Ayala Museum upgrades to Apple iPods for multimedia diorama experience

Hear the clangs of metal as our ancestors forged their tools for hunting, or the cries of Lapu-Lapu and his men as they defeated the Spanish conquistadors in The Battle of Mactan.

While our friendly tour guides who have been most helpful in enriching one's museum experience are still available for your convenience, listening to a bit of natural sound and a recorded narration while perusing through Ayala Museum's 60 handcrafted dioramas definitely wouldn't hurt.

Ayala Museum goers can now view the three-dimentional depictions of Philippine history while listening to audio narrations paired with sound effects - from prehistoric events all the way to the declaration of independence from the Americans in 1946 - using the 50 iPod touches donated by Power Mac Center.

"This time, we team up with the foundation-run Ayala Museum to leverage the power of modern innovations and devices in multimedia technology in making history more relevant and engaging for all," said Lawrence Sison, Power Mac Center Chief Executive Officer.

The 75-peso audio tour is Ayala's newest alternative to viewing the dioramas. Listen to the voices of your audio guides in English (by broadcaster Mari Kaimo) or Filipino (by actor Cesar Montano).

Of course, the familiar tour guides and volunteers will still be there to guide guests through the four floors of the Ayala Museum. Guide books will still be for sale as well.

In the long run, updates like audio tours in other languages (i.e. Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish), a QR code reader, and additional apps will also be added to the iPods.

Ayala Museum also plans to make audio tours available for the rest of the exhibits. First priority is the Gold Exhibit in the fourth floor, said Joy Pena, Ayala Museum's Associate Manager for Tours and Education.

"In due time, the plan is to optimize the full capabilities of the iPod to enhance the Diorama Experience and to provide the museum's permanent collections and select blockbuster exhibitions with iPod support," said Mariles Gustilo, Ayala Museum Senior Director. - TJD, GMA News