The old Session Hall along Padre Burgos Avenue in Manila has been restored to its pre-war glory. It features new paint with rich cream-coloured walls, vibrant red floors and baseboards. Filipinised classical sculptures by Isabelo Tampinco, and various historical figures such as Apolinario Mabini, Pope Leo XIII, Woodrow Wilson, Moses, Hammurabi, Ramses the Great, and Charlemagne have also been restored.
The restoration also involved ceremonial turnover of artworks from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). These works will now be housed in the National Museum’s GSIS Wing, which consists of three galleries (Galleries XIX, XXI and XXII) on the museum’s second floor.
Funding for the restoration project included PHP6 million ($9.6 million) from the 2011 museum endowment fund of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and PHP14 million ($22.39 million) from the museum’s 2012 budget.
Plans were also announced to improve the National Library, and relocating the National Archives to the Intendencia in Intramuros. As per the National Museum Plan of 1998, the National Museum of Natural History will also be created.
Currently a venue for events that are of national importance, the refurbished hall opened on 29 October during a celebration of the museum’s 111th anniversary.
