The University of the Philippines Tacloban Natural History Museum and Herbarium (UPT-NHMH) is the official natural history repository of the University of the Philippines Tacloban College. Inaugurated on 22 May 2026 at the Leyte Samar Heritage Center during the University's 53rd Founding Anniversary, the museum houses nearly 3,000 accessioned biological, botanical, zoological, geological, and other scientific specimens collected by the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics since the establishment of UP Tacloban in 1973. Much of the collection originated from student research and fieldwork conducted over the past five decades, making the museum a permanent archive of the natural heritage of Eastern Visayas.
Visitors can explore exhibits organized into the major animal groups—Mollusca (snails and clams), Arthropoda (insects and spiders), Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes), Osteichthyes (bony fishes), Amphibia (frogs), Reptilia (snakes, lizards, and turtles), Aves (birds), and Mammalia (mammals). Highlights include a preserved specimen of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle donated by the Philippine Eagle Foundation in 2025, as well as exhibits featuring endemic and threatened Philippine wildlife such as the Philippine Duck, Philippine Sailfin Lizard, Samar Water Monitor, Philippine Deer, Visayan Warty Pig, and Philippine Giant Clam.
The museum supports instruction, taxonomy, biodiversity assessment, ecological research, environmental monitoring, conservation planning, and public education, serving students, researchers, educators, partner institutions, and the wider community.
