MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino can move into the Bahay Pangarap, his official residence, this weekend.
Presidential Security Group chief Col. Ramon Mateo Dizon said Mr. Aquino is yet to decide when to move in.
Sources said, however, that he would transfer to Bahay Pangarap on Aug. 8, as advised by feng shui experts consulted by his family. He would be the first president to make the house his official residence.
Mr. Aquino still goes home to his family home on Times Street in Barangay West Triangle in Quezon City.
Dizon said it would be easier to the security and safer for the President if he would transfer to his official residence because he still refuses to use sirens to make transportation easier for the presidential convoy.
“Right now, he is a very popular president. In fact, every time we pass by, when people see that it is the presidential convoy, they themselves already move aside or slow down,” he said. “Stopping at red lights is a concern, but the President wants to stop and be an example of a citizen who follows the rules and the laws. So, right now, for me it’s not yet a big issue.”
Bahay Pangarap, located in Malacañang Park, was intended as a recreational retreat by former President Manuel Quezon.
The park grounds were refurbished by former first lady Evangelina Macapagal in the early 1960s and renamed Bahay Pangarap (Dream House).
Former President Fidel Ramos turned it into the clubhouse of the Malacañang Golf Club.
In 2008, the house was demolished and rebuilt in contemporary style; a swimming pool was also built.
For Mr. Aquino, the house was renovated to have four bedrooms.
Malacañang Park has traditionally been the recreational part of the compound and has a different security setup from the main part of the compound. The PSG, however, said they have tightened security in the area.