Through the donation of fifty iPod Touch units from Power Mac Center, the audio guide for the “Diorama Experience” exhibit at the Ayala Museum gets a tech upgrade that enables visitors to engage in a much more immersive journey into our country’s momentous history.
The “Diorama Experience” is a collection of 60 handcrafted dioramas conceptualized by Carlos Quirino, National Artist for Historical Literature, and crafted by the woodcarvers of Paete, Laguna. Each window shows a significant event in Philippine history, like the declaration of independence by the first president of the republic, Emilio Aguinaldo.
Aside from the traditional tour with an actual guide leading the way and explaining each diorama, visitors now have the option to rent out an iPod Touch and some headphones for PHP 75 and listen to detailed narrations of the events, either in English or Filipino. Each display has its own track, so visitors are free to start wherever they want in the timeline. A text version of the narration will also appear on the screen of the iPod Touch to supplement the audio track.
The iPod Touch replaces the museum’s old analog audio player that has served as the exhibit’s audio guide for several years.
“History is an important resource to nation building, while multimedia-enhanced art provides an excellent way to educate people on lessons from the past,” said Power Mac Center CEO Lawrence Sison. He added, “We at Power Mac Center thank Ayala Museum for giving us the opportunity to make history and art easier to understand and appreciate through the use of technology.”
Ayala Museum Senior Director Mariles Gustilo remarked, “Our partnership with Power Mac Center is in line with the museum’s efforts to spread awareness and appreciation of Philippine heritage.”
Sison, Gustilo, Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez and Maria Lourdes Heras-de Leon, President and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Ayala Foundation, signed the memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the bequeathed products.
The use of the iPod Touch for the audio guide is currently exclusive to the “Diorama Experience” exhibit, but Gustilo noted that they are working on integrating the audio guide system into other exhibits as well.
TRIVIA! Veteran news anchor Mari Kaimo is the voice behind the English version of the audio guide, while multi-awarded actor Cesar Montano narrates the Filipino version.