo visual artists. Visit this museum to feast on visual art as a facet of human creativity and love for all that is both beautiful and ugly.