[Cue dramatic music] In memory of face-to-face school trips†.

Before the world faced the current pandemonium, exhibit tours were always on every school’s yearly field trip itinerary. Besides the unthinkable joy of riding roller coasters at amusement parks, nothing beats absorbing the true essence of off-campus learning.

In case you feel like feeding your brain with historical facts (or realized you took museum tours for granted years back), the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) has extended its scholastic features for us.

In lieu of the 32nd Library and Information Services Month, the NLP is inviting us to their free-to-visit “Exhibit of Rare Books and Manuscripts” that features original manuscripts of Dr. Jose Rizal’s works (shoutout to the “Maria Clara at Ibarra” stans) “Noli Me Tangere,” “El Filibusterismo,” and his original poem “Mi Ultimo Adios,” (Last Farewell) which Rizal wrote before his execution on Dec. 30, 1896.

If you have time for a longer stay, check out the “Acta de la Proclamacion de Independencia del pueblo Filipino” (a.k.a. Act of the Declaration of Philippine Independence) in physical form, other rare classic books, photographs, maps, and memorabilia. Tell your friends ASAP, because the free exhibit will only run until Nov. 29, located at the second floor lobby of the NLP building in Ermita, Manila.

Another special feature of this event is dedicated to guests with vision impairment: An audio transcription comes with each display. It can be accessed by scanning the QR code provided

Apart from the free show of artifacts, the NLP will also hold a webinar tackling the library’s role in cultural preservation, happening on Nov. 9, with Filipino historians Dr. Wensley M. Reyes and Xiao B. Chua as guest speakers.

And if you’re up for a bigger challenge, you may also want to join the celebration’s drawing workshop, TikTok contest (about your library stay, of course), and—to complete the DIY field trip experience—a Balagtasan competition. Each team is given 15 minutes to perform their piece, which aims to tackle issues that concern the country and the world.

To visualize your fullest possible experience in the library, navigate the activities here. But if you’re staying indoors for now, you can also access their free online collection of learning materials.

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Stills from the National Library of the Philippines’ Facebook page