m/v doulos

m/v doulos: the floating bookstore

website: http://www.doulos.org/

some facts and trivia:
> the largest floating bookstore in the world
> the world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship as per Guinness Book of World Records
> was constructed in 1914
> had sailed under four distinct names and serving various purposes:
a. Medina -> for freighting goods
b. Roma -> for transporting emigrants
c. Franca C -> for cruises
d. Doulos -> as a vessel to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world
> *total number of countries visited: 103 countries
> *total number of visitors: more than 20 million
> *total number of books purchased on board: more than 14 million

* (as of march 2008)

pamangkins and i were able to visit m/v doulos before it left the philippine shore last month.

it was around 2PM and the sun was grinning eat-to-ear, when pamangkins and i joined the crowd lining up and waiting to board the ship.

entrance fee:

> General Admission: PhP10 (but it seems that 10 UNITS is a standard fee)
> FREE, for senior citizens and those below 17 years of age

operating hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 to 22:00
Sunday and Monday: 14:00 to 22:00

items are priced on a per unit basis, where 1UNIT=1PhP.

items include the following:
> wide range of books - children books, self-help books, reference books and religious books
> doulos souvenirs/memorabilias - bags, pens, cds, id necklaces

the cheapest item that i saw and actually bought was for PhP10, a small activity book (color and color the picture, connect the dots, word puzzles, maze, etc.) for kids.

aboard the ship, visitors can also:
> have their hands painted with a doulos ship icon
> join the games organized by the crew volunteers
> take a tour on some parts of the ship

national musuem: museum of the filipino people

National Museum: Museum of the Filipino People

Address: P. Burgos St. (behind the National Museum: National Art Gallery)

The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30AM until 4:00PM.

Admission:
> PhP100 per Person
> PhP30 for Students (with valid School ID)
> PhP80 for Senior Citizens



Unfortunately, I and pamangkins weren't able to visit this museum and have a look of their collections.

However, the exhibition directory did indicate the following:

Ground Floor:
> San Diego Wreck Site Diorama (San Diego is a Spanish galleon that sunk in Philippine waters after a collision in 1600)
> 23rd National Visual Art Competition (2009-2010 PLDT-DPC Telephone Directory Cover)
> Ifugao House

Second Floor:
> Five Century of Maritime Trade
> San Diego History
> San Diego Treasures
> Linnaeus and the Linnaeans

Third Floor:
> Pinagmulan (Origin)
> Kinahinatnan (Filipinos Today)
> Kaban ng Lahi (Archaeological Treasure)

Fourth Floor:
> Sites of Stone (Philippine Lithic Tradition)
> T/Issue (Southeast Asian Traditional Textiles and Their Complications)



For Advance Booking or Group Tours, you may call +63 2 5270278 from Monday to Friday, during Office Hours.

national museum: national art gallery

National Museum: National Art Gallery

Address: Finance road corner P. Burgos



The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10AM until 4PM.

Admission is FREE.




how we got here:

I and pamangkins rode the LRT-Line 2 (Santolan-Recto) and alighted at Recto Station, which is the last station. From there, walked along Quezon Avenue, going to Quiapo Church. From Quiapo Church, took a jeep bound for Manila Hotel.
(If I'm not mistaken, you can take a jeep bound for the Pier, Kalaw or Harrison-Mabini.)



What's instore for you:

When we visited this last month, we saw the following:

First Floor (where the entrance is):
> Paintings and Portraits by Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo
> J. Luna's Spolarium
> F. Hidalgo’s La Tragedia del Gobernador Fernando de Bustamante y Bustillos
> Old Pictures and Masterplan of Manila
> Manunggul Jar (Burial Jar) and other religious artifacts including a wooden altar from Bohol
> Tau-Tao Exhibit, from the Bagobo mythology


Second Floor:
> Hall for Contemporary Arts
> Hall of National Artists for Visual Arts
- Napoleon Abueva
- Benedicto Cabreras
- Vicente Manansala
- Jose Joya
- Carlos "Botong" Francisco
- Guillermo Tolentino
- Arturo Luz
- Victorio Edades
- Fernando Armosolo
- Abdulmari Imao
- Cesar Legaspi
> Bones and Skeletons of Different Animals:
- horse
- carabao
- cattle
- sea cow
- bat
- deer
- monkey
- tarsier
- stegodont
- tortoise
- rhinoceros
- sperm whale (which suffered from osteoarthritis)
- lancelet
- giant great white shark
- hammerhead
- tiger shark
- marlin
- sea catfish
- stone fish
- porcupine
- barracuda
- toad
- frog
- crocodile
- monitor lizard
- hawksbill
- crow
- heron
- chicken
- lemur
- flying squirrel
- bearcat
- anteater
- small-clawed otter