Manila Curatour

*This article was previously published in Manila Bulletin. 

Today, I thank the Lord for the gift of experience.

I am an on-the-job trainee at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. I am currently finishing my degree on Art Management at the Ateneo de Manila University. While my peers went off to big corporations and different design studios in exchange for paid internships, I decided to go the traditional route and enroll myself in the training program of the Met known to hold world-class exhibitions and retrospectives. In their humble abode, it is difficult to recognize that this is a nest for art, something only the elite can enjoy. I decided later on that it was not.

I am only there for two reasons: to finish a requirement and to prove something to the institution. My first month went by smoothly. I was exposed to the different workings of an art institution. Throughout my stay, I have learned that the long-standing credo of the museum is to bring art for all.

Yesterday, I managed to tour a group of visually impaired children.The Met’s Touch the Artist’s Vision Program made art accessible to the blind. Through the museum’s audio and tactile guides, they were able to enjoy art classics such as Felix Resureccion Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins, Ang Kiukok’s Man on Fire, and even the pre-historic gold and pottery collection. With the help of Parent’s Advocate for Visually Impaired Children (PAVIC) and the University of Santo Tomas National Service Training Program (UST NSTP) students, we were able to handle it successfully.

It was my first time to hold a group tour—and a group of blind people no less—yet they made it easy for me. It was unexpected because I know they require a lot of special attention. I was pleasantly surprised to know that majority of them were independent.

It was such a special thing to be remembered and appreciated by these visually impaired people. Eugemar, a 23-year-old guy, even asked for my Facebook account. I take it dearly knowing he wanted someone like me to be his friend. Clarolyn, Shaira, and others remembered my name immediately though they were surrounded by so many different people with different names. What they lack for in sight, they make up for in thoughtfulness.

I also had a little chat with a mother from PAVIC. She was equally surprised that we have this kind of program in the Philippines. She told me of her experiences in Italy and how the train is also visually-impaired friendly. Our conversation drifted on to art. I told her that I was envious since going to Europe for me still remains a dream today.

This experience opened my eyes to the fact that you could have money but never the full support of your countrymen. Let’s face it. There are just a few services and facilities that cater to our blind brothers and sisters.

A little later on, the UST NSTP facilitator said that he really appreciated the Met’s program on expanding the once exclusive world of art. They were for inclusive development, they said. An advocacy close to my heart as I come from a Jesuit background, I knew I was in the right place.

Today, I thank the Lord for the gift of acceptance