Tour Guide and Docents Training at National Museum

The Advert for the seminar*

I have been a Mabuhay Guide for eight years now. But when I saw a three-day training seminar for guiding and Docents sponsored by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, I had no second thoughts about getting in the program. I sent in my duly accomplished form and then deposited my payment for the fees. Before I knew it, I was all set to attend training on three successive Saturdays of June; 3, 10 and 17.

the venue*

As it turns out, four of us Mabuhay Guides joined the program: Yael Fernandez, Ronnie Gador, Bryan Ocampo and myself. If you ask us collectively, we are all of the opinion that learning doesn't stop. We considered our joining the seminar as "continuing education." Each successive Saturday was earmarked for a particular activity. Apparently, some other professional guides wanted the same thing as well. Out of the fifty or so participants, around ten were officially employed as guides. The rest were tourism students from different universities in Manila, six are currently employed as museum guides for the National Museum's soon to open branch in Batanes, some are high school teachers and university professors and a small group of women who want to learn how to guide and who love going to museums.

the participants*

The modules were quite simple and designed to impart as much knowledge in the three-day period;

June 3, 2017 DAY 1

                   Registration

                   Opening and Welcoming Remarks (Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, Ph. D; Dir.III, NM)

                   Message ( Alberto Juan E. Avellana, Pres., MFPI)

                   Lecture: Tour Script Development and Proper Spiel and Delivery Part I (Reynaldo A. 

                                 Jorda, Ph D., Accredited Tour Guide DOT)

                   BREAK

                   Lecture: Tour Script Development and Proper Spiel and Delivery Part II (Reynaldo A. 

                                 Jorda, Ph D., Accredited Tour Guide DOT)

                   LUNCH

                   Lecture: Tour Script Development and Proper Spiel and Delivery Part III (Reynaldo A. 

                                 Jorda, Ph D., Accredited Tour Guide DOT)

                   NM Guide Testimonial Carolina Magdaleno (Museum Guide)

                   Grouping of Participants

 Lecturer Reynaldo A. Jorda, Ph. D. , DOT Accredited Guide*

June 10, 2017 DAY 2

                   Registration

                   Lecture: Distinguishing Tour Guiding from Museum Guiding 

                                (Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, Ph. D; Dir.III, NM)

                   Gallery Tour NM Fine Arts and NM Anthropology

                   Film Showing   

                   Lunch

                   Lecture: Basic Museum Tour Script Development (Jesusito R. Arella, Jr., Museum 

                                Guide)

                   Writing of Tour Script (First Draft)

                   Break

                   Re-writing of Tour Script (Final Revision)

                   Practicing Spiel Delivery

Jesusito R. Arella , NM Guide lecturing on Tour Script writing*

June 17, 2017 DAY 3

                  Registration

                  National Museum Guide Testimonial and Final Coaching (April Joy Santiago, Museum

                               Guide)

                  Break

                  Basic Museum Tour Guiding Practicum

                  Lunch

                  Closing Remarks (Ma. Belen V. Pabunan, Chief Administrative Officer, CMVOD 

                              Chairperson, NM Universal Access Committee)

                  Awarding of Certificates, (Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, Ph. D; Dir.III, NM)

                                                       ( Alberto Juan E. Avellana, Pres., MFPI) 

                                                      (Ma. Belen V. Pabunan, Chief Administrative Officer, CMVOD 

                                                        Chairperson, NM Universal Access Committee) 

                  GROUP PHOTO-OP

Mabuhay Guide Bryan Ocampo with his Carlos "Botong" Francisco group mates*

Day 1 was a full day of listening to lectures on Guiding and the responsibilities that come with it. It was mostly basic training for newbies. This one was necessary for those participants who have absolutely no background in the art of guiding. I say "art" because as you progress in  practicing your new found skills you become acquainted with some techniques that work instantaniously with your particular group. I did manage to learn a thing or two more than the usual standard practices established guides are accustomed to. What got to me most was the testimonial of Ms Carolina Magdaleno. It's quite appalling that in contrast to the amount of visitors the National Museum gets on a daily basis, they have a total of six guides. Six! No wonder, they need volunteers...

Mabuhay Guide Ronnie Gador giving a commentary on Baybayin* 

At the end of the lectures, we were given the opportunity to choose from six different areas we wanted to focus on for our presentations. There were four topics from the Museum of Anthropology : Baybayin, Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan, San Diego and Rice. While in the Museum of Fine Arts, the topics were: Diosdado Magno Lorenzo, Arturo Luz, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, and Isabelo Tampinco. 

Lecturer Ana Ma. Theresa P. Labrador , Dir II, NM*

Day 2 was a much more inter-active activity day. The lecture by Jesusito Arella ( that's JR to us who have worked side by side with him on our Museum tours for VIPs) was very insightful. His lecture was a sort of carry-over from the tour guiding script of the Day 1 series. However, his lecture goes further because most of the participants were brought to the respective galleries of the Museum of Fine Arts. In the galleries he showed the newbies how things were conducted on actual tours complete with his own personal amplifier. While going through the galleries we were instructed to pick out one interesting pieces we would like to discuss on our practical exam the following Saturday and which was part of our requirements for the graduation.

Awarding of certificates*

After lunch, was the time we were made to write our first draft for our scripts. A few of the participants were made to read their drafts for the benefit of the rest to listen to. It was also a good time for critique and for fine tuning the scripts read. The assignment for the rest of the week leading to the last training day for the seminar was a final draft that was to be memorized and delivered in front of the group to be assessed by the group head who was a National Museum guide.

Asec. Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, Dir.III, NM, and Alberto Juan E. Avellana, MFPI President handing out certificates*

Day 3 was the day when all the lectures and training went into practice. There was a short lecture by April Joy Santiago who is one of the museum's resident guides. She gave a detailed lecture of what guiding for the museum was like. She also gave inspiring pointers for the students who may well decide that guiding for the museum was the life and/or career for them. After her  lecture was the final activity that would determine whether we made it through the training.

my groupmates*

I belonged to the group that would feature Isabelo Tampinco. along with the Batanes trainees and two other tour operators This is usual for the tour guides to have a little trepidation at first. But as soon as guests warm up and are comfortable with the topics being discussed, the process of guiding becomes smooth sailing. I was last to deliver my spiel as I wanted to discuss the senate floor where the former Session Hall was located. It is now a vacant space and the main draw is the works of Isabelo Tampinco and his sons, Angel and Vidal. 

Batch III of the Tour Guiding and Docents Training Seminar of the National Museum*

After the lunch break was the high point of the three week ends we spent at the National Museum's Auditorium.The certificates were being handed out by Ms. Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador and Mr. Albert Juan E. Avellana. After the ceremonies, we exchanged pleasantries with the Assistant Director and with the Museum Foundation President over snacks of pansit and soda. They were happy to see that even us established guides were willing to undergo their training. The entrance fees to all the museums have been waived so there simply is no excuse to not drop by even for a visit. And so we handed out our business cards so that if they needed volunteer guides for their special events, we would be willing to extend our services pro bono.