TRAVEL | The museum at Sulyap Gallery Cafe

Anyone into sewing?

I recently posted about Sulyap Gallery Cafe where I mentioned that apart from being a cafe and bed and breakfast, it also has a museum of sorts. The museum, which occupies about half of the three-storey concrete building's ground floor, houses the owners's staggering collection of everything from old mills, lamps, and religious figures, to aparadors (clothes closet) and other old furniture.

Sulyap's owners (Roy Empalmado and Arthur Reyes) are collectors, hoarders if you may, and I mean it in a good way. Here we have two people who, on their own volition, have decided to gather bits and pieces of Filipino life from periods past. I don't even know where they get all these things but I'm glad they have decided to exhibit it somehow for others to appreciate. And let's not forget that the three casas that house the bed and breakfast and restaurant are also part of their collection, ancestral houses from elsewhere in the country that have been painstakingly dismantled and rebuilt on this property.

Allow me to take you around.

The entrance to the museum.

Lots and lots of stuff.

Sungkaan and filtered water jars. Apparently he doesn't simply own one of each.

He's got gadgets and gizmos apenty, and whozits and whatzits galore.

His staggering aparador collection. Our guide said they used to sell some stuff but the owner stopped when he was already having difficulty sourcing these classic closets.

Ah, the PCs and the Macs of yesteryear.

Classic hardwood bed frame. Such a beauty.

I know, why don't they make things like they used to anymore?

From the looks of it, plus with the lever on the right, this ain't powered by electricity at all.

Before tablets were shoved into their faces, kids used to have real toys.

These are but a sampling of his huge collection of religious figures.

I don't know how it operates but I think this was meant to be used in weaving or something.

Love this window.

The modern day coffeemaker's gargantuan copper ancestor.

Ooh...fire extinguishers! The smaller ones in the foreground are serving pots for chocolate, coffee, and tea.

Forgot what these are.

A balakatak, according to the label, a tool used to scare birds and other animals in the rice field.

Tupil, or classic baskets from Bontoc intended for carrying cooked rice. I guess they're like the Tupperwares and Lock and Locks at the time.

If each one had a genie who grants three wishes each, imagine 27 wishes!

Old gas/oil lamps.

This was the spot where I had one of my #ootd shots taken.

Classic beauties.

Oops, even a product of taxidermy made it to his collection.

The museum is open for viewing from 11am to 8pm. Entrance is Php 100 for adults and Php 50 for kids 11 years old and below. Checked-in guests, however, can visit the museum free of charge. Just ask any of their staff who'll gladly refer you to someone to show you around.

If you're going to San Pablo do give this place a try, even if it's going to be just one of your stops.

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For more about Sulyap Gallery Cafe and how to get there, check out my previous post:
More than just a 'sulyap' at Sulyap Gallery Cafe