Over 100 years after its completion, the Baguio Mansion House will now be open to the public.
First Lady Liza Araneta- Marcos led the opening of the Buckingham palace inspired gates of the Mansion on a rainy Sunday, September 8, with the National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
A local dance group performed a Cordilleran dance before guests were ushered inside the Mansion main hall where the 12 galleries were ready for viewing.
The weekend ceremonies were attended by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, and National Artist for film Kidlat Tahimik with government line agency representatives, artists, educators and cultural workers.
Dr. Eric Zerrudo, the NCCA executive director said the Mansion’s Presidential Museum will be open to the public from Sunday to Tuesdays daily for free.
“It’s best to do reservations online and your will be ferried from the gates in batches 20 participants each with a 30-minute walking tour to the 12 galleries, the tour guides are stationary, because the rooms are quite tight
Ordinarily, there approximately 500 tourists a week taking pictures at the Mansion gates weekly and weekends, the number goes up to as much as 2,000 according to Malacañang.
Originally built to be the seat of power of the American Governors–General during the summer months in the country, the Baguio Mansion House eventually became the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines since the Commonwealth period and was completed in 1908.
In 2009, the board of the National Historical Institute, known today as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared the Baguio Mansion House as a National Historical Landmark.
The Presidential Museum features the presidents of the Philippines with timelines and highlights of each term served for the country as well as an array of memorabilia displayed with a gift shop. Maria Elena Catajan
