A New Era

When the renowned Philippine abstract painter Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo returned to Manila in the late Fifties, he shared his enthusiasm for modern art, actively collected masterpieces and held exhibitions in pursuit of promoting a wider appreciation for Philippine art. It was at this time that he envisioned a museum that would serve as a venue of traditional and advanced platforms to present the country’s rich heritage. Zóbel thought it to become the centre of the Ayala Foundation (then known as Filipinas Foundation) for cultural education with the mandate to empower and instil pride in Filipinos through a deeper understanding of their traditions, history and culture.

In 1967, the Ayala Museum