First Lady opens Baguio Mansion House to tourists

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has opened the gates of Baguio Mansion House – the official summer residence of the Philippine president – to the public with the inauguration of its Presidential Museum yesterday.

First Lady Liza Marcos led the opening rites together with Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Education Secretary Sonny Angara and other officials.

Apart from boosting the local economy, Frasco said the Presidential Museum will also give both international and local tourists an insight into the histories and legacies of the Philippines presidents and their contribution to nation-building.

“This will inevitably I’m sure also help our local economy here in Baguio with the tourists that will be coming in, the suppliers also that will benefit from added touristic activities in the area,” Frasco told reporters.

“Most importantly it will instill a sense of national pride especially among our youth since they will have that opportunity to learn about the work of our previous presidents and their contribution to our country,” she said.

The Presidential Museum at the Baguio Mansion House is a combination of the Bahay Ugnayan Museum and the Teus Mansion inside the Malacañang complex in Manila, according to Social Secretary Bianca Zobel.

Bahay Ugnayan, also dubbed as “The Road To Malacañang,” currently features the life of President Marcos.

The Teus Mansion, on the other hand, showcases the “vibrant” and “diverse” history of Philippine presidents, housing a vast collection of priceless memorabilia, including presidential attire, footwear, flags, and busts sculpted in the likeness of the former leaders.

The museum is open for free on Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Zobel urged the public to book a tour via Facebook or Instagram.

“We can also take in walk-ins. But we can only take 20 people per tour. The tours are every 30 minutes,” she said.

“This is all free. So no charge,” she added.

About 500 tourists take pictures outside the Mansion on weekdays and reach up to 2,000 during weekends, Zobel said.

Initiated by the first lady, the government launched the Malacañang Heritage Tours, which includes visits to the Bahay Ugnayan Museum, Teus Mansion and the Goldenberg Mansion for free, in June last year. — Artemio Dumlao