I have always wanted to see the Spoliarium after having read about it since I was in grade school. In fact, it was included in my list of to-do things I posted here in my blog some time ago  and yeepeee! I have done it the other day. Along with my two good friends, Mye and Ags, we went to the National Museum after checking out Manila Ocean Park last Sunday, August 17.

The National Museum building is a heritage site in itself as it is one of the few buildings that remained standing after the extensive bombing of Manila during WWII. It is just about 2-3 blocks away from the Manila Ocean Park along Padre Burgos St. and just beside another historic building, The Manila City Hall.

The Spoliarium is housed inside the Bulwagan ng mga Maestro, the main gallery, which is the room at the center lobby of the National Museum.

For Pinoys who must have skipped their grade school days , The Spoliarium is a painting done by Juan Luna and was submitted by him to the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884, where it garnered a gold medal.  At a time, when the Pinoys consider themselves as nobodies with much help from their Spanish conquistadores, the said painting showed to Pinoys have the “smarts”; more than we know and more than our colonizers would let on.

For every Pinoy, the Spoliarium should be a must-see, to remind us that we can be really great ever since a long time ago if only majority of us have the discipline and the will to do it.