It is now being brought to different parts of the country in celebration of Museums and Galleries Month 2026.
Last Monday, October 5, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), through its Botany and National Herbarium Division (BNHD), launched a new initiative.
This project, which is called the Mobile Museum Boxes (MMB) Sierra Madre (officially “From Mountain Roots to Museum Routes: Mobile Museum Boxes for Sierra Madre’s Role in Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainability, and Climate Resilience”), the project is in collaboration with different non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and local government units.
According to the National Museum, the MMB Sierra Madre is a travelling exhibition initiative that highlights the rich natural and cultural heritage of the southern Sierra Madre mountain range and its surrounding communities.
“Through the exhibition, audiences are invited to discover the region’s biodiversity, heritage, and the important relationship between its natural environment and its people,” it noted.
The mobile exhibition has 12 boxes containing terrestrial plants, animals, aquatic organisms, forest products, and material culture of communities indigenous to the Sierra Madre and its surrounding areas.
Dr. Arvin Diesmos, Director for the National Museum of Natural History, said that the project’s ultimate goal is greater access to the Sierra Madre mountain range for the people, in honor of preserving its natural and cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, Cristina Luna, Project Leader of MMB Sierra Madre and President of the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) Infanta Chapter, stressed that through this project, many people can now gain deeper knowledge about Sierra Madre that will be passed on to several generations to come.
The MMB was conceived in 2015 and has travelled extensively throughout the Visayas and Mindanao, with a particular focus on geographically inaccessible communities.
In 2026, MMB Sierra Madre takes the form of a travelling exhibition installed inside a bus, repurposing the Education on Wheels (EOW) vehicle previously used by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines—allowing it to reach a vast range of communities and venues across Luzon, including NCR, Central and Southern parts of the island.
In fact, it has already made its way to Real, Quezon, where it was stationed from October 7 to 11, 2026.
After which, it is moving to the Infanta, Quezon from October 12 to 16, followed by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sta. Mesa campus from October 16 to 30.
In November 2026, it will be brought to PUP Education On Wheels Satellite Areas in Tondo, Manila and Payatas, Quezon City; and PUP Satellite Campuses in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, and Santa Maria, Bulacan.
