National Museum of Anthropology

The National Museum of Anthropology occupies the former Department of Finance building on Rizal Park, and it holds the material that explains the archipelago before 1521. The Manunggul jar is the centrepiece - a burial jar from Palawan, roughly two thousand years old, whose lid carries two figures in a boat, a rendering of the journey of the soul that has become the single most reproduced object in Philippine archaeology. Around it are the Tabon Cave finds, gold ornaments, textiles and weapons, and a substantial ethnographic set covering the living cultures of the Cordillera, Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. A separate section presents the San Diego, a Spanish galleon sunk off Batangas in 1600 and excavated in the 1990s, with its cargo of porcelain, artillery and navigational instruments. Entry to all the National Museum buildings has been free since 2016, which makes this the best value few hours in Manila.

What you actually see

• The Manunggul jar - the burial jar with its soul-boat lid.
• The Tabon Cave finds - Palawan's early human record.
• The San Diego wreck - cargo raised from the 1600 galleon.
• The ethnographic halls - Cordillera, Mindanao and Sulu material.

When to go

Year-round; weekday mornings are quietest. It is closed on Mondays and public holidays. Allow half a day if you want the fine arts building too.

Honest expectations

Entry is free but bags are checked and large ones must be left. Some galleries close for rotation or maintenance without notice. It is a substantial museum - two hours is a minimum.

Nearby

The National Museum of Fine Arts and Natural History are in the same complex; Rizal Park and Intramuros are adjacent.