The National Museum of the Philippines was founded in 1901 as a museum of natural history and ethnography of the peoples of the Philippines. It is is located in Manila near Rizal Park and the ancient Intramuros neighbourhood. Its main building was built in 1918 by American architect Daniel Burnham. It once housed the Philippine Congress, and since 2003 it has been occupied by the museum's divisions - the National Gallery of Art and natural history exhibits. In the nearby building, which formerly housed the office of the Department of Finance, today there is another division of the museum - the Museum of the Peoples of the Philippines, which houses anthropological and archaeological collections. Also underway today is the conversion of the former Department of Tourism building into the Museum of Museum of Natural History.
In the 1970s, then museum director Godofredo Alcasida had the idea of building a Planetarium, which was supported by Maximo Sacro, Jr. Founder of the Philippine Astronomical Society and a staff member of the state's Meteobureau. The project was presented to the country's First Lady Imelda Marcos, who demanded that the Department of Public Works find funds for the construction of the Planetarium. Construction began in 1974 and lasted nine months. In 1975, the Planetarium, located in Rizal Park between the Chinese Garden and the Reading Center, was officially opened. Today, it hosts lectures and exhibitions to educate visitors about astronomy and its development in the Philippines. Its speciality is the realistic shows on various astronomical bodies. In 1998, the Planetarium was incorporated into the National Museum.
The National Art Gallery houses several exhibits, dedicated to the art of the Philippines. The Main Hall houses the works of 19th-century artists 19th century artists Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo. The Arellano Hall is dedicated to artist and architect Juan Arellano, one of the builders of the building. The "Ships of Faith" exhibit Ships of Faith exhibit features various examples of Filipino spirituality that introduce the Filipino people's belief system of the locals, their rituals and traditions. Finally, in the exhibition Thirsting for Freedom, which tells about the struggle of the Filipinos against colonialism and various forms of oppression, you can learn about the fate of national heroes, about sacrifice and cruelty, atrocities and the spirit of freedom and independence.
Today, the National Museum of the Philippines houses a huge collection of exhibits, relating to anthropology, archaeology, geology, zoology, botany, art and culture of the Philippine Islands and the peoples who inhabit them. There are 19 branch museums throughout the country.
