By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has signed a law renaming the National Museum as the "National Museum of the Philippines” or "Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas.”
President Rodrigo Roa (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Republic Act No. 11333, signed last April 26, seeks to strengthen the National Museum of the Philippines that serves as the primary government institution to manage and develop museums and national collections in the areas of arts, cultural heritage and natural history.
The museum, located in Manila, will function as an educational, cultural and scientific institution in the service of the national community and its development, accessible to the public, and not intended for profit.
“It is the policy of the State to pursue and support the cultural development of the Filipino people, through the preservation, enrichment and dynamic evolution of Filipino national culture, based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression,’ the law read.
To ensure its independence and autonomy, the law stated that the National Museum shall be uniquely considered as a trust of the government, attached solely for budgetary coordination and related purposes to the Department of Education.
As a trust of the government, it will continue to be classified as a national government agency and will be considered as higher in level than a bureau, enjoy privileges and special rules characteristic of both a government-owned and controlled corporation and a state university.
Under the law, the whole Executive House, also known as the former Congress or Legislative Building, together with the former buildings of the Department of Finance and Department of Tourism, shall house the permanent and exclusive site of the National Museum and shall form the core of the National Museum Complex in the national capital. The National Museum Complex will include the existing buildings of the National Planetarium located in Rizal Park
The National Museum shall preserve the former Session Halls of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the former Legislative Building "as a tribute to the legacy of the great men and women of the Philippine Legislature for their valuable contributions to the Filipino people."
The National Museum Complex, being part of Rizal Park in Manila, shall be dedicated to the life, work, martyrdom, and memory of Dr. Jose Rizal.
The law also mandates the National Museum to formulate a master plan for the National Museum Complex within and adjacent to Rizal Park and other identified areas with reference to the Burnham Plan for Manila of 1905. It must also implement a design for a large public plaza and parking in front of the former legislative building, integrating it with Intramuros as a National Cultural Treasure.
The master plan, which must be completed within a year after the effectivity of the law, shall be approved by the Board of Trustees and be financed by the proceeds from its endowment fund and other allowable sources of funds.
The law also stated that the central museums of the National Museum shall include the existing National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, and the National Planetarium.
It must also pursue the establishment of a regional museum and satellite office in the eace administrative region of the country as well as area and site museums and offices wherever necessary.
The existing Museum Endowment Fund has also been named to National Museum Endowment Fund, sourced from P250 million annual earnings of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office lotto operations, and P250 million from the annual earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
The museum will remain exempted from payment of taxes and fees while donations to the museum will be exempt from donor's tax.