The famed San Agustin Museum in Intramuros is set to reopen its doors to the public beginning Wednesday, Feb. 24, with a rather timely Lenten exhibit.
Rev. Fr. Ricky Villar, museum director, said this will be their first Lenten exhibit in the "new normal" after almost a year of suspended operations due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The exhibit, which was organized by the Augustinian friars, friends, and benefactors of the museum around the country, will also feature scenes from the Via Crucis or the Stations of the Cross.
With the reopening of the museum, Banday reminded visitors to strictly observe health and safety protocols such as maintaining the two-meter physical distancing requirement and the wearing of face masks and face shields.
To ensure that social distancing will be followed, a maximum capacity of 100 visitors will be enforced inside the museum and only those who are 15 to 65 years old will be allowed.
Visitors were also urged to refrain from touching the statues, images, paintings, and other museum artifacts, as well as to observe "absolute silence" to help in curbing the spread of the virus.
The museum will operate every Wednesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The last entry is an hour before the closing time.
Entrance fees are at P200 for adults, and P160 for visiting students, persons with disabilities, seniors, and frontline workers.
The San Agustin Museum is the country's premier ecclesiastical museum. It sits beside the centuries-old San Agustin Church, which is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.
It houses a collection of Spanish-era artifacts, furniture, paintings, statues, and other church ornaments.