The National Museum of the Philippines is closer than ever to reopening its doors after 11 months of shutting out visitors due to the ongoing pandemic.

In a series of her social media post on Tuesday, Feb. 16, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat is seen visiting the National Museum and conferring with Director Jeremy Barns as to when the institution could safely reopen to the public.

This, after the government's pandemic task force gave the green light for several tourism establishments such as libraries, archives, museums, and cultural centers to reopen even under a stricter quarantine status.

"It's about time the National Museum opens its doors once again, of course with health and safety protocols," Puyat said in her Instagram story.

The institution closed its doors to the public in March 2020 after Metro Manila was placed under hard lockdown at the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic 

According to Puyat, the guidelines have already been drafted and are subject to final consultations to ensure both the safety and enjoyment of the public.

"Nakita na namin ang protocol, although hindi pa finalized, lilimitahan na yung number of people entering the museum I think up to only 30 percent -- hindi na kagaya ng dati na puno (We have seen the protocol, although not yet finalized, the number of people allowed to enter the museum will be limited I think up to only 30 percent -- unlike before that it is full)," the tourism chief said in a separate interview.

There will also be age restrictions but Puyat said it will be up to the local government unit, which has jurisdiction over the museums, whether or not to implement this.

The National Museum, which is part of the DOT, is an umbrella government organization that operates several national museums in the country. These include the National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, and National Planetarium.