Our heritage conservation champion

In my last column, I wrote about the role we all share in safeguarding our heritage. I often lament the lack of importance that we Filipinos give to preserving our heritage. I would pass by decrepit century-old houses of remarkable architecture in different parts of the Philippines and feel sorry that they are slowly withering away. It is frustrating to see them fall into ruin and I had hoped the owners would restore them and take care of them.

I was more than thrilled when First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta Marcos immediately took the task of restoring the cultural and heritage structures and sites around Malacañang Palace. Within a year from President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s inauguration, the Goldenberg and Teus Mansions were fully restored and opened to the public, and in February 2024 the Laperal Mansion was also restored and refurbished.

The First Lady has been a staunch advocate of Philippine heritage and culture preservation. She champions the promotion and development of the creative industries in the Philippines, spearheading programs such as the “Likha” exhibition that celebrates the creativity of the Filipino through traditional arts and crafts. She has also been engaging with members of the Filipino film and entertainment industry to formulate programs that will best support them. And, as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself announced, she is the main proponent of the rehabilitation program to breathe new life into the Pasig River.

The First Lady’s efforts on the adaptive reuse of several heritage mansions around Malacañang have turned these once dilapidated structures into history tellers that are also ready to witness new happenings unfold, events that will eventually be part of our story as a nation.

For instance, the Teus Mansion, located along Gen. Solano Street, now houses the Presidential Museum, which showcases information about the former chief executives of the Philippines as well as memorabilia and other items belonging to and associated with them.

Just beside Teus is another heritage structure that has been renovated to serve as a venue for cultural events and other artistic endeavors, the Goldenberg Mansion. This building used to be the residence of the Spanish Navy’s commanding officer, Admiral Patricio Montojo, and headquarters of the exclusive Spanish Navy Club. It also became the residence of American battalion commander Arthur Macarthur, who is the father of Field Marshall Douglas Macarthur.

In 1903, the Goldenberg became an office of the Philippine Preliminary Exposition to the International Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. Before the items for exhibition were brought to the United States, they were first displayed at the Goldenberg for the public to see. Among the works of art displayed were those of the masters such as Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and Fabian dela Rosa.

Both the Teus and Goldenberg Mansions were turned into guest houses by former first lady Imelda R. Marcos. These heritage buildings welcomed and accommodated visiting dignitaries during the time of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Now that these two former guest houses are serving new missions, First Lady Liza has assigned another historic building as the new Presidential Guest House – the Laperal Mansion.

The Laperal Mansion is equally rich in history, serving as the consulate of the United States in 1945, the office of the newly established Department of Foreign Affairs post Philippine independence in 1946, the office of the National Library in 1955 and the home of former presidents Corazon C. Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos during their respective tenures.

The Laperal Mansion will now be used mainly for official visits of heads of state and government, and may also be used for National Day celebrations of diplomatic missions in the Philippines.

Inside the mansion, former presidents of the Philippines have rooms dedicated to them, designed to radiate their respective personalities and the leadership style that they were known for. For instance, the hues of yellow in the Corazon C. Aquino Room is a nod to the color that is strongly identified with the nation’s first female head of state; while the use of abaca wallpaper matched with leather and a neutral color palette with splashes of deep brown and burgundy in the Rodrigo R. Duterte Room exude the no-frills lifestyle and tough persona of the immediate past president. President Ramon F. Magsaysay’s love for nature was depicted through a forest mural that embraces the entirety of the bedroom dedicated to him; while the four-poster bedframe and crisp white linens at the Fidel V. Ramos room is an ode to his disciplined military background.

There are many other intricate details present in each room – such as the salakot in the Carlos P. Garcia Room to represent the International Rice Research Institute that he established; fine furniture from the best craftsmen in Pampanga in the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Room to showcase the craftsmanship for which her home province is known for; the private library in the Ferdinand E. Marcos Room as a tribute to his passion for literature, law and history; the handmade wallpaper and woven curtain with rice motif in the Diosdado P. Macapagal Room as a nod to his mass-based causes, particularly the rice industry. These, among many others, reflect the meticulous planning and curation expected from any project spearheaded by First Lady Liza Marcos.

Not to be outdone are the staterooms. Two multi-purpose halls were named after and inspired by president Emilio Aguinaldo and president Jose P. Laurel; while three others have been named after figures who played pivotal roles in our history: Ferdinand Magellan, who led the first expedition to the Philippines; General Douglas MacArthur, who played a significant role in liberating the Philippines during World War II, and our very own national hero, Jose P. Rizal, whose contribution to shaping our history and national consciousness cannot be overstated.

The Laperal Mansion is an abode truly befitting of heads of state and high-ranking dignitaries. It is indeed an “architectural gem that unfolds like a page from Philippine history.”

Now that it is ready to welcome and house world leaders, the building itself becomes a place of history, a place where our friendship with other nations will continue to strengthen and flourish.

The efforts of First Lady Liza to restore these heritage mansions, making them purposeful and aligned with the President’s vision to elevate Philippine art, culture and heritage, is truly remarkable. It is one worth emulating in other parts of the country that are rich in centuries-old heritage structures waiting to be given life and purpose anew.