Lesaca, Patrick Joshua F.

GED0106-SEC-10

Critique Paper for the National Museum of Anthropology

As a student and as a Filipino citizen, knowing the history of our culture and how our

civilization began gives me an idea with how Filipinos are living and how Filipinos are culturally

inclined with each other. The diversity of the Filipinos from the old culture to the present future

is probably why innovation happens within the community. Looking back at the old pieces of

information towards anthropology can be an honor for us. The thoughts of seeing how

improvement or change has happened throughout the years are tantalizing. Having new

knowledge about how the previous civilization worked its way to how it is right now can give

the people more ideas which may lead to theories that can lead to actual facts which can be used

for further studies. Appreciation within culture may lead to diversity of the social norms within

the old and present era.

Visiting the National Museum of Anthropology gave me an excitement to look for. The

Museum lies across the National Museum of Natural History at the vicinity of Luneta Park in the

City of Manila, Philippines. While I was walking my way towards the museum, I immediately

noticed the well-maintained facility of the building. The paintings were intact and the

architecture looked semi-modern. The coconut trees near the building gave it a natural look. As I

walked inside the building, the security in the facility is as the same as other national museums

located within the vicinity.

 I recommend people that are planning to visit the museum to not bring big bags as they

are not allowed to be inside. Must the visitors leave their own belongings to the safety storage

which are managed by the authorities inside the museum. Tags are exchanged to be able to

reclaim your belongings back which are a good feature inside the museum to avoid confusion

and unlike the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology did not

contain such huge paintings or huge courtyard like the National Museum of Natural History, but

the subject museum contained halls which are made with marble.

The ground floor was also the room for the National Museum Library which is filled with

textbooks and articles that are made by different individuals. Those textbooks contained studies

and theories and facts about the Filipino Culture. Those textbook and article are information

containing how the culture of the Filipinos bloomed and how they practiced tradition through

arts and sciences. It contained historical information about the political history of the Philippines

and the action of the Filipinos towards the war.

As I walk around the building, I saw a replica of a classic Ifugao House or a replica of

their habitat in the Ifugao Province. The replica was well made as the details within the roof are

well made and the materials made are marked as an original material that came from the

Province of Ifugao. The area is filled with people who are taking photos of each other which is a

good sign that it attracted people right from the start. Information is very well understandable to

the visitors of the museum.

 One gallery inside the museum is called the

“San Diego: 500 Years of Maritime Trade”. It

represented the medieval Spanish era. The San

Diego according to the information was a sunken

ship that was retrieved and was replicated to show

representation of the design. There were not only hundreds but thousand artifacts recovered

which contained coins, cutleries, weapons and, jewelries. The details within the recovered

artifacts wasn’t as fancy or polished as other museums showed their artifacts but it showed a lot

of different details that occurred naturally like rust and cracks within the jars and cutleries.

Regardless of how aged they look, it was a great representation on how the management

preserved and restored the old artifacts.

Another division that was represented in

the museum was the “Garing”: The Philippines at

hard white material from the teeth of mainly an

Elephant. The elements within the Ivories made it

able to be easily obtained and be maintained within

its shape for not hundreds but thousands of years. It was defined as an ideal material for carving

by the old civilization. The retrieval of different kinds of animal teeth took so much effort from

the biologists or, researchers so it can be represented as a good work for them. I was amazed by

how the old culture used Ivories of different animals as wares. It signifies how creative and smart

the old civilization without the help of the modern tools that we have now. The preservation of

such artifacts by the museum created a wonderful balance within modernizing and letting the old

touch of details intact creating a balanced technique that is pleasing to the eye.
 The museum also showcased the antique way of making and visualization of making

textiles. It was very thoughtful of the museum management to organize and accommodate

visitors to give lectures on how to wave and actual demonstrations. It gives Filipinos a wider

understanding about how the old culture used to make clothes without automatic technology that

we have now. It provides a significant experience to the Filipinos to have information regarding

our culture and bring challenges to individuals. This action from the museum creates a wonderful

connection between the past era to the present which helps the people to appreciate the art of

weaving.

The final component that is definitely worth visiting is the division of Baybayin inside

the museum. It exhibits traditional and ancient scriptures used in the Philippines. The scriptures

are written in baybayin, an old Filipino alphabet system. The mediums used in writing were

stones and papers inside scrolls. The recovery and the preservation of the stones or plates and

papers are well made as it contained an old feeling into it but contained a readable writings.

Fortunate enough for people who can’t read the Baybayin, the direct translation is written

beyond the exhibit.

Knowing the history of the Philippines and learning the old ways of Filipinos way back

in the past century is a priceless possession that one can have. It is a way that we appreciate the

old Filipino art that is exhibited by museums around the city. Being divergent with the culture

gives the history of the Philippines the massive importance that it deserves. The innovation all

throughout the Philippines is something that we should look back to because if it wasn’t for old

tools or technologies, we wouldn’t be able to acquire or make the things that is now being used

by modern people. Us Filipinos should connect with each other for us to be able to preserve older

culture and present culture