Despite trying times, museums are growing all over the country, Tanya Pico, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (MFPI) executive director, told DAILY TRIBUNE in an exclusive interview recently.

“There’s definitely a lot of interest in terms of heritage and being Filipino and all that, and that’s one of the key things that we saw in the cultural environment,” she said.

The biggest driver of the sprouting of more and more museums is growing interest among the younger generations, she noted.

“It interests mostly the young, so you know that we are organizers of the MaArte Fair...” in the earlier years of MaArte, it was really just people who appreciated Filipiniana… but now, in our discussions, we do recognize that we really have to reach out to the younger set… the younger ones need to appreciate it (art). So, yes, there’s really an interest from young people, and because of that, there’s also a lot of expansion going on with museums.”

Apart from new openings, there are also more museums being renovated.

“Even the National Museum is opening satellite museums in the provinces,” Pico added.

Visitors of all ages, MFPI president Danny Jacinto said, usually gravitate toward the country’s natural history artifacts and fine arts. Among the famous exhibit items the youth like taking pictures of, he added, is that of Lolong, skeleton of the largest crocodile in the Philippines.

For Pico, contemporary art and young artists become point of interest among the youth, especially mixed media with lights and robotics.

“I would think that it’s also because of social media that you bring awareness about these things,” she pondered.

Technology, she noted, indeed helps in luring the young to museums, which was why MFPI used artificial intelligence (AI) for MaArte Fair, the foundation’s annual arts and culture fair for the benefit of museum preservation all over the country. According to her, their AI depiction of the Philippine eagle wearing a watch became a point of discussion, and from that experience they learned that AI is there to help, not to lose, the art.

“At the end of the day, AI is a tool to help you do your work better. People shouldn’t take advantage of AI to spread false news or give the impression that something fake is the real thing… I’m not against it (AI); just use it in the proper way and in the proper context.”

Respect for heritage and museums, she said, is another thing that grew thanks to technology and social media.

After a student received backlash years ago for shooting a TikTok dance video in a museum, museums have been constantly reminding visitors to not touch and to respect art.

“So there’s an increase in awareness in etiquette, and we understand that our museums are ‘Instagrammable’ and it’s nice to hear. And why not? Our museums are very global in terms of quality. So it’s OK to shoot TikTok as long as you don’t touch and respect, of course… If you’re going to dance in front of an artwork, do something more appropriate… and I think they’re a little more aware now. They have a sense of propriety now,” Pico observed.

To further bestow respect upon the “unsung heroes” behind museum preservation and proliferation, MFPI recently officially launched “Ang MUSEO: Gawad ng Museum Foundation of the Philippines.” Coinciding with the Foundation’s 40th-anniversary celebration, the announcement marks the Philippines’ first-ever recognition program dedicated to honoring excellence in cultural preservation and education.

“The MFPI has always been proud to serve as stewards of connecting Filipinos with their cultural heritage. It is our hope that Ang MUSEO will help reinforce and honor all those who work to protect national memory and foster appreciation for history and the arts,” Jacinto stated.

Inspired by standards set by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), Ang MUSEO will feature 10 distinct categories, including the Gawad sa Natatanging Pamana ng Bayan (Local Museum of the Year), Gawad Para sa Institusyong Pang-Edukasyon (Educational Institute Museum of the Year), and the Gawad sa Natatanging Kawani Ng Museo (Museum Worker of the Year). Designed to elevate the standards of cultural spaces, Ang MUSEO will honor those who make museums vibrant spaces of learning and cultural pride in the Philippines, while elevating regional and niche museums to the national stage.

The official Ang MUSEO website and entry portal was also launched and will be open to museums nationwide. To ensure the utmost integrity of the recognition, all entries will go through a rigorous, two-tier governance structure, culminating in an evaluation by an esteemed jury of independent experts in museum work, heritage conservation and education, with the winners being announced at an awarding ceremony in October.

 “We want to bring well-deserved recognition to the unsung regional stewards, independent museum owners and university-run museums nationwide, ensuring that every vital space — no matter its size or location — is honored for keeping the Filipino story alive,” Pico said in a statement.

“If you talk to a museum worker, the exhibits that they have sometimes takes a year to launch. And there are also challenges like how do you execute such with very limited resources, mostly financial resources, and yet when you do go to these exhibits, to these displays, a lot of them are already world-class,” she told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Founded in the 1980s as “Friends of the National Museum” the MFPI is a non-stock, non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Philippine art and cultural heritage. From successfully advocating for the National Museum Act of 1998 to funding the restoration of works such as Juan Luna’s “La Bulaqueña,” the Foundation works to foster awareness of Filipino culture and history while supporting cultural sustainability.