The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) is set to welcome visitors again starting Tuesday, March 2, after almost a year of closing its doors due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to the NMP, art and history enthusiasts can now visit the central museums within the National Museum Complex in Manila namely the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology, and the National Museum of Natural History.
With the limited reopening of its museums, the NMP said "tight restrictions and limitations" will be imposed to ensure the health and safety of visitors amid the health crisis.
NMP Director-General Jeremy R. Barns said the museums will open every Tuesdays to Sundays, excluding religious holidays, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon for the morning session, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the afternoon session.
Barns said the museums have also adopted smaller maximum capacities in line with the quarantine rules set by the government's pandemic task force.
Each museum can only accommodate 100 people per session to ensure that the required two-meter physical distancing i followed. Only visitors aged 15 to 65 years old are allowed.
Walk-ins will not be permitted and those who plan to visit the library are required to book online through reservation.nationalmuseum.gov.ph at least a day before the planned visit. A confirmation of the online reservation will be sent through email.
Groups and group reservations will be limited to a maximum of five persons only, while guided tours will not be permitted.
Visitors are also reminded to strictly follow the minimum health standards at all times while inside the museum such as the wearing of face masks and face shields, physical distancing, and proper hand hygiene, among others.
Regional museums under the National Museum Network are also set to reopen very soon, "subject to consultations with concerned authorities," the NMP added.
Meanwhile, the National Planetarium "shall remain closed until further notice," while waiting for the approval of the reopening of cinemas and theaters in the National Capital Region.