Celebrity Life

Catch a Lenten exhibit at the reopened San Agustin Museum in Intramuros, Manila

By Bong Godinez

The Walled City of Intramuros is slowly getting back on its feet after months of inactivity.

This week saw the reopening of three of its attractions: Fort Santiago, Casa Manila Museum, and Baluarte de San Diego.

Also resuming operations this week is the public mini library, Book Stop, at Plaza Roma.

Before that, Bambike rentals and Batala Bar have started accepting customers.

Joining the parade is another iconic attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site at that.

The San Agustin Church has reopened its museum, although its audio-visual room remains closed to visitors.

For its reopening salvo, which happened last Wednesday, February 24, visitors will get to see the museum's first Lenten exhibition backed by friends, benefactors, and Augustinian friars.

The exhibition features scenes from the Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross.

Photo by: San Agustin Museum

There will be an age limit of 15 to 65 years old and a maximum capacity of 100 persons at a time will be admitted inside.

Entrance fee is P200 for adults and P160 for students, seniors, people with disabilities (PWDs), and frontliners.

The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays to Sundays.

Photo by: Archdiocesan Shrine of N.S. de la Consolación y Correa - San Agustin Church

Completed in 1607, the San Agustin Church is considered the oldest stone church in the Philippines.

The church has endured numerous catastrophic events including fire, earthquakes, and heavy bombings brought by Word War II.

In fact, San Agustin Church - despite suffering structural damages - was the only church among the seven stationed churches inside Intramuros left standing following days of bombings that obliterated and flattened the district, and most of Manila, at the conclusion of WWII.

The Philippine government in 1976 named San Agustin Church as a National Historical Landmark.

It was cited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, joining three other Spanish-era churches, in the category Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

Take a virtual tour of the San Agustin Museum here: