10 Things you should know about our very own National Museum of Natural History

Officially inaugurated on the 30th of September 2017, The National Museum of Natural History (Pambansang Museo ng Likas na Kasaysayan) will soon be accessible to the general public. Its grand opening is slated on the 18th of May 2018, coinciding the International Museum Day.

the façade

Here are the 10 things you need to know about the newest national landmark located at the eastern side of Rizal Park in front of Teodoro F. Valencia Circle formerly Agrifina Circle – portmanteau of the words “Agriculture” and “Finance” – government agencies which used to occupy the two buildings on both sides of the park (adjacent right across the museum of Anthropology)

the one day only open house is to commemorate the National Museum’s 116th founding anniversary

1. The pre-World War II American neoclassical structure have features incorporating ornate façade, Corinthian columns, classical ornamentation and Renaissance inspired sculptural design. The building was completed in 1941 lead by architect Antonio Toledo housing the original Department of Agriculture office.

the lucky first batch of excited museum tourists as being welcomed by the Museum Guide Supervisor Mr. JP Orallo

2. At some point, the building was occupied by the office of the Department of Tourism until November 2013. The nickname “Old DOT building” retained even when the office of Tourism moved on its new address in Bel-Air Makati on the same year.

look who tagged along for a field trip?

3. With the budget of 1 Billion Pesos, restoration and retrofitting of the building started in early 2013 to be modern and energy efficient. The renovating firm was led by Dominic Galicia and the interior design team is lead by Tina Periquet. Renovation was initially targeted to be complete in time for the APEC summit in 2015 but did not made it due to some delays. Retrofitting was achieved through the Adaptive Reuse – an industrial and architectural process of repurposing old heritage buildings or structures for usage other than which it was originally designed for. In the case of the old DOT building, the exterior is retained and the interior is modernized to reduce urban sprawl and environmental impact. Through adaptive reuse, the energy required to create the space is lessened, as well as minimizing the material waste that comes from destroying the site and rebuilding anew.

believed to be the only known specie of pelican recorded to thrive in the Philippines, the spot-billed pelican is believed to be already extinct and has not been documented since 1940

4. The Philippines, long been recognized as one of the most biologically diverse location on the planet will finally now have its own world class repository of its unique array of fauna and flora. Best representation of the endemic faunaes are displayed on the walls of the courtyard — the diaphanous, bigger than life-size and colorful reproductions of the three animals unique to the Philippine archipelago – the tamaraw, the tarsier and the Philippine eagle.

the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)

tarsier (Carlito syrichta)

tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis)

5. The formal opening of the National Museum of Natural History (the old Department of Tourism Building) will complete and form the trinity of the National Museum Complex located at the heart of Metro Manila. Along with it are the National Museum of Fine Arts (formerly called the National Art Gallery that used to house the old Legislative/Congress Building) and the National Museum of Anthropology (formerly called the Museum of the Filipino People that used to house the Department of Finance Building)

the steps leading to the Tree of Life

the lift inside the Tree of Life that can accommodate 15 people at once

the symmetrical dome giving natural lighting to the central courtyard

6. This trinity of grand neoclassical buildings on the eastern side of Rizal Park was built during the early American colonial period by the American city planner and architect Daniel Burnham (same person who designed the city of Baguio) when he envisioned and designed the city of Manila back in 1902.

the Shell Philippines Centennial Courtyard

7. The addition that will be the main attraction of the museum is the canopied central courtyard showcasing the “Tree of Life” – an architectural masterpiece resembling a giant tree where the glass dome serves as its canopy and the bark is a functional elevator supported by a helix steel reinforcement mimicking our DNA- the building blocks of life. The tree stands on the central courtyard elevated by circular flight of stairs that runs vertically from the ground all the way to the glass dome that provides natural lighting and ventilation to the entire area.

displayed at right is the Orlina glass sculpture masterpiece, the ARCANUM XIX, Paradise Gained

the Tree of Life that symbolically amalgamates the Science and the Art

8. Rising six stories from the ground, the Tree of Life is the focus and highlight of the architectural design which visually and symbolically amalgamates nature and the arts. The glass dome — some 40 meters in diameter is composed of alternating triangular panels of glass and aluminum — can be seen outside and sits perfectly on top of the neoclassical building giving a very modern feel to the entire structure.

Rafflesia – noted for being the largest flower on earth. It has a very strong and horrible odor very much like that of decaying flesh, earning it the nickname “corpse flower”. It is endemic to the rainforests of Southeast Asia.

9. During the open house event, as an opening salvo, the museum tourists watched an audio-visual presentation about the UNESCO World Heritage locations in the Philippines. Then they were given a sneak peak tour of the 2nd floor galleries 10 and 11 as well as the Ayala Hall were the life size replica of “Lolong” is being kept. It was an Indo-Pacific saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus) that measures at 6.17 m (20 ft 3 in) and weighed 1,075 kg (2,370 lb) making it the world’s largest crocodile ever caught and placed in captivity.

the lifesize replica of Lolong displayed at the Ayala Reception Hall. The largest saltwater crocodile was named after Ernesto “Lolong Cañete, one of the crocodile hunters who passed away while capturing the giant crocodile in the marsh of Agusan.

with the National Museum Herpetology Researcher Mr. Arvin Diesmos addressing the crowd about sexual dimorphism of the animals – on how females species are always the largest in terms of size compared to males, alluding the possibility of a much bigger crocodile than Lolong out in the wild.

10. Also on the display are some of the works of the pioneer Filipino naturalists and their contribution to botany and zoology, taxidermied animals, cabinets of curiosities, dioramas and state of the art projection globe that is the first in the Philippines. It shows in 3D model the impact of natural or man made phenomenas such as El Nido, earthquakes and climate change on the planet. Another masterpiece on display at the foyer of the courtyard is the ARCANUM XIX, Paradise Gained, by the world renowned master glass sculptor and contemporary artist Ramon Orlina.

the giant clam or “taklobo” to the natives is a bivalve mollusk that is abundant in the Philippines. This fossilized specimen is found in a quarry site in Balaoan, La Union dates back to early Pleistocene period, some 2 million years ago.

“The National Museum of Natural History will significantly upgrade the institution’s capacity for research and housing the national collections, and to bring appreciation of the environment and the natural world to the Filipino people like never before” said by NM Director Jeremy Barns

“The NMNH is an outstanding example of a successful collaboration between the national government and private business in a project of national significance that will benefit Filipinos and help develop better appreciation of and greater respect for the gifts of nature with which our country is so richly endowed” as quoted from NM Board of Trustees Chairman Ramon del Rosario

published in the 19th century, this rare book in mint condition contains the obsolete text but timeless illustrations of Philippine flowers as classified by the Augustinian botanist Fr. Manuel Blanco

The National Museum of Natural History had its open house on 29th of October 2017 to celebrate the institution’s historic 116th founding anniversary. The museum will soon showcase world class exhibitions of flora and fauna endemic to the Philippine archipelago, as well as dioramas and high-tech sound and light shows depicting the country’s rich natural resources.

displayed at the Gallery XI: THE PHINMA NORTH EXHIBITION HALL

For updates and future announcements, please visit the National Museum website at: www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph telephone number +6325271215

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