National Museum of the Philippines-Cordillera

National Museum of the Philippines-Cordillera The Official Facebook Page of the National Museum of the Philippines-Cordillera in Kiangan, Ifugao.

Gallery opens 9-12 and 1-4 Tuesdays to Sundays
Registration of visitors starts 8:30am

๐™๐™๐™š ๐™„๐™›๐™ช๐™œ๐™–๐™ค ๐™๐™ž๐™˜๐™š ๐™๐™š๐™ง๐™ง๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™จ: ๐™ƒ๐™–๐™ง๐™ข๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™ฎ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™‰๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐˜พ๐™ช๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™šThe Ifugao Rice Terraces are among the Philippines' greatest cult...
31/07/2026

๐™๐™๐™š ๐™„๐™›๐™ช๐™œ๐™–๐™ค ๐™๐™ž๐™˜๐™š ๐™๐™š๐™ง๐™ง๐™–๐™˜๐™š๐™จ: ๐™ƒ๐™–๐™ง๐™ข๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™ฎ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™‰๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐˜พ๐™ช๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™š

The Ifugao Rice Terraces are among the Philippines' greatest cultural treasures, showcasing centuries of indigenous knowledge, sustainable farming, and harmony with nature. The National Museum of the Philippines โ€“ Cordillera serves as the site museum that preserves and shares this remarkable heritage. Through its exhibits, visitors learn how indigenous traditions have shaped one of the world's most remarkable cultural landscapes.

Carved into the Cordillera mountains by the ancestors of the Ifugao, the rice terraces are a living cultural landscape that reflects centuries of indigenous knowledge and sustainable farming. Recognized as a National Cultural Treasure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), they symbolize the harmony between people and nature. GIAHS sites throughout the world are selected based on their importance on local food security, high levels of agro-biodiversity, store of indigenous knowledge and ingenuity of management systems.

As the Philippines' only GIAHS site, the terraces showcase rich biodiversity, traditional farming practices, and the strong relationship between people and nature. This harmony is also reflected in the museum's Cordillera weaving exhibits, where natural materials and traditional patterns preserve the region's history and identity.

Visit the National Museum of the Philippinesโ€“Cordillera to discover how the Ifugao Rice Terraces and Cordillera weaving traditions continue to inspire cultural pride and respect for nature. # # ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ฏ๐˜ถ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ

Pinoy Coded Rhythm: The Ifugao Libbit Proclamation No. 933, s. 2014 recognized the last week of July as โ€œLinggo ng Musik...
27/07/2026

Pinoy Coded Rhythm: The Ifugao Libbit

Proclamation No. 933, s. 2014 recognized the last week of July as โ€œLinggo ng Musikang Pilipinoโ€ to promote local and global awareness, appreciation and support for Original Pilipino Music (OPM). This yearโ€™s theme โ€œPinoy Codedโ€ emphasizes Filipino music as an integral part of our national identity while encouraging appreciation for local artists, songwriters and other professionals in the music industry.

In celebration of this occasion, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP)- Cordillera highlights one of its remarkable ethnographic collections - the Ifugao "libbit", a traditional musical instrument. Preserved and maintained by NMP Cordillera, this libbit measures 114 cm long and 16 cm in diameter at its upper opening. Crafted from local hardwood, it was collected in 1977 in Ifugao by Mr. Joseph Patawang, a local community member who sourced this libbit, preserving a musical tradition that predates OPM.

A closer look at this traditional drum tells the remarkable ingenuity of Cordilleran indigenous craftmanship. The artisans carefully hollowed the core of a solid log using chisels, carefully shaping the interior and narrowing the base, allowing sound waves to compress as they travel downward and producing the instrumentโ€™s characteristic dense, resonant, low-pitched tone that distinguishes Cordilleran percussion.

Its wide opening is covered with deerskin, secured by woven rattan bands that extend downward in diagonal patterns and are fastened to wooden anchors. This traditional lacing provides the needed tension to produce its distinctive sound. With no mechanical tuner, performers traditionally held the drumhead near an open fire before playing. The heat caused the deerskin to tighten, raising the pitch to achieve its desired ceremonial tone.

In traditional Ifugao society, the libbit was played for important communal ceremonies, such as the Hongan di Page (rice rituals), during which its rhythmic sounds accompanied prayers that invoked ancestral spirits and deities to bless the harvest and ensure agricultural abundance.

Collected in the 1970s, this artifact represents a tradition rooted in its original cultural context, having been crafted for ceremonial needs. As such, it preserves an authentic expression of Ifugao musical heritage and indigenous craftmanship.

As we celebrate Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino, this libbit reminds us that Filipino musical excellence extends far beyond the modern era. It stands as a testament to the ingenuity and sophisticated acoustic knowledge of our ancestors- a timeless legacy that continues to enrich the story of Philippine music and cultural identity.




20/07/2026

Notice to the Public

The National Museum of the Philippines- Cordillera in Kiangan , Ifugao will be CLOSED to the public starting July 7 to July 31, 2026 due to urgent building repair and maintenance works to ensure visitor safety.

The Administrative Office remains to be open from Mondays to Sundays from 8am to 5pm.

Regular museum operations will resume upon completion of the repair works.

The   in Kiangan , Ifugao remains to be open to the public on June 12 (Philippine Independence Day) and on June 18, 2026...
12/06/2026

The in Kiangan , Ifugao remains to be open to the public on June 12 (Philippine Independence Day) and on June 18, 2026 (Ifugao Day).

Visit our museum and join us celebrate the freedom of our nation while learning about the vibrant culture of the Cordillera region.




Watch, Learn and Do the Basics of Weaving!Your   successfully hosted โ€œABOL: Weaving Workshops for Beginnersโ€ at the Phil...
29/05/2026

Watch, Learn and Do the Basics of Weaving!

Your successfully hosted โ€œABOL: Weaving Workshops for Beginnersโ€ at the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office grounds in Linda, Kiangan, Ifugao on May 18, 2026 while celebrating (IMD) 2026 with its theme, โ€œMuseums Uniting a Divided Worldโ€ while joining the observance of . The weaving workshop was participated by at least 14 pupils and 3 teachers from the Kiangan Central School with various observers from walk-in museum visitors.

The activity started with an overview guided tour to familiarize the participants with the weaving implements, weaving techniques and woven textiles. After the short tour, the participants were made to choose a museum item for painting. The 11 grade schoolers chose draw-paint and tell something about their work while 3 worked on basic warping using the table top mini looms with the museum staff as trainers. These simple activities served as foundational experiences for them to appreciate the weaving process and techniques giving each learner a physical connection to the local tangible heritage under the direct guidance of museum staff and local educators. The 3 teachers also did simple beading of woven bracelets. This way, this ignited cultural appreciation by the young connecting them to the past and bringing them closer to their cultural identity.

By targeting the grade school as cultural program partners, the ensures that indigenous traditions will not only be preserved in glass cases but are transmitted to the young during their early education. The success of this IMD activity highlights the role of museums as trusted and vital spaces for community building, cultural heritage transmission and unity.




Text and photos by: LLagayan/NM Cordillera

๐™๐™๐™š ๐™‡๐™ž๐™ฏ๐™–๐™ง๐™™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐™„๐™›๐™ช๐™œ๐™–๐™ค ๐˜พ๐™ช๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™šStep inside the National Museumโ€“Cordillera and youโ€™ll notice the ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜บ๐˜ข or monitor lizard (...
29/05/2026

๐™๐™๐™š ๐™‡๐™ž๐™ฏ๐™–๐™ง๐™™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐™„๐™›๐™ช๐™œ๐™–๐™ค ๐˜พ๐™ช๐™ก๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™ง๐™š

Step inside the National Museumโ€“Cordillera and youโ€™ll notice the ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜บ๐˜ข or monitor lizard (๐˜๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ฑ.) inscribed all around the building and within the museum itself. These carvings are not mere decoration - they carry deep meaning in Ifugao cosmology.

The ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜บ๐˜ข is remembered and respected as a guide and bearer of sacred knowledge. In myths, it taught burial rites - turning the face of the dead toward the rising sun. In funerary traditions, it symbolizes transition and renewal, guiding spirits eastward toward lifeโ€™s continuity.

In farming, it represents fertility and perseverance, ensuring water flows to the terraces. A myth tells how ๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ต, the sun deity sent the lizard who revealed hidden springs that made rice terrace irrigation possible. The lizard is thus remembered as the guide that made Ifugao irrigation possible.

In homes and objects, its image reflects honor, wealth, and cultural identity. One of the many prestige rituals in Ifugao is the ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ, a wooden board ceremonially installed on the ceiling of a ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜จ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ช house. It features carvings of the eagle symbol, including a monitor lizard (๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜บ๐˜ข, a spear head (๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ฉ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ), the sun disk (๐˜ถ๐˜ฑ๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ), a turtle (๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ฌ๐˜ถ๐˜ฌ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ), and a spider (๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ฌ๐˜ข๐˜ธ๐˜ธ๐˜ข).

Thus the monitor lizard appears in oral stories, woodcarvings and woven textiles. Every image of the ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜บ๐˜ข is a reminder: this monitor lizard is more than a creature of the forest - it is a messenger from the Skyworld, a teacher of sacred knowledge and a symbol of prestige.

Visit NMP - Cordillera and see how the ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜บ๐˜ข's presence continues to watch over the museum and the community.



Sources:
Martin, M. & Acabado, S. 2025. The Ifugao Ethnographic Encyclopedia, University of California, Los Angeles

Tour script of Cezyle Joy H. Kindipan on โ€œThe Monitor Lizard in Ifugao Cosmology and Cultureโ€. 2026.

๐‘ต๐‘ด๐‘ท-๐‘ช๐’๐’“๐’…๐’Š๐’๐’๐’†๐’“๐’‚ ๐‘จ๐’˜๐’‚๐’“๐’…๐’” ๐’Š๐’•๐’” ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’“๐’”๐’• ๐‘ต๐‘ด๐‘ท ๐‘ท๐’‚๐’”๐’”๐’‘๐’๐’“๐’•On May 18, 2026, the International Museums Day 2026, the National Museum of ...
26/05/2026

๐‘ต๐‘ด๐‘ท-๐‘ช๐’๐’“๐’…๐’Š๐’๐’๐’†๐’“๐’‚ ๐‘จ๐’˜๐’‚๐’“๐’…๐’” ๐’Š๐’•๐’” ๐‘ญ๐’Š๐’“๐’”๐’• ๐‘ต๐‘ด๐‘ท ๐‘ท๐’‚๐’”๐’”๐’‘๐’๐’“๐’•

On May 18, 2026, the International Museums Day 2026, the National Museum of the Philippines launched NMP Passport - a new way to celebrate museum journeys across the country. This generated so much interest among museum enthusiasts and placed more attention to the regional component museums.

At the NMP-Cordillera branch, the first passport was issued to Ms Dessirei J. Darapiza who traveled from La Union to visit her 10th NMP museum. She is a museum lover who visited NMP โ€“ Sulu in 2024, and since then continued to visit other NMP branches throughout the country.

โ€œ๐‘‡โ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘€๐‘ƒ ๐‘ƒ๐‘Ž๐‘ ๐‘ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘ก (โ€ฆ) ๐‘–๐‘  ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘š๐‘’๐‘™๐‘ฆ ๐‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘’ ๐ผ ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘‘ ๐‘ก๐‘œ ๐‘ฃ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘ก ๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘™ 82 ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘–๐‘›๐‘๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘ƒโ„Ž๐‘–๐‘™๐‘–๐‘๐‘๐‘–๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ . ๐‘‡โ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘ ๐‘ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘ก ๐‘–๐‘  ๐‘Ž ๐‘”๐‘œ๐‘œ๐‘‘ ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘ฃ๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘ก๐‘œ ๐‘‘๐‘œ๐‘๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘’๐‘›๐‘ก ๐‘š๐‘ฆ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘ โ€, she said.

Dessirei was eye-catching among the museum visitors last May 22, 2026 because one leg was in metal coils, an external fixator that helps her tibia fracture to heal completely. Despite still recovering from her injury, she journeyed to NMP-Cordillera in her desire to get the NMP passport. She unabashedly called herself as โ€œ๐‘ƒ๐‘Š๐ท ๐‘›๐‘Ž ๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘Žโ€ or person with disability who travels.

She identified the 113-year old stone bench or โ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘๐‘–, found in front of the NMP-Cordillera museum as her favorite item, especially since the guide explained its significance as an indicator of the ๐‘˜๐‘Ž๐‘‘๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘”๐‘ฆ๐‘Ž๐‘› (elite) rank in the community. โ€œ๐‘€๐‘ฆ ๐‘’๐‘ฅ๐‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘’๐‘›๐‘๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘–๐‘› ๐‘ฃ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘š๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘’๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘  ๐‘ ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฃ๐‘’ ๐‘Ž๐‘  ๐‘š๐‘ฆ ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘–๐‘› ๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘Ž๐‘โ„Ž๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘š๐‘ฆ ๐‘ ๐‘ข๐‘๐‘—๐‘’๐‘๐‘ก ๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘ ๐‘œ๐‘๐‘–๐‘Ž๐‘™ ๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘ข๐‘‘๐‘–๐‘’๐‘ โ€, she explained. As a DepEd teacher in La Union, Ms. Dessirei shares through her classes and her travel diaries the insights that she gained in her travels.

Dessirei describes herself as half-Ifugao and half-Ilocano, her father being from Hapao, Hungduan, Ifugao. She was curious to know more about her heritage, making her trip to Kiangan, Ifugao more memorable.

Indeed, museums are not just places of history - they are living classrooms and bridges to heritage. We wish you ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘ฃ๐‘œ๐‘ฆ๐‘Ž๐‘”๐‘’ in your journeys, Ms Dessirei! # # by eddulnuan

The National Museum of the Philippines-Cordillera in Kiangan, Ifugao will be closed to the public on May 27, 2026 (Wedne...
26/05/2026

The National Museum of the Philippines-Cordillera in Kiangan, Ifugao will be closed to the public on May 27, 2026 (Wednesday) in observance of Eid'l Adha.

Regular museum operations will resume on May 28, 2026 (Thursday).

Address

Kiangan Shrine Compound, Linda
Poblacion
3604

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+639354980030

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