President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday called on Filipinos to keep visiting museums, citing the importance of these institutions in showcasing rich Filipino cultural heritage.

He made this remark as his administration joins the country in celebrating Museums and Galleries Month.

“Ang dalang kultura, kamalayan at kasaysayan ng ating mga museums at galleries ay pumupukaw sa ’ting damdaming makabayan at pambansang pagkakilanlan (The culture, awareness and history of our museums and galleries arouse our feelings of patriotism and national identity),” he said on Facebook.

Marcos said visiting museums is important for nation-building and shaping national destiny.

“Bisitahin natin ang ating mga museo at ipagmalaki ang ating pagka-Pilipino (It is an important part of our nation-building. Let’s visit our museums and be proud of our Filipinoness)! he added.

Museums and Galleries Month is observed every month of October by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 798, s. 1991.

The event “underscores the importance of arousing national consciousness and pride in our rich Filipino culture and heritage embodying the aspirations of the nation, expressed in all media of art as well as historical and religious artifacts”, according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

This year’s celebration goes by the theme “Embracing Uncertainty: Showcasing Solidarity, Hope, and Recovery” which highlights the binding role of museums and galleries as cultural identifiers in a rapidly-changing world.

The theme also aims to weave the narrative of NCCA’s 35th anniversary celebrated under “Pagpupunyagi at Pagpapalawig ng Sining at Kultura sa ika-tatlumpu’t Lima” which aims to celebrate artistic and cultural achievements and to remain committed to the objective of cultural and artistic developments.

The narrative also celebrates the 50th year of the Order of National Artists celebrating the nation’s highest ideals and aesthetic expressions. (PNA)