Malacañang of the North in Ilocos Norte: A strongman’s home
Malacañang of the North served as the official residence of the Marcoses when their patriarch, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., was still the president.
It is a sprawling compound found at the shores of Paoay Lake. A frequent feature in any Ilocos tour, the house itself was a gift from former First Lady and current Representative of the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte, Imelda Marcos to her husband. It was one of the many properties sequestered from the Marcoses after Marcos Sr. was removed from power.
It was eventually given back to the Ilocos Norte local government and was re-opened in 2011 as a museum. It’s a beautiful home, though it is described by some as “simple” when compared to other homes of similar size.
“SIMPLE” MAY BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. The way people define simple is relevant. Imagine stepping onto this…
… and looking out to this. Yes, that is Paoay Lake. What may be ‘simple’ for some may already be ‘grand’ for most.
It has views of Paoay Lake along with well-tended gardens. It also had its own reservoir designed to collect rainwater. This made the mansion self-sustaining in terms of its water supply.
The room of Bongbong Marcos can be found on the ground floor along with 3 guest rooms and the second master’s bedroom. Marcos had a second master’s bedroom built when he no longer had the strength to go up the second floor.
A SMALL ODE TO OFWS. The walk-in closet of former First Lady and current Representative for the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte was turned into a small museum dedicated to OFWs.
The second floor is where you can find the room of Imee and Irene Marcos along with the original master’s bedroom. The floor area of the master’s bedroom is so big that it had a walk-in closet for Imelda along with a separate room for when she and her husband had an argument. Her room has now been turned into an exhibition room for OFWs.
An entrance fee of P30 is needed to gain access to Malacañang of the North. You can ask someone to guide you through the house, though you can pretty much explore it on your own. There’s a souvenir shop that also acts as the office of the caretaker for the mansion.
Malacañang of the North can be found in Brgy. Suba, Paoay, Ilocos Norte. It’s open from Monday to Sunday, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm.
Details:
Malacañang of the North
Brgy. Suba, Paoay, Ilocos Norte
Operating hours: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Sunday
Entrance: P30 for adults, P10 for children
