As Museo Pambata, the Philippines’ first children’s museum, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, it unveiled some of its reimagined and new interactive spaces designed to inspire, educate, and spark the imagination of Filipino children.
With the theme “Isla Pambata,” the museum honors the rich beauty and the power of connection across the islands and seas that make up the Philippines.
Isla Pambata celebrates the vibrant diversity of Filipino children while highlighting the deep bond that unites them all.
Nina Lim-Yuson, the museum’s founder, shared their excitement to introduce new exhibits like the Rights of a Child exhibit in the Karapatan Hall, a redesigned arts and crafts space envisioned by Robert Alejandro, and the Classroom of the Future pop-up exhibit in collaboration with Khan Academy and Samsung, designed by JJ Acuña.
“Generations of children have passed through Museo Pambata’s doors, and this anniversary honors them — and those yet to come,” Lim-Yuson said.
Meanwhile, the museum’s president, Bambi Manosa-Tanjutco, said their hope for Museo Pambata is to be “an intergenerational cultural playground — where we now bring in the youth to champion forward what we all needed when we were younger, adults who listened to us as kids.”
“Museo Pambata remains a constant beacon of light and hope for the Filipino child; it is creating this space to pass down and regenerate wisdom that is so valuable,” Manosa-Tanjutco said.
“It’s where we want Filipinos of all ages to believe in the power of our culture and collectively dream of this future, today,” she added.
Manosa-Tanjutco shared they have curated brand-new spaces together with young people, as they wanted to blend the traditions they have kept in the museum — “iconic spaces that remind us of childhood, yet prepare it for the future.”
“Museums globally are changing, decolonizing, and reimagining into more complex cultural playgrounds, and Museo Pambata aims to be at the forefront of this change with Balay Yatu: Asia’s first youth-curated creative space and cultural center,” she added.
“We are creating a feedback loop of energy into the museum so that every person that comes in and out of the space brings with them the spirit of the Filipino and the values we uniquely share with the world.”
Museo Pambata offers a variety of engaging activities that highlight this year’s theme through a series of dynamic exhibits and interactive programs designed to inspire and empower the next generation.
These interactive initiatives aim to foster self-expression, spark curiosity, and deepen connections to local traditions, environmental awareness and social issues.
Museo Pambata will reopen to the public on 6 December.