The oldest museum in the Philippines is the University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences . Located in Manila, the museum contains a wide variety of collections, including rock and mineral specimens, physics pharmaceutical specimens, as well as paintings, sculpture, religious images, ceramics, coins, medals, rare books, and more. It began as a “Gabinete de Fisica,” literally “Physical Cabinet,” which was an observation room in the 17th century, containing mineral, botany and biology collections. The collections were used then for courses in Medicine and Pharmacy, as well as other science courses.
Over the last three hundred years, the collection grew to include cultural objects and artifacts of significance. The art collection includes work by Lunas and Hiidalgos; sculptures by Francesco Monti adorn the tops of the building; a Rolando Llamas mural describes the history of the University of Santo Tomas inside the lobby, and, as visitors climb the UST wooden staircase to the Mezzanine level and the museum, they’ll see murals by Carlos “Boltong” Francisco and Galo Ocampo that display missionary work of the Dominicans.
During the summer months, the museum is closed for renovations; however, it should be open again for any travelers making their way to hotels in Manila this Fall, where you will be able to see art work from the very school, UST’s College of Fine Arts, that gave rise to the modern art movement in the Philippines, such as Manansala, Lorenzo, and Edades, artists who were all UST faculty members.
Once the museum is open, you’ll be able to visit from 10 am to 4 pm, Wednesdays to Saturdays. The adult price of admission is 30 pesos, while students are allowed in for only 20 pesos. There’s no charge for UST students or alumni.