Rachel and Clare Tanner Collection Arrives in the Philippines for Relocation to New Home at National Museum
DCM Raphael Hermoso (right) of the Philippine Embassy in London shakes hands with Acting Deputy Director-General for Museums Arvin Manuel Villalon (left) after signing the Deed of Donation.
MANILA 17 September 2025 — The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Embassy in London, successfully repatriated 27 Philippine cultural items comprising the Rachel and Clare Tanner Collection to the care of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) in a turnover and signing ceremony held on 27 August 2025 at the DoubleDragon Tower in Pasay City.
NMP’s Acting Deputy Director-General for Museums Arvin Manuel R. Villalon and London PE’s Deputy Chief of Mission Raphael S. Hermoso signed as witnesses during the ceremony, which was attended by OIER Assistant Secretary Rhenita B. Rodriguez and OCD Executive Director Office Arlene T. Magno. The Deed of Donation had been signed earlier by Philippine Ambassador to London Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and National Museum of the Philippines Director General Jeremy Barns.
As part of the turnover, staff from the NMP (Ethnology Division and Research, Collections and Conservation Division) unboxed the Filipiniana collection, consisting of a Pis siyabit (headcloth), Suklong/Suklang Hat, Prince and Princesses’ Malong/Landap, and weaves from Ifugao and Iloilo, among others. In his remarks, Acting Deputy-Director-General Villalon described the items as ‘gifts to the nation’.
Deputy Chief of Mission Hermoso emphasized the importance of the ceremony as representing not only the physical return of historically and culturally significant items but also the restoration of national identity, pride, and historical continuity. This initiative, he said, not only strengthens national pride but also helps ensure that future generations can learn from and appreciate the country’s unique cultural legacy.
In 2023, the Rachel and Clare Tanner Collection was formally donated to the Philippine Embassy in London by David Tanner, a British national who had lived in Manila from 1975 to 1980 while working for a British multinational corporation. During his stay in the Philippines, Tanner travelled across the country collecting items from places he visited. The collection was initially started by his mother, who was an anthropologist and had a deep interest in the Philippines’ cultural heritage. Named after David Tanner’s daughters, Rachel and Clare, who were both born in Manila, the collection reflects the personal connection of the family to the Philippines’ culture and heritage.
Assistant Secretary Rodriguez, who had worked on the donation during her time as Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General of the Philippine Embassy in London, shared that the cultural items had been carefully scrutinized through a community co-curation workshop organized by the Philippine Embassy in London, in collaboration with the Philippine Studies Programme at the University of London – School of Oriental and African Studies, the Igorot Charity UK, the Igorot Organisation UK, and the Philippine Muslim Association, to ensure that the authenticity and cultural significance of the items were validated by the communities they represent.
The Rachel and Clare Tanner Collection was first displayed at London PE’s Sentro Rizal in 2023, drawing strong interest from second-generation Filipinos eager to learn and reconnect with their cultural roots and heritage. The collection will be displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines. END
The National Museum of the Philippines team inspect the Rachel and Tanner collection.
(From right to left) OIER Assistant Secretary Rhenita Rodriguez, Acting Head of Office Arlene Magno, Museum Curator Marites Tauro, Acting Deputy Director General for Museums Arvin Manuel Villalon, and Deputy Chief of Mission Raphael Hermoso.
