The University of San Carlos museum is famous for its anthropological and archaeological exhibits. Unlike many national museums, it’s hosted in the campus of the university, making it perfect to explore the corridors of a typical educational environment in the Philippines.

The museum is found on the main first floor beside the entrance to the campus and is divided into two sections slightly far away from each other. For a small private place, l was impressed to see that they had invested so much to maintain the 16th-century practice of artificial skull deformation on infants for aesthetic reasons. 

Here are a few artefacts I decided to catch on camera.

What is the history of the University of San Carlos museum?

This campus museum has been operating as early as 1952. However, it was inaugurated on April 23, 1967. Unlike any other cultural site, the museum was inaugurated with specific rites conducted by the then Verbite priest. At that time, he was the University of San Carlos President, Rudolf Rahmann and then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

As time passed, in 1967, the museum is now hosted in two large former classrooms and another room. Since 2017 till my 2023 visit time, it has been occupying the ground floor wings of the Arthur Dingman Building along P. Del Rosario Street at USC’s Downtown Campus. That means, infrastructurally, there isn’t a specific design.

How much does it cost to enter the museum?

The University of San Carlos is located a few kilometres from the busy, famous Colon street. It’s easy to find with a taxi depending on where you are located in Cebu City, but I took a walk obeying my Google map directions, and was there in barely 10 mins from the main street.

As in every cultural site, visitors are expected to pay before entering the museum. It wasn’t a surprise to me. I paid a few Filipino PESOS (less than 10USD) and spent a long time viewing each item as l wished.

Unfortunately, no tour guide is included in the fee, so you will have to walk around alone.  I didn’t mind because typically, l prefer to read and take pictures at my convenience. Amazingly, all of the descriptions were in English. That made it easier to understand and grasp the huge change in culture over several decades for Filipinos.

How many artefacts are in the University of San Carlos museum?

According to an inventory made in 1988 by then USC Museum curator Jane Calderon-Hayhow, the museum’s collection comprises 9,606 artefacts, objects and specimens, Wikipedia reports.

I didn’t have time to count all of them, but l can confirm there were many pieces, spread on both sides of the walls, and a lot more on table-like stands in the middle of the rooms.

When to go there?

One will expect a museum should be open every day, morning to evening, at least that has been my experience visiting others in different countries. This one was strangely different. I came the first day at around 3pm and was told the cultural world was closed already. Disappointed, the guards encouraged me to come the next day much earlier. In obedience, I returned the next day at a few minutes to 12pm.

With warm smiles, the guards ushered me to the museum where l met a smiley Filipino staff, sitting alone. In their typically welcoming way, she spoke clear English, inquired about my nationality, received the payment and told me, she needs a break in the next 30 mins indirectly meaning, l couldn’t tour the place until after her break which will last 1hr 30 mins. I found that weird but understood it was part of the rules. 

To wind time, l found a seat in front of the cafeteria and a busy, well decorated campus corridor. As l listened to students chatting in Tagalog with smiles and laughters among themselves, l missed my campus days.

The sun rays at before and few hours after midday are unfriendly in Cebu making me dizzy as l sat there almost jobless. I returned when it was time and began my tour from outside. Apparently the rooms are full to capacity, so the corridor in front of the museum is also like an outdoor exhibition for anyone to see. From there, l was all smiles to see ancient phones and a host of old items l was familiar with.

What was special about the University of San Carlos Museum?

There are ancient boat coffins dug up in Anda, Bohol, in the 1970s. This was my least expected item.

On one other section, there were some fascinating limestone burial jars dating from about the 6th century. Note the covers – carved phalluses for men, roofs for women, faces for datu (chiefs).

A section had just wooden carved sculptures of people believed to be gods in those days. It felt creepy and fetish, but it’s part of the life of those people and some people today.

The ceramic bowls displayed on several shelves made some sections almost boring, as there wasn’t much to see, at least for my non-archaeological mind.

However, for many items, especially the butterfly sanctuary harbouring several species, l remember smiling for a few seconds unconsciously because of the outstanding colours. God is really a Designer, I whispered in my mind.

I have no doubt, birders will be amazed at the large Philippines Eagle. I was taken aback for a minute when I saw it too. Its gigantic size was unique to behold.

Above all, I was impressed by the Christian statutes of Jesus Christ, beautifully sculpted on several parts. Though just a symbolic image of God, it spoke volumes to why I had seen a lot of Catholic churches around the streets. Many Filipinos believe in God and consider themselves Christians. A few, I spoke to, joyfully shared their lives with God and couldn’t stop referring to Him during our conversations.

History always comes to life after such visits to me. Somehow, l felt glad to explore the museum for almost 2 hours, slowly walking around and reading.

Here’s a link to several other museums and tourist to-dos around the world.