QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- Good news! The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has announced that the AFP Museum is now open to visitors.

Take a walk-through military history every Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The museum is located inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

For inquiries and more information, call at 89127664, email at afpmuseum@gmail.com or visit the fan page: AFP Museum.

It can be recalled that the AFP Museum was established in 1996 through a "verbal pronouncement" by then Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Arturo Enrile.

The following year, a group of individuals from the military and private sector established the AFP Museum and Historical Library Foundation Inc., a non-stock, nonprofit private foundation in order to ensure the continuity of the museum's activities; hence, the museum does not directly operate under the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office regularly supports the museum's projects.
 
The military museum features a "Wall of Heroes" displaying the photographs of recipients of the Medal of Valor
The museum consists of two storeys of the Gen. Arturo Enrile building and the adjacent Kagitingan (Filipino, "bravery" or "valor") Park.

The lower level showcases the development of the Philippine military through different eras of its history. The upper level consists of displays dedicated to the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy (including the Philippine Marine Corps) and the Philippine Air Force. The Kagitingan Park is used to display decommissioned military vehicles and weapons.

Notable among the museum's collections are two letters written by Apolinario Mabini to Emilio Aguinaldo concerning Antonio Luna. One of the letters, dated 28 February 1899, stated that Luna had renounced his position as Director of War Operations due to Aguinaldo's failure to censure officers who refused to obey his orders. The other, dated 6 March 1899, disclosed that Luna had published a circular order stating that he would execute anyone who refused to obey his orders. Mabini also states in this letter that Luna had executed someone in Bocaue, Bulacan without benefit of a court-martial. Aguinaldo's rayadillo uniform is also in the museum's collection.

A wall display showcasing recipients of the Medal of Valor was inaugurated by former President Fidel V. Ramos in 2011 (AFP/PIA-NCR)