{"id":4671,"date":"2017-05-20T10:05:51","date_gmt":"2017-05-20T02:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/primer.com.ph\/tips-guides\/?p=4671"},"modified":"2021-07-12T08:27:52","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T00:27:52","slug":"expats-guide-to-malacanan-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/tips-guides\/2017\/05\/20\/expats-guide-to-malacanan-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Malaca\u00f1an Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Malaca\u00f1ang is the seat of power in the Philippines. Located along the banks of the Pasig River, it\u2019s the place you will find the man who holds the highest position in the country.<\/p>\n

Not everyone is allowed to walk the grounds reserved only for those people who work directly under the President of the Philippines and his guests\u2026 and also for those who want to go on a tour of Malaca\u00f1an.<\/p>\n

Presidential Museum & Library<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Presidential Museum & Library (PML) is the only part of Malaca\u00f1an Palace that is open to the public. Housed in Kalayaan Hall, PML gives its visitors a glimpse of the history and heritage of the presidency, as well as a small peek into where the President lives.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also the only part that\u2019s open to the public, though there are plans of opening up other parts of Malaca\u00f1ang to tourists. Galleries, split between individual rooms within Kalayaan Hall, trace the evolution of the Palace from being a mere summer rest house to the seat of power it is today.<\/p>\n

Fun fact: There are many theories surrounding the name Malaca\u00f1ang. The pamphlet given to all visitors says it comes from the old Tagalog word mamalak\u00e1ya<\/em> or fisherman. Other say it was named after the street it was built on: Calzada de Malaca\u00f1\u00e1ng<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Our favorite, however, is the one which breaks it up into three words: May lak\u00e1n diy\u00e1n<\/em>, or \u201cnobility lives there.\u201d Regarding its spelling, there\u2019s really no hardened rule, but when people write about it, they refer to the whole complex as Malaca\u00f1ang<\/strong> (with a \u2018g\u2019 at the end) and the Palace itself as Malaca\u00f1an<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Inside the Palace<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Old Waiting Room<\/em><\/p>\n

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As the name implies, this room used to be where delegates or guests of the President would be asked to wait. Today, The Old Waiting Room houses the very thing that every presidency starts with: campaign materials.<\/p>\n

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This room contains campaign materials and results from every Presidential election the country has had (yes, even General Emilio Aguinaldo had campaign materials).<\/p>\n

Old Governor-General\u2019s Office<\/em><\/p>\n

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This room used to be the main office space of Malaca\u00f1an, back when the country was still placed under the rule of a governor-general appointed by the King of Spain (and later on the Americans).<\/p>\n

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Today, it houses a replica of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.\u2019s office when he declared Martial Law. It has the official document displayed under glass, while one of the walls (the one next to the TV to be exact) has a note written by President Marcos himself.<\/p>\n

The Osme\u00f1a Cabinet Room<\/em><\/p>\n

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Sometimes referred to as the Osme\u00f1a Room, it\u2019s named after the fourth President of the Philippines, Sergio Osme\u00f1a, Sr. It used to be the meeting place for the Cabinet and the Council of State, which Osme\u00f1a was a part of prior to being elected as president.<\/p>\n

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Osme\u00f1a served the country for four decades, with his highest posts (apart from being President) being the Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon and as the Speaker of the Lower House and Senate President Pro-Tempore. The gallery was recently used as the meeting place for President Duterte and activist leaders who went to Mendiola with their respective groups to show their support for the then-newly sworn-in President.<\/p>\n

Old Executive Secretary\u2019s Office<\/em><\/p>\n

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This room used to be the Office of the Executive Secretary, the position held today by Salvador Medialdea (though he doesn\u2019t hold office here). This office now holds pieces that enhance our country\u2019s dignity, i.e. things that make our country stand out from the rest of the world (apart from our people).<\/p>\n

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It houses portraits of every first lady since the country had a president, mementos given to past presidents, awards (like the Order of Sikatuna, the highest award that can be bestowed to a civilian), and the most interesting of them all: the guest book signed by none other than Pope John Paul II himself.<\/p>\n

The Quezon Executive Office<\/em><\/p>\n

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Sometimes referred to as the Quezon Room, the Quezon Executive office was what the President called home from Manuel L. Quezon all the way to the first few years of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. It still houses the exact tables and chairs used by Quezon, passed on from one president to the next.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a room that has undergone two transformations over its existence. From being the President\u2019s office, it became the office of Gen. Fabian Ver, one of Marcos\u2019 staunchest supporters and the man who led the Armed Forces during the 70\u2019s.<\/p>\n

It later became the Office of the Press Secretary under Corazon Aquino, and was restored to its former glory in 2003 with Quezon-era furniture and items that showed what it meant to be president, including a diorama of standard arrival honors.<\/p>\n

The Quirino Council of State Room<\/em><\/p>\n

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President Elpidio Quirino is known for brining some of the biggest changes to the country, and a lot of them happened in this very room. The Quirino Council of State Room, while used by the Quezon Administration as its meeting room for the Council of State, cabinet, and National Economic Council, saw many a treaty signed within its walls.<\/p>\n

1981 saw this room being made into Marcos\u2019 TV studio, and as an impromptu location for the oath-taking of then-President Carlos P. Garcia following the death of President Ramon Magsaysay in 1957.<\/p>\n

The Roxas Cabinet Room<\/em><\/p>\n

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This room was built during the time of President Quezon but was never used as intended: the room for Cabinet meetings. It was later turned into President Marcos\u2019 TV studio, though it was used by several presidents as a Cabinet meeting room prior to that.<\/p>\n

Only one man regularly used this room for its intended purpose: President Manuel A. Roxas, the first President of the Third Republic, hence the room being named after him. It now houses photos of cabinet members from every president the Philippines has ever had.<\/p>\n

Main Hall, Northeast, and Southeast Galleries <\/em><\/p>\n

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Ah, the main hall. The central part of Kalayaan Hall\u2019s second floor. Initially built with guest bedrooms, this large hall now houses books owned by former presidents, as well as memorabilia from each and every one of them.<\/p>\n

It once held offices during the time of Quezon, the state dining hall during the time of Marcos, a temporary evacuation center in 1972 for victims of a typhoon in Central Luzon, and only went back to being an office floor after the construction of the Ceremonial Hall in the Palace.<\/p>\n

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The ends of each hall showcase one-of-a-kind paintings, with one wall dedicated to works done by Japanese artist Ayumi Endo.<\/p>\n

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The two remaining galleries (Northeast and Southeast) houses memorabilia from whoever is the current president. Items on display range from clothing to gifts and even campaign paraphernalia<\/p>\n

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This last wing houses other gifts given to the current president. Most of these are new, hence the reason why they\u2019re not in proper display cases or given nameplates.<\/p>\n

How to book a tour<\/strong><\/p>\n

Booking a tour at the PML is easy enough. It\u2019s free of charge (thank you, President Duterte), and all you need to do is send an email to pml@malacanang.gov.ph or malacanangmuseum@gmail.com with the following details:<\/p>\n