Int'l Museum Day is on Friday: Nat'l Museum of Natural History opens, free admission for at least 9 other museums

Apart from museums waiving their entrance fees to celebrate International Museum Day on May 18, Friday, the National Museum of the Philippines — which has been offering free admission since July 2016 — is marking the special occasion with the launch of the National Museum of Natural History.

READ: The National Museum of Natural History is a modern architectural marvel

"All who are interested or merely curious are able to come because admission is free, to the National Museum Complex in Rizal Park in Manila, and to our museums nationwide, from Batanes to Jolo, which is made possible by the strong support for this institution from the national government and our partners in the private and other sectors," Chair Ramon R. del Rosario shared in an statement released via social media.

According to a representative of National Museum that GMA News Online spoke with on the phone, the highly anticipated National Museum of Natural History will most likely follow the no entrance fee policy of the Fine Arts building. 

Apart from the National Museum Group (National Museum for Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology, the National Museum of Natural History and the Planetarium), the following museums have announced their participation in this year's Museum Day festivities (read: no entrance fees on Friday!), the theme of which is "Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics":

• Metropolitan Museum, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
• Museong Pambata, Roxas Boulevard, Manila 
• Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Avenue, Makati
• Bahay Tsinoy, Intramuros
• QCX Museum, Quezon City

Meanwhile, the Ayala Museum in Makati will be celebrating International Museum Day and waiving its entrance fee on Sunday, May 20, instead of Friday.

Incidentally, more museums in Intramuros will be waiting their admissions charge on Sunday for the Open House held to celebrate National Heritage Month. They are:

• Casa Manila
• Fort Santiago
• Baluarte de San Diego

Note: The NCCA Gallery on G. Luna Street and the Fr. Willman Museum on G. Luna and Sta. Potenciana Streets have long been free of entrance fee charge.

International Museum Day was first observed in 1977. The annual celebration continues with its goal to draw attention to cultural enrichment and exchange. — Aya Tantiangco/LA, GMA News