Jaehwa Bernardo

Interior of the Museo del Galeón, a maritime heritage museum in Pasay City, featuring a representation of the 17th-century galleon Galeón Espíritu Santo as its centerpiece (in photo). Photos by Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

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Museo del Galeón revisits PH’s rich maritime history

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17769430931911776943048734342.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Interior of the Museo del Galeón, a maritime heritage museum in Pasay City, featuring a representation of the 17th-century galleon Galeón Espíritu Santo as its centerpiece (in photo). Photos by Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — As an archipelagic nation, the Philippines has always been tied to the sea. Even before colonization, early Filipinos sailed “balangay” boats, later becoming central to the galleon trade that linked Asia and the Americas. Today, many Filipinos continue this seafaring tradition through maritime careers.This rich maritime heritage is at the heart of the Museo del Galeón, which opens to the public on May 1.The museum is housed in a four-level, dome-shaped structure at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay, spanning approximately 9,000 square meters.It features four galleries highlighting the identity of Filipinos as seafarers, with particular emphasis on the Manila galleon — a trade route linking Asia and the Americas (and, by extension, Europe) from 1565 to 1815 — facilitating not only the exchange of goods but also ideas, language and traditions. Museum organizers say it is an often overlooked chapter of Philippine history. “This is a museum that features time travel. Through this giant representation of a galleon... you are going to be brought on a journey to a part of our national life, our national story that perhaps you never knew existed but which you will discover is part of your everyday life,” historian Manuel L. Quezon III, the museum’s executive director, said Thursday during the inaugural opening.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17769432348721776934969545957.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Historian Manuel L. Quezon III, the museum’s executive director, gives a tour of the interior of the Galeón Espiritu Santo during a media preview, which includes displays of food once consumed by the crew</div>Quezon described Museo del Galeón as an “experiential museum.”“This is a place where as much as possible, it’s not, ‘don’t touch this’ [or] ‘be quiet!’. It’s a place where you can explore, learn, touch, engage in a way that we think will invite that kind of discovery and appreciation,” he said.The museum’s centerpiece is the Galeón Espiritu Santo, a full-scale reconstruction of a 17th-century ship that once sailed between Manila and the Mexican port of Acapulco. Inside, guests can explore the main and gun decks — complete with cannons and displays of food once eaten by galleon trade crews — and engage with other interactive features.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776943339453177693496987664.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17769433529531776934969787611.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>Guests will likely be greeted with a sense of awe as they step onto the galleon’s topmost deck, where LED displays featuring constellations encircle the museum’s interior dome.When it opens to the public in May, however, only the first two galleries — one highlighting the precolonial seafaring of early Filipinos and another focusing on “first encounters” with the Spaniards that led to the opening of transpacific routes — will be accessible. The museum is expected to be fully completed by October.Museum tickets are priced as follows:• Adult - P675• Children (above two feet) - P375• Children (below two feet) - Free• Private school students (from kindergarten to university) - P375• Public school students (from kindergarten to university) - P275• Teachers - P275Discounted rates will also be available for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.Given that students are among the museum’s primary target visitors, it is also “working very closely with various government agencies, including the [Department of Education],” as well as tour operators that support school trips, managing director Victor Gelano said.While it looks to the past, the museum is also envisioned as a hub for research and discovery. It is set to house an Ocean Learning Center, a space for education and collaboration dedicated to exploring contemporary ocean issues, including climate change.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17769433697731776934969969686.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>The top deck of the  Galeón Espiritu Santo brings guests closer to LED displays of constellations that encircle the interior of the museum’s dome structure</div>Upon opening, the museum will also become part of the International Congress of Maritime Museums, which could benefit those interested in maritime topics.“When you become a member of that congress, this sharing of information [among the museums] will automatically happen,” explained Gerardo Borromeo, a member of the board of trustees.“You can see that around the world, there’s a lot of interest in maritime [topics], and we being a maritime country, would probably only benefit significantly as a result [of being part of the congress],” added Borromeo, who is also chief executive officer of the Philippine Transmarine Carriers Group of Companies.The museum is rooted in the vision of the late Senator Edgardo J. Angara, who envisioned a space where people could reflect on the significance of the Manila galleon trade.Tickets may be purchased through www.museodelgaleon.org or through the museum’s official ticketing channels, with visitors encouraged to check the museum’s website and social media pages for updates.

The Museo del Galeón, a museum dedicated to the Philippines' maritime heritage, is set to open to the public on May 1.

The Museo del Galeón, a museum dedicated to the Philippines' maritime heritage, is set to open to the public on May 1.

Museo del Galeón traces PH’s rich maritime legacy

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Museo del Galeón traces PH’s rich maritime legacy

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 23, 2026 07:31 PM PHT

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Updated April 23, 2026 09:26 PM PHT

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Museo del Galeón

museum

maritime history

maritime heritage

Manila galleon

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