Even as vaccines begin to make their way around the world, museums and galleries are most likely among the industries which will be last to make a complete return to operations. Here in the Philippines to be specific, museums and galleries, along with cultural centers and libraries, are considered non-essentials and can only open under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MGCQ), with corresponding rules on safety.
It has therefore been quite a while since the National Museum of the Philippines complex in Manila saw long queues of guests, which of course has been very disheartening for the community. But just like the rest of the nation, the vanguards of the country’s precious arts and artifacts proved to be resilient, resourceful and innovative as they quickly built and steeled an online presence through various projects aimed at educating more people about the country’s identity through the works of the masters and ultimately to excite them in returning to the museum when it is finally safe to do so.