Intramuros, National Museum reopen; fully-vaccinated senior citizens allowed

MANILA, Philippines — As Metro Manila reverted to General Community Quarantine (GCQ), some heritage sites and museums in Manila reopen, and fully-vaccinated senior citizens are now allowed to visit. 

Intramuros sites (Casa Manila, Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego) and National Museum complex (National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Fine Arts, and National Museum of Natural History) are now open to the public. 

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowed the reopening of these heritage sites and museums, with health and safety restrictions that limit the venue capacity to 20%.

In accordance with government-implemented protocols, Intramuros and National Museum posted guidelines for their visitors.

Intramuros

“Fully vaccinated senior citizens are now allowed to visit Intramuros! Simple present vaccination card upon entry (at least two weeks since 2nd dose),” Intramuros Administration said in a Facebook post last June 15.

Casa Manila Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and only 15 persons at a time and five persons in a group are allowed.

On the other hand, the operating hours of Fort Santiago and Baluarte de San Diego have been extended on weekends. 

Fort Santiago is accepting visitors on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, with a limit of 200 persons at a time. 

Baluarte De San Diego is open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the last entry is 4 p.m. and only 100 persons at a time are allowed.

The entrance fee for adults is P75 and P50 for students and PWD, in all the mentioned open sites. They can pay using cash, and they can also transfer their payment through PayMaya.

National Museum 

National Museum reopened last June 19, in commemoration of Dr. Jose Rizal’s 160th birthday anniversary.

They limited the visitors, by dividing them into two sessions, and visitors are limited to 100 per session.

The National Museum Complex is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the morning session and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the afternoon session.

Visitors are required to pre-book online to control the crowd, and to avoid other inconveniences. They must follow the online booking guidelines prior to their visit:

• Reserve a slot at https://reservation.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/ at least a day before the planned visit. 
• Booking confirmation will be sent through email.
• Group reservations are limited to five persons only.
• Walk-in visitors will not be accommodated.

Persons aged 15 years old above are allowed to visit. Senior citizens must bring their vaccination cards as a proof that they are fully vaccinated.

All visitors are required to present a valid ID with birthdate, and they are also required to fill up a Health Declaration Form before entering the museum. They can also do it through StaySafePh mobile application.

Those who plan to visit the said places must observe social distancing, and they must not forget to properly wear their face masks and face shields. Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own alcohol or sanitizers.