Museum of a History of Ideas

A haven in the heart of the busy capital, the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas chronicles the past of the national university in a modern way.

Emerging from the throes of centuries of Spanish rule and years of Philippine-American war, the University of the Philippines was born in 1908 to be at the forefront of progressive idea generation, testing, and application. In 7 creatively-curated sections, the museum presents the history of UP through the ideas that it fostered throughout the years.

An enlarged image of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, welcomes guests to the museum.

A partiality to UP’s contribution to medicine and affiliated fields is preeminent; UP Manila, after all, is the mother unit of the Philippine General Hospital (est. 1905) and the Health Sciences Center of the UP System. Visitors will be greeted with displays of a dental drill, old books, war stretchers, and dated medicine tools. Other sections also dwell on the university’s role in nation- and identity-building through education, laws, and culture.

The inaugural exhibit features 7 sections that show the university’s role in nation-building.

Numbers and texts painted on the walls serve as convenient guides, all adding to the refreshing theme of the place. Completing its minimalist look is an open space fit for intimate events and an atrium filled with greenery.

The museum is located in Padre Faura Street, across from the Department of Justice and between PGH and Robinson’s Place Manila. Visit their Facebook page for more details.

UP MANILA MUSEUM

Address: PGH Compound, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila

Phone: +63 2 904 0122

Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

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Article and photos by Mina Loyola