President Rodrigo Duterte says he wants to change the name of the chief executive’s residence to People’s Palace. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte is mulling to change the name of the Malacañan Palace to “People’s Palace” to emphasize that the palace is for the ordinary Filipinos.
Duterte said “one day” he will rename the official residence of the President of the Philippines to “People’s Palace”.
Early Thursday morning, August 25 Duterte accommodated reporters while eating Durian at the Magsaysay Park here with soldiers of the 69th Infantry Battalion who will be travelling to Jolo, Sulu for a regular tour of duty.
“One day, I will rename it People’s Palace. Kagaya nung park dito. I spent there 600 million, anong pangalang binigay ko? People’s Park (Just like the park here, I spent there P600 million, what name did I give? People’s Park),” Duterte told reporters.
He said that the name reeks of the influence of the past of Spanish and American colonizers.
“Yung the word Malacañan, it sucks with imperialism. Totoo. Sino mang nagpangalan ng Malacañan Palace, mga Espanyol man (The word Malacañan, it sucks with imperialism. Really. Who gave the name of Malacañan Palace? It was the Spaniards ) Why shouldn’t I just address it as the People’s Palace,” Duterte said.
According to the website of the Presidential Museum and Library, Malacañan Palace, was previously called as the “Posesion de Malacañang”. It then served as “a country home and temporary residence of outgoing Governors General awaiting the next ship to Spain.”
It said that during the American occupation, the American Governors General “continued to improve and enlarge Malacañan Palace, buying up more land, reclaiming more of the Pasig River, raising the ground level (to keep above flood waters), changing wood to concrete, and beautifying the interiors with hardwood paneling and magnificent chandeliers.”
“Gov. Gen. Leonard Wood was the last chief executive to hold office in Intramuros and the first in Malacañan Palace. Gov. Gen. Dwight Davis (1929-32) notably extensively rebuilt the Palace itself,” it said.
For the people
Duterte said he is planning to have a party for the common Filipinos so that they can see the Palace.
“One day I’ll invite everybody. I’ll invite taga Tondo, Pandacan muna. Para makita nila kung ano yung palasyo ng tao (I’ll those from Tondo, Pandacan first, so they can see what the People’s Palace looks like),” Duterte said.
He said it is the common Filipinos that should be “eating” there. “Kasi kanila yung bayan (Because they own the nation),” he said. (davaotoday.com)
