MNH collections of live and preserved specimens are of two main types, research and teaching.

Research collections include accumulations over the years and are intended primarily for taxonomic and taxonomy-related researches; these may consist also of material documentations emanated from ecological, general biological, or even applied studies.

Teaching collections are intended for classroom use and may consist of duplicates of common species in research collections or special collections entrusted to the museum for safekeeping by the faculty of teaching departments at UPLB.

Research and teaching collections are spatially separated in the Museum and their use is governed by separate policies.