Rainy Day and Typhoon Day Things to Do in Manila

First, check if it is a stay-home day

Watch PAGASA. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) posts tropical cyclone advisories and bulletins at pagasa.dost.gov.ph, and issues rainfall warnings in yellow, orange and red.

Know what the signals mean. Under Executive Order No. 66 of 2012, suspensions are automatic once PAGASA raises a signal over your area:

• Signal No. 1: pre-school classes are suspended.
• Signal No. 2: pre-school, elementary and secondary classes are suspended.
• Signal No. 3 or higher: classes at all levels, including graduate school, and work in all government offices are suspended.

Without a signal, mayors and other local chief executives can still suspend classes and government work in flood-prone or high-risk areas. The order says these announcements should go out no later than 4:30am, or 11am for afternoon sessions, so check your city hall's official page early.

Public schools have their own rules. The Department of Education's DepEd Order No. 22 of 2024 follows the wind signals too: Kindergarten is suspended under Signal No. 1, face-to-face classes from Kindergarten to Grade 10 under Signal No. 2 (with elementary and junior high moving to modular learning), and classes and work at all levels under Signal No. 3 or higher. For rain, an orange or red warning issued before classes start automatically suspends Kindergarten to Grade 12 and the Alternative Learning System (ALS). Under a yellow warning, the mayor decides.

Private offices. Executive Order No. 66 covers schools and government offices only, so if you work for a private company, check your employer's own advisory before you set off.

Roads. Flooded streets are what turn a wet afternoon into a long night. Before you book a car, check the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and your city's official accounts for flood and traffic updates, and plan to leave before the evening rush.

Makati: the Yuchengco Museum

Yuchengco Museum is a calm, mid-sized museum inside RCBC Plaza, built around the collection of Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco. On view now: Under One Roof, on the painters Angelito Antonio and Norma Belleza, and Art in Progress, which follows the work of Marco Santos in chapters. It is a good two-hour stop when you are already in the business district.

RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati. Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. Good to know: it opens on Mondays, when many museums are closed. For the Ayala Museum and Makati's covered walkways, see the indoor guide.

BGC: The Mind Museum

The Mind Museum is the best rainy day plan in BGC for anyone with children, with more than 250 hands-on exhibits across five galleries. Visits run in three-hour slots, so it fills a morning or an afternoon without anyone getting bored.

JY Campos Park, 3rd Avenue, BGC, Taguig. Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm; closed Mondays. Slots start at 9am, 12pm and 3pm: ₱625 adults, ₱550 children and private school students; all-day pass ₱750; children 3 feet and below free. Getting there in the rain: the drop-off driveway is on Rizal Drive corner 30th Street. The museum has no car park of its own (it suggests Crescent North), no bag storage, and no eating or drinking inside.

Pasay: a matinee at Newport

A show is the most reliable way to fill a wet weekend afternoon. The Newport Performing Arts Theater at Newport World Resorts has the musical Bongga Ka, 'Day! until 25 October (Saturday 24 October at 8pm and Sunday 25 October at 3pm), then Jujutsu Kaisen in Concert on Saturday 28 November at 7:30pm and Sunday 29 November at 3pm. The Buy Tickets links on the Newport World Resorts event pages take you to TicketWorld for Bongga Ka, 'Day! and Ticketmelon for Jujutsu Kaisen.

Getting there: there is no train station at Newport World Resorts. One organiser's advice for the theatre is to take the LRT-1 or MRT-3 to EDSA and then a short Grab or taxi ride, rather than walking that stretch. For the rest of the season's stage shows, see Musicals and Theatre in Manila, October to December 2026.

On the bay: Manila Ocean Park and Museo Pambata

On Manila Bay, in Ermita, two family picks sit a short drive apart.

Manila Ocean Park is an oceanarium with a penguin area, Trails to Antarctica, plus a sea lion show and a bird show. The shows run at set times through the day, so check the schedule on arrival and plan lunch around them.

Luneta, Manila. Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm; weekends and public holidays 9am to 6pm. Some attractions keep their own hours, so check its website for the one you want.

Museo Pambata is a children's interactive museum, the first of its kind in the Philippines, built so children learn by experience rather than in a classroom.

Roxas Boulevard corner South Drive, Ermita, Manila. Its website lists Friday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.

Quezon City: Araneta City in Cubao

Araneta City in Cubao brings together Gateway Mall, the Gateway Cineplex 18 cinemas, the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the New Frontier Theater, so you can make a day of it with a film, a meal and, if there is a show on, a concert.

Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City. Mall hours: Sunday to Thursday 10am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 10pm.

Before you go

Call or check social media on the morning itself. Museums, studios and theatres can close early or cancel when the city suspends work, even if their website still shows normal hours. Carry a small towel and a spare pair of socks, keep your phone charged in case rides take longer to book, and agree with your group on where to wait if the streets flood. For museums across the city, including the free ones, see The Museums in Manila Worth Your Afternoon.

Questions people ask

What does Signal No. 1 mean for schools? Under Executive Order No. 66, Signal No. 1 automatically suspends pre-school classes in the affected area. DepEd's 2024 order also suspends Kindergarten.

When are class suspensions announced? Executive Order No. 66 says no later than 4:30am on the day itself, or 11am if only afternoon classes and work are suspended.

Are private offices closed when the government suspends work? Not automatically. Executive Order No. 66 covers schools and government offices only, so check your employer's own advisory.

Does an orange rainfall warning cancel classes? For public schools, yes, if it is issued before classes start: DepEd Order No. 22 of 2024 automatically suspends Kindergarten to Grade 12 and ALS. If classes have already begun, the school head suspends them and sends students home if it is safe to travel.

Is The Mind Museum open on Mondays? No. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm.

What is open in Makati on a rainy Monday? The Yuchengco Museum at RCBC Plaza opens Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

How we checked: hours, prices and rules come from each venue's own website and from the official text of Executive Order No. 66 and DepEd Order No. 22, read on 17 October 2026. On storm days, hours can change at short notice.