Jollibee Partners with Museum Foundation for NEWSEUM Initiative

A great man once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
True words from Pablo Picasso.

As a mom of three, I find it challenging in this digital day and age to expose my kids to experiences beyond the internet. There are certainly more things in life than gadgets and computers.

I’ve felt a strong need to introduce my children to art, culture, and history through museums. When I was a child, the idea of spending hours in a museum or art gallery brought me calm and peace.

Time and time again, I find myself making the same suggestions, “We should go to the museum” or “Let’s take a tour at the post office!” but these are not always instant hits with my kids.

Worry no more, parents, because there is a one-of-a-kind collaboration that took place not so long ago, and I was fortunate enough to witness it.

They say every masterpiece begins on a blank canvas, and as an idea takes shape, that canvas is no longer empty.

That masterpiece is NEWSEUM, a collaboration project between the Museum Foundation and Jollibee Foods Corporation which aims to encourage young children to appreciate museum visits during their free time and even spend their weekends exploring culture and history.

Who would have thought that two entirely different entities could come together and share such a meaningful common goal?

Signing a memorandum between Jollibee Foods Corporation and Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. marked a truly momentous occasion for the Museum Foundation. It was their first time undertaking such a unique joint project with the country’s leading fast food chain.

Who better to encourage children to spend an afternoon in a museum than the beloved Jollibee mascot?

Imagine the Jollibee mascot standing beside priceless works by Juan Luna, warmly inviting children and their parents to visit and explore the museum together.

After months of working out the details, they are finally launching the program after the exchange of ideas with the Vice President for Marketing of Jollibee, Mr. Harvey Ong.

Through all of his experience and all his exposures to museums during his stay in Taiwan, the idea was gained.

He would tour his visitors from the Philippines or from Singapore to Taiwan National Museum and the concept was probably forming inside his mind, the rest is history.

The partnership aims to make children more aware of the rich art, culture, and wealth of knowledge found inside museums. Both organizations believe that a key aspect of holistic development is fostering appreciation for the arts and culture.

It remains to be seen in the coming months how successful this initiative will be. There is hope that more museums will participate and take part in enriching children’s lives through art and cultural exposure. The results will also help determine whether Jollibee Foods Corporation will continue and further expand the collaboration.

There are also plans to extend the project to all Jollibee branches nationwide, while exploring new ways to engage and reach more Jollibee kids across the country.

As long as Filipino children continue to show interest in art, and support for the initiative remains strong, the project is expected to continue growing and evolving.

Newseum has the potential to change the lives of children for the better through art.
It will have the platform to reach the children who will benefit from this project the most.
Through this Neueum project, it will help parents raise happy and well-rounded individuals.

At a Jollibee Kiddie party, all the children will be given activity sheets featuring the masterpieces of Filipino Artists such as

• National Artist Arturo Luz
• Master Fernando Zobel 
• Master Mauro "MALANG" Santos
• Sculptor Peter De Guzman
• Illustrator Sharry Bobadilla

The partner museums include 

• The Ateneo Art Gallery
• Ayala Museum
• Lopez Museum and Library
• The art collection of the Far Eastern University 
• Museo Pambata

Coloring those sheets will help the children with their creativity and open their eyes to the world of art. 

The coloring sheets will feature coupons that the children can use as tickets to gain free entry into their partner museums. 

This will also make them eligible to participate in a special raffle wherein the top prize is a Jollibee Kiddie party worth 6,000 pesos! Awesome!

Speaking of something awesome, did you know it was initially called Project Awesome? Because in reality, it truly is an awesome project, with equally awesome possibilities. It was later renamed NEWSEUM, although the exact reason for the change is not entirely clear.

The project will be piloted for the next three months, with hopes that more museums will participate, not just in Manila, but across the entire country. In this way, more children will have the opportunity to visit museums and develop a deeper appreciation for art.

When children walk through the halls of these museums, they will, of course, experience something extraordinary. They will stand among the works of some of the greatest artists of our time and realize that these masterpieces were created by hands just like theirs. I would be very happy if my own kids get to take part in this project.

I’m sure they will be inspired, knowing that they too can create meaningful works of art after seeing so many masterpieces up close.

Here are some of the activity sheets that kids can enjoy:

Bagong Taon by Arturo Luz
The activity sheet includes a set of four crayons, a description of the artwork, a location map showing where it can be found at the Ateneo Art Gallery, and a coupon.

For The Boy with a Kite by Fernando Zobel activity sheet, will include the description of the work, the location of where it is found in the Ayala Museum, and the coupon. 

For the Rural Scene Fiesta by Mauro "MALANG" Santos activity sheet includes a box of 4 crayons, description of work, the location of where the work is found inside Lopez Museum and Library, and the coupon.

For the Karagatan or Under the sea by the Museo Pambata, children will learn more about the Philippine marine life. They will be given coloring books.  

For the Art Collection of Far Eastern University, a Sculpture of a Tamaraw in metal by Peter De Guzman, children can take photos of it and they will be given crayons and clay. 

To view the list of participating Jollibee Foods Corporation outlets, you may visit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines website at http://museumfoundationph.org/.

For more information, you may contact the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. at (+632) 6979509 or 40426885, or email inquiry@museumfoundationph.org

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