Standing for more than 200 years, Malacañan Palace has seen its share of political leaders come and go. With the latest tome on the Palace, we aim to shed light on its storied and glorious past
This feature story was originally titled as Malacañang: Seat of Power, and was published in the September 2005 issue of Tatler Philippines. Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was then the President of the Philippines.
Symbols do a significant service to the story of man, the life of a society, the perpetration of history. They are the tactile to the ethereal, something to touch. They are the reality to the abstract, something to see. They are the proof to the concept, something to believe in.
In the Philippines, one such symbol is the Malacañan Palace. The official residence of the President of the Republic, it symbolises, without a doubt, power. As such, whenever there is a threat to the present dispensation, the first and final objective is to take control of this historic and imposing edifice by the Pasig River.
Though its importance as a symbol can never be understated, the Palace, on its own, is already a rich history read. For more than 200 years, it has seen countless transformations, lending its will to the whim of its elite residents. But ever since the summerhouse was turned into the official residence of the leader of the country, it had stood witness to the weaving of the fabric of Philippine nationhood. It is this priceless personality of the Palace that is ensconced in text and visuals within the 330-page tome entitled Malacañan Palace: The Official Illustrated History.
About 10 years ago, a book on Malacañang's illustrious first families was written by the late National Artist Nick Joaquin. This time around, the publisher and authors of this new book have created a fitting "companion to the Joaquin book" by focusing on the residence itself.
And also, the correct way of spelling the name. "It's Malacañan without a 'g' if the word Palace follows; and with a 'g' if it stands alone, to refer to the entirety of the Palace and its surroundings," explains publisher Marily Orosa, quoting from the research of co-author Jeremy Barns who wrote the text together with Paulo Alcazaren and lead author Manuel L. Quezon III.