Bringing Philippine Maritime Stories to the World

ICMM Congress will take place in Sydney, Australia from 13 -18 September 2026 at the Australian National Maritime Museum

September 1, 2026 – Pasay City, NCR, Philippines

Article by AIMS Museo Maritimo Team

AIMS Museo Maritimo continues to strengthen its place in the international maritime museum community with the recognition of its curator and researcher, Mr. Daryl Lorence Abarca, as a recipient of the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) Richard Foster Bursary Award.

The bursary, awarded to museum personnel who seek to contribute to the work of the ICMM, provides an opportunity for professional exchange, collaboration, and greater engagement with maritime museums around the world.

For AIMS Museo Maritimo, however, this recognition represents something much bigger than an individual achievement. It reflects the museum’s continuing commitment to internationalize Philippine maritime heritage and bring the stories of the Philippines to a global audience.

As an archipelago, the Philippines has a maritime identity deeply woven into its history and culture. Our seas have shaped communities, livelihoods, technologies, traditions, trade, migration, and generations of Filipinos whose lives are connected to the ocean. Yet many of these stories remain largely unknown beyond our shores.

AIMS Museo Maritimo seeks to help change that.

Through research, collections, exhibitions, professional exchange, and participation in international networks, the museum works to create opportunities for Philippine maritime heritage to become part of broader conversations about the world's relationship with the sea.

International engagement is also about building meaningful connections with institutions and professionals who share the responsibility of preserving maritime heritage. By participating in international forums such as the ICMM, AIMS Museo Maritimo can exchange knowledge and practices while contributing Philippine perspectives to the global maritime museum community.

Our curator's participation as an ICMM Richard Foster Bursary recipient is therefore an important step in this continuing journey. His engagement provides a platform not only for professional development, but also for sharing the work and perspectives of AIMS Museo Maritimo with colleagues from different maritime cultures.

At the heart of this effort is a belief that the maritime heritage of the Philippines is part of a much larger global story.

Our traditional boats, coastal communities, maritime technologies, seafaring traditions, and connections to the sea offer valuable perspectives on how people have lived with and depended upon the world's oceans. Sharing these stories internationally allows the Philippines to contribute to a richer and more diverse understanding of maritime heritage.

The sea has always connected the Philippines to the wider world. Today, AIMS Museo Maritimo is building new connections through museums, research, and international collaboration.

The Richard Foster Bursary is one more opportunity to carry Philippine maritime stories beyond our shores—and to ensure that the voices, histories, and heritage of our maritime nation have a place in the global conversation.