Malacañang Palace will soon be officially renamed the “People’s Palace” upon the order of President Duterte.
The President frowned on the original name of the seat of government power, “Malacañang Palace,” because it supposedly “sucks with imperialism.”
“I only call it ‘The People’s Palace.’ One day I will rename it, ‘People’s Palace,” Duterte said in a late night press conference in Davao City.
The President said he avoids calling “Malacañang Palace” because is not actually a palace. He bewailed that only Spanish and American colonizers gave its name in the 19th century.
“Tanggalin ko. You know why? In the word ‘Malacañan,’ it sucks with imperialism. Totoo. Sino man ang nagpangalan ng ‘Malacañang Palace’? Mga Español man ‘yan. Why should I just address it as the ‘People’s Palace of the Republic of the Philippines,’ he added.
Malacañang Palace is the official residence and workplace of the Philippine President inside a sprawling complex on J.P. Laurel St. in San Miguel, Manila.
The original structure was built as a summer house on the Pasig River in 1750 and purchased by the state as official residence of the Governor General of the Philippines in 1825. Spanish and American colonizers called the building Malacañang, which means “place of the fishermen” in Spanish.
President Ramon Magsaysay changed its name to Malacañang in 1953 but it was returned to its original name by President Corazon Aquino in 1986. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)