As the Tourism Department invites the public to visit Museo de Intramuros that showcases the story of evangelization from a Filipino perspective, a Twitter user shared reminders on proper museum etiquette.
Twitter user Marj Choi retweeted an article that reported on the opening of the museum and shared a few reminders on how to behave in places that showcase cultural significance.
Hello, everyone! The Museo de Intramuros is now open and shall have entrance FREE of charge for the first 6 months. It's open from Tuesday-Friday, 9am to 5pm. Please visit ok?
With that I want to share with everyone some basic museum etiquettehttps://t.co/s8UrqZwZNv
— marj choi (@tenjoshinki) May 7, 2019
Choi decided to list the reminders since the six-month free admission would mean that more people are expected to foot in the museum.
“Just kinda worried about the free entrance thing because people can get rowdy,” she wrote in the comments thread of her post.
1. Keep your hands to yourself
Choi reminded visitors that they should refrain from touching the exhibits unless it is an interactive museum.
A travel and lifestyle magazine shared that “natural oils from our skin” tend to damage artworks, especially if they are not behind glasses or protective frames.
“Unless you’re visiting an interactive museum, avoid wandering hands as the natural oils from our skin can damage artworks, and try to keep a safe distance to avoid anything getting knocked over,” Condé Nast Traveller Middle East said.
2. Not everything is for Instagram
She also shared that people must be mindful of taking pictures, particularly if there are specific rules on flash photography.
“If it says no pictures, THEN DO NOT TAKE PICTURES. Respect the gallery/museum because it will also show respect for those who put great effort into the displays,” Choi wrote.
The travel magazine also mentioned that camera flashes are highly discouraged since “artworks can deteriorate over time if exposed to harsh light.”
“And even if they’re not banned, leave the selfie sticks at home to avoid accidentally damaging any paintings or knocking valuable items over,” Condé Nast Traveller Middle East said.
3. Sssshhhhhh
Visitors must refrain from talking loudly and running around.
“This is a place that showcases years and years of tradition, culture and history. Not a playground for you and your friends to shout at each other for,” Choi said.
4. Listen and learn
She additionally appealed for visitors to take the tour guide seriously by being attentive and asking them questions in a respectful manner.
“Lastly, if you have a tour guide, DO NOT BE RUDE to them. Listen to what they have to say. Ask questions nicely. They are to be taken seriously,” Choi wrote.
Inside the museum
Museo de Intramuros is a newly opened museum inside the historic walled city that showcases period art collections of ecclesiastical art, furniture, vestments, textiles and an in-house exhibition.
The in-house exhibition is curated by Esperanza Gatbonton, Gino Gonzales, Cecilia dela Paz, Santiago Pilar and Martin Tinio.
It presents the story of Christian evangelization in the Philippines through the eyes of Filipinos.
The exhibit also recounts how the Filipino “psyche” has changed following the Spanish colonization that introduced new culture and religion to our ancestors.
“This collection of the Intramuros Administration is extremely valuable because it represents the first real attempt to collect and preserve within the Philippines an important aspect of the country’s cultural heritage,” co-curator Gatboton wrote in her 1981 book Philippine Religious Imagery.
The Department of Tourism also noted that the museum highlights Filipino artistry and craftsmanship.
“This is our history and it must be told. Here, local and international tourists have the avenue to hear our stories when they visit Museo de Intramuros,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat stated during the museum’s opening.
