One of the things I look forward to every time June is approaching is planning for our family field trip to kick off our homeschool year in a fun but educational way.

This year was no exception. Thus, I was thrilled when I learned that there are several museums in Intramuros that are waiving their entrance fees to enable more Filipinos to visit them and learn from them.

One of the things I love about homeschooling is that the parents get to choose where and when field trips will be. We can choose to go to places that fit our budget and which we find relevant or important to our kids’ education.

I didn’t get to go to a lot of field trips when I was still a student. Therefore, our family field trips are made more exciting by these shared first-time experiences that we have visiting these places as a family.

Our family had been to Fort Santiago, Aguinaldo Shrine and Dr. Jose Rizal’s ancestral home in Laguna in the past years as part of our June field trip in the past years. This year, we went back to Intramuros to visit new museums.

Bahay Tsinoy

The entrance fee at Bahay Tsinoy or Museum of Chinese in Philippine Life is P100 for adults and P60 for students. It’ located at the Kaisa Heritage Center in Anda street corner Cabido street, Intramuros, Manila.

This museum has been in our must-visit list for a long time now. Our first reason is that the Chinese are very much a part of our culture since they had been traders here long before the Spaniards came. Second, my husband came from a Filipino-Chinese family.

I was really grateful when I found out that Bahay Tsinoy is among the museums that will waive its entrance fee during our Independence Day celebration this year.

I called up their office the day before our field trip to make sure that it’s true. Here is their office number: (02) 5276083. I also asked to find out if there is parking available in the building. So, it’s true that they will waive their entrance fee. They also have basement parking. Parking is free of charge as well. Double hurray!

The museum is open from 1-5 PM, Tuesdays to Sundays. We had lunch first at home before going to Intramuros. We got there before 3 PM, if I remember it right.

It was hot outside but the museum is air conditioned so it’s okay to go there in the afternoon.

The museum is divided into a a number of sections and covers two floors of the building.

The first section that you will see when you enter is the section that shows maps, documents and some photos of the early contacts between the Filipinos and the Chinese.

This is followed by the Parian or the place where the Chinese community can be found in the Philippines during the early years.

Then, you will see the emergence of the Chinese community and their different jobs or businesses in the Philippines during the Spanish times until modern times. You will have a peek into the lives and houses of the Chinese-mestizos.

You will see the businesses started and ran by the prominent Chinese businessmen. You will see photos of people of Chinese descent who made significant contributions in our country or who made their mark abroad.

There is a wall dedicated to the Chinese who fought with the Filipinos during the war. There is also a section showcasing ceramics made by the Chinese. Plus many old photographs and documents.

We had fun while learning during our family’s visit to this museum. The wax dioramas made the museum interesting and attractive, especially to young audiences. I highly recommend this for family or school field trips.

We spent probably almost 2 hours going around the museum, reading texts from the displays, staring at photographs and other memorabilia and taking photos as we went.

Food and drinks are prohibited inside the museum so we ate our packed snacks and drank water outside after our tour.

Money-saving Tips for Field trips:

1. Watch out for occasions when entrance fees are waived or prioritize going to museums with free entrance.
2. Come after lunch so you are not hungry and you don’t need to spend for lunch.
3. Bring water in eco-friendly water bottles and packed snacks like sandwiches or biscuits in case you get hungry after your field trip.
4. Find out in advance where you can park for free.

Our next destination was Museo de Intramuros. It’s near bahay Tsinoy also. You can walk to this museum from bahay Tsinoy. But because Bahay Tsinoy will close at 5 PM, my husband had to get our vehicle out and park somewhere else. We found free parking along the road near Museo de Intramuros.

We initially wanted to go to Manila Cathedral also that day because they are giving tours inside but the Cathedral was farther and we also wanted to celebrate Mass at San Agustin at 5:30 PM. So, we chose to go to Museo de Intramuros right after Bahay Tsinoy and before the Mass.

Museo de Intramuros

Museo de Intramuros is a newly-opened museum. It was opened to the public in May and still does not charge an entrance fee.

We got brochures about Intramuros at the entrance of this museum. My little bookworm, my eldest child, devoured it right away.

It showcases artifacts, paintings and memorabilia that depict how the Filipinos adapted Catholicism or Christianity over the years. Most of the displays were statues, paintings and woodwork of Saints, the Blessed Mother and of Jesus.

There are sections where you can take photos but without flash. There is also a section where you cannot take photos.

The museum covers several floors. It’s also good to have water with you in case you get thirsty after your tour.

We left the museum at 5 PM and walked to San Agustin Church which was also nearby.

I recommend this museum to Catholic families. Non-Christians or Christians who are non-Catholics might not find this interesting.

San Agustin Church

We got there early enough to have some photos taken and join the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help before the 5:30 PM Mass.

My eldest son who has been a pianist in our parish in the past 3 years was delighted to see the oldest pipe organ in the country on the second floor of the church. We were not able to go to the museum but it can be seen from downstairs. We hope to get closer to it next time when we visit the San Agustin Museum. I wish they would waive their entrance fee also next year.

It was another successful field trip for our homeschooling family! We did not only get to learn the fun way about our nation’s history, but we also got to offer the new school year to God as we attended Mass at San Agustin Church, the oldest church int he Philippines.

We capped the day by reading part of the brochures we were given about Intramuros and a children’s book about the Filipino Diva.