Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace is the main palace and the most recognizable building in the complex. It contains 10 current main existing halls, some restored from historical times.
Entrance Halls Official visitors to Malacañang Palace use the Entrance Hall. Its floor and walls are of beige Philippine
marble. Straight from the entrance hall are the doors to the Grand Staircase leading to the state reception rooms. To its left is the Palace Chapel and the passage to the right leads to Heroes Hall. The doors leading to the Grand Staircase depict the
Philippine mythology of
Malakas (Strong) and
Maganda (Beautiful), the first Filipino man and woman, who emerged from a large bamboo stalk. The present resin doors were installed in 1979, replacing wrought iron and painted glass doors from the American period depicting
Lapu-Lapu and the other Mactan chieftains who felled
Ferdinand Magellan. A pair of lions used to stand guard on each side of the doors to the Grand Staircase. The lions were originally at the
vestibule of the Ayuntamiento Building in Intramuros. They were apparently discarded during the 1978–79 renovations. Wooden benches dating back to the American regime that were in the Hall were transferred to the private entrance that led directly to the living quarters of the palace.
Heroes Hall From the Entrance Hall, viewers walk through a mirrored passage hung with about 40 small paintings of famous Filipinos painted in 1940 by Florentino Macabuhay. The adjoining large room was originally the Social Hall, intended for informal gatherings. It was renamed Heroes Hall by First Lady Eva Macapagal, who commissioned
Guillermo Tolentino to sculpt busts of
national heroes. In 1998, the National Centennial Commission installed three large paintings specially commissioned for the place. The one in the vestibule is by Carlos Valino, while the two others are by a group of artists headed by Karen Flores and Elmer Borlongan. The painting in the vestibule is chronologically the second of the three, depicting events of the Propaganda Movement (led by
Marcelo H. Del Pilar,
José Rizal, and others) and the Philippine Revolution from the formation of the
Katipunan by
Andrés Bonifacio, to the sewing of the
Philippine flag, the Proclamation of Independence at Kawit, and the
Malolos Congress. At Heroes Hall itself are the other two paintings. For viewers entering from the vestibule, the painting on the left shows key events from the earliest times (arrival of the ancient Filipinos and the Manunggul Jar) through Lapu-Lapu and the death of Magellan, the Moro resistance to Spanish rule, the Basi Revolt, and
Gabriela Silang, to the
1872 martyrdom of the priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. The painting on the right begins with the
Battle of Tirad Pass and
Gregorio del Pilar and other events of the
Philippine–American War, the Independence Movement under
Osmeña and Quezon, events of the
Japanese occupation, and the presidents of the Philippines all the way to the Marcoses, President Corazon Aquino, and President Fidel V. Ramos. The Hall, as large as the Ceremonial Hall directly above, received a mirrored ceiling in 1979 and for the rest of the Marcos era was used not only for meetings and informal gatherings but also for state dinners in honor of visiting heads of state. Dinner was usually followed by a cultural presentation, after which formal toasts were offered by the president and the guest of honor. This room was the largest in the palace before the 1979 renovation. The most prominent features of the Reception Hall are the three large Czech chandeliers bought in 1937 by President Quezon. During the Second World War, they were carefully disassembled prism by prism and hidden for safe-keeping. They were taken out and reassembled after the war. Official portraits of all Philippine presidents are on the walls, from Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the
Malolos Republic, to
Rodrigo Duterte, painted by Fernando Amorsolo, García Llamas and other noted artists. The first portrait of President Arroyo in this hall was a photograph taken by Rupert Jacinto. That of President Fidel Ramos is unique on three counts – it is on a
narra plank rather than on canvas, the likeness as well as the decorations along the sides are painstakingly signed on the wood, and it was a gift of the artist, Gaycer Masilang, a prisoner serving a life sentence. An elaborate ceiling was installed in the 1930s, carved by noted sculptor Isabelo Tampingco who depicted vases of flowers against a lattice background. Large mirrors, gilt sofas and armchairs, and Chinese bronze pedestals holding plant and flower arrangements decorate the Hall. The Tampingco woodwork was curved and in some eyes gave the room a coffin shape. This is supposedly why in the 1979 renovation, the Tampingcos were replaced with two facing balconies. Three large wood and glass chandeliers illuminate the hall. Carved and installed in 1979 by the famous Juan Flores of Betis,
Pampanga, the chandeliers are masterpieces of Philippine artistry in wood. The hall used to be much smaller and was in effect merely an extension of the Reception Hall. It had a concave ceiling similar to those of old Philippine homes, and glass doors opening to verandas on three sides overlooking the Pasig River and Malacañang Park. Many an al fresco party was held here, with round tables set on the
azoteas and verandah for dinner and the Ceremonial Hall, doors thrown open, cleared for dancing. Fireworks lit the skies promptly at midnight from the park across the river at New Year's Eve parties. The
azoteas (covered
patios),
verandas and the intimate pavilion in the middle were combined in 1979 into the present enormous Ceremonial Hall. A recurring palace ritual is the
presentation of credentials when a new ambassador arrives. During the Marcos administration and prior to the 1979 renovation, new ambassadors presented their credentials in a ceremony. A flourish of trumpets accompanied the arriving ambassador as he mounted the Grand Staircase and marched the full length of the Reception Hall. The yellow-gold curtains to the old Ceremonial Hall were parted to reveal the president standing alone at the far end, with members of the Cabinet lined up on the left. The ambassador presented his documents of credence to the president, who handed them to the foreign secretary. The president then delivered his welcome speech and offered a champagne toast to the head of state of the ambassador's home country. The ambassador then delivered his response, offered a toast to the president, and after small talk, left in another burst of trumpets. Presidents Corazon Aquino and Ramos were less formal, receiving new ambassadors in the Music Room without a ceremony. The old rituals were revived by President Estrada. Am arriving diplomat disembarks from his car at General Solano Street and boards what the presidential staff calls a "chariot", a luxurious open jeep where the occupant stands on a red carpet holding onto a stout bar while progressing up J.P. Laurel Street to the palace grounds. He receives military honors in the garden outside the main entrance and to fanfare, is escorted up to the Reception Hall. He marches through two columns of guards in gala uniforms to present his credentials to the waiting president.
Paranormal activity Alleged paranormal activity has been reported as occurring in the palace, including one that some identified to be the long deceased valet of President Quezon, who occasionally ministered to favored guests.
Kalayaan Hall The old Executive Building, now
Kalayaan Hall, has become the oldest structure of the Palace compound after the 1978 reconstruction of the main Palace building. It was built in 1921 by Governor-General
Francis Burton Harrison. Once the primary office building in the Palace complex until the end of Ramon Magsaysay's presidency, it was renovated and named Maharlika Hall in the 1970s. Subsequently, it came to be known as Kalayaan Hall after
Corazon Aquino became president in 1986 to commemorate the
People Power Revolution.
Presidential Museum and Library The Presidential Museum and Library, formerly Malacañang Museum, the official repository of memorabilia of the president of the Philippines, is located in Kalayaan Hall. It was established in 2004 when the Presidential Museum and Malacañang Library were merged into the Malacañang Museum, then renamed to its present name in 2010. The Gallery of Presidents features exhibits and galleries showcasing the heritage of the presidents beginning with Emilio Aguinaldo to the present. It is composed of objects and memorabilia – including clothing, personal effects, gifts, publications and documents of former presidents as well as artwork and furniture from the palace's collections.
Former Presidential Museum Prior to 2004, the Presidential Museum was a distinct entity from the Malacañang Library. The Quezon, Osmeña, Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, and García Rooms of the Presidential Museum under the Ramos and Estrada administrations occupied the suites formerly allotted to the Marcos children (Ferdinand, Jr., Imee and Irene) which opened from the inner court corridor. Most of these rooms were added in 1978 when the José P. Laurel Street in front of the palace was moved forward.
New Executive Building On the other side of the palace grounds, beyond the president's residence is the New Executive Building. This was the administration building of
San Miguel Corporation until it was bought by the government. President Manuel L. Quezon first proposed the purchase of the nearby San Miguel Brewery as additional office space in 1936. President Ferdinand E. Marcos initiated plans to transform it into an integral part of the palace, the former San Miguel Brewery buildings were demolished upon the expansion in 1978–79, paving way to a park near the San Miguel Church. However, it was in 1989 under President Corazon C. Aquino that its reconstruction and refurbishing as the New Executive Building took place. Its architectural elements deliberately pay homage to the palace of the
Third Republic of the Philippines. Its utilitarian nature, however, made possible much needed additional administrative space, although its newness and lack of proximity to the palace led to the resumption of the use of the palace itself by Aquino's successors, Presidents Ramos and Estrada. Currently, it houses the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, Presidential Communications Operations Office, and the Malacañang Press Briefing Room. It now serves as a museum for Marcos Jr. and his campaign for the presidency.
Mabini Hall The current Administration Building or Mabini Hall on Ycaza Street is the large structure to the left upon entering Gate 4. It began as the Budget Building upon the creation of the Budget Commission (now the Department of Budget and Management) in 1936. After World War II, it temporarily housed the
Supreme Court, as the
Ayuntamiento building was destroyed during the Battle for Manila in February 1945. After the war, it was later expanded with wings and top floors added. It houses the office of the executive secretary, some units of the Department of Budget and Management, and offices of presidential assistants and advisers. Some offices in this building, particularly those of the Office of Media Affairs, were invaded by an unruly mob on the evening of February 25, 1986, during the storming of Malacañang that capped the People Power Revolution. After it was gutted in a fire in 1992, plans to demolish it and build a high-rise building in its place were completely dropped due to budgetary constraints. President
Fidel V. Ramos supervised its reconstruction into a spartan but well-ventilated and lit office complex, and renamed it
Mabini Hall, after
Apolinario Mabini.
Bonifacio Hall The Premier Guest House (now Bonifacio Hall), the glass-fronted building across the garden from the palace's main entrance, was originally built by the American governors-general as servants' quarters to screen off Malacañang from the brewery (San Miguel) next door. The building was remodeled into the Premier Guest House in 1975 for use during the IMF-World Bank Boards of Governors Meeting. The building, separate from the palace itself, became the temporary residence of the Marcos family while the main palace was being reconstructed in 1978–1979, when repairs were made to the palace after a fire in 1982, and when the air purification system was being improved in 1983. President Corazon C. Aquino used this building as her office from 1986 to 1992. The Ramos administration relegated this building to secondary status despite its integration into the New Executive Building. It was renovated in 1998 as a residence and office for President Joseph Estrada and his family. The bedroom of Estrada and his wife was on the second floor, where President Marcos' bedroom and President Corazon Aquino's office were. President Estrada's office was on the ground floor. The front of the building facing the garden is a two-story high reception area, with a staircase in the center that leads to the corridor above. The president's office was on the ground floor, near the stairs. On the floor above were bedrooms and the family dining room. In 2003, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo renamed this building
Bonifacio Hall in honor of Andrés Bonifacio. The private office of President
Benigno Aquino III was located at the Aquino Room in Bonifacio Hall. After the building's structural integrity was called into question, Aquino's office was temporarily moved to the Presidential Study on June 21, 2011.
Malacañang Park and Bahay Pangulo Malacañang Park, directly across the river from Malacañang Palace, adjoins the Mabini Shrine and the present headquarters of the
Presidential Security Command. The park features a Recreation Hall, a small golf course and the guesthouse
Bahay Pangulo, the official private residence of the President of the Philippines. The park was created when the rice fields and grasslands of
Pandacan on the south bank of the Pasig River were acquired on orders of President Quezon in 1936–1937. Intended as a recreational retreat, it contained three buildings: a recreation hall used for official entertaining, a community assembly hall for conferences with local government officials, and a rest house (which served as the official residence of presidents since Benigno Aquino III) directly opposite the palace across the Pasig River, which would serve as the venue for informal activities and social functions of the president and his or her family. The buildings, constructed by the Bureau of Public Works, were designed by
Juan M. Arellano and Antonio Toledo. In addition to the buildings are a putting green, stables, and shell tennis courts. It is now the official residence of current President
Bongbong Marcos, who has lived there since June 30, 2022.
Other buildings Satellite facilities outside the palace proper but within the gated palace complex include a television station, two churches and various other guesthouses in addition to the Premier Guest House. •
Laperal Mansion or the
Arlegui Guest House is a remodeled and enlarged 1930s mansion located along Arlegui Street, half a block away. When World War II broke out, it served at one point as the residence of the speaker of the National Assembly established by the Japanese puppet state, Second Philippine Republic,
Benigno S. Aquino, Sr., the grandfather of former Philippine president Benigno S. Aquino III. When the war ended, it served temporarily as the National Library. Around the early postwar era that the Laperal family acquired the property. In 1975, the property was seized by presidential security forces under Marcos for "security reasons". The house became the office of the Presidential Economic Staff (precursor of today's
National Economic and Development Authority) before former First Lady Imelda Marcos decided to expand the house to grander proportions to become a guesthouse, giving the building two turrets when it used to have one. :After the 1986 People Power Revolution, Corazon Aquino as a symbolic counterpoint to the opulence of the Marcos regime refused to live in the palace as her predecessors had, choosing instead to stay at the Arlegui Guest House. Her successor, Fidel V. Ramos, followed suit and also resided in Arlegui. During Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's term, the house became the Office of the Press Secretary. •
Legarda Mansion was built in 1937 by Filomena Roces y de Legarda, one of the first
art deco houses built in Manila. In this house, Alejandro Legarda, the son of doña Filomena, lived with his wife Ramona Hernández, and their four children. Doña Ramona was well known for her lavish parties. The Legarda house is a tribute to doña Ramona, who was known be the nickname "Moning", as it houses La Cocina de Tita Moning, a fine dining restaurant that aims to recreate the wonderful parties of Manila's most elegant era, using heirloom recipes of the Legardas, served on antique china, glassware, and silverware. The house includes a living room with paintings by
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo and Juan Luna, don Alejandro's collection of antique radio equipment, a dressing room showcasing the memorabilia of the Legarda women, and the dining room where banquets are held.
thumb|right|175px|Teus Mansion •
Goldenberg Mansion •
Teus Mansion •
Valdés Mansion along San Rafael St. in San Miguel, near the Plaza Avilés/Freedom Park. Unlike the aforementioned mansions, the house has not been maintained. Nevertheless, it currently serves as one of the offices of the palace's security. •
Presidential Broadcast Staff Radio Television Malacañang (PBS-RTVM) was organized in 1986 following the peaceful EDSA revolt. Before 1986, the organisation that existed was Radio-Television-Movies, and an adjunct of the National Media Production Centre which was based in Malacañang. In 1987, Executive Order Nº. 297 dated July 25, 1987, was signed and issued by President Corazon C. Aquino, creating the Office of the Press Secretary and cites under Section 14 (Attached agencies) the creation of the Presidential Broadcast Staff (Radio-Television Malacañang). :Executive Order No. 297 designated the PBS-RTVM as the entity with the sole responsibility and exclusive prerogative to decide on policy / operational matters concerning the television medium as it is utilised for the official documentation of all the president's activities for news dissemination purposes and video archiving. :PBS-RTVM is involved in television coverage and documentation, and news and public affairs syndication of all the activities of the president, either live or delayed telecast, by national or local, government or private collaborating networks. •
San Miguel Church was established by the
Jesuits in 1603 adjacent to the
Tripa de Gallina (river bend) and became a parish church in 1611. The church also ministered to Japanese Christians fleeing persecution under the
Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615, and since many of these exiles belonged to the
samurai, or the warrior class, the church was dedicated to
Saint Michael. It was moved to its present location in 1783 under the Parish of Quiapo. The present church, erected in 1918, is notable for the symmetry of its twin bell towers, following the model of European
Baroque architecture. The church was declared as the
National Shrine of Saint Michael, the Archangel in 1986. ==Gardens==