DAVAO CITY – A two-story guesthouse in a government compound here is now undergoing some repair work, sparking talks that the structure will soon be the “Malacanang of the South.”
“The place is befitting the highest leader of the land,” said Leo Villareal, press secretary to the Davao City mayor, when asked to confirm if the guesthouse will be converted into the “Malacanang of the South.”
The house is in the Regional Equipment Depot of the Department of Public Works and Highways compound. It faces a good view of Samal Island and a reclaimed coastline with a helipad for two helicopters. Somewhere in the landscape is an unfinished jetty that extends some 30 meters towards the sea.
Security will not be a problem for a six-foot concrete fence surrounds the depot and the guest house is accessible through its own gate that stands four feet high. The whole compound is near Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) and the guest house is a stone’s throw away from the quarters of the Navy’s Special Warfare Group (SWAG).
The guesthouse is already quite prepared to house Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte. There’s 300 square meters of space, which already has a conference room. A two-story building next door has the kitchen and living quarters for the staff. The two-story guest house was built during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and cost about P24 million. It was completed in 2007.
But even if it looks like that structure will be the “Malacañang of the South,” there is no official confirmation, except Villareal’s statement, if indeed the incoming president will make that the seat of power in the south. According to some reports, Duterte may hold his office there when he is in the city. But we have no formal notification yet,” a DPWH official said.
The guesthouse has been used for government operations in the past. It was occupied only once by a President and that was in June, 2008, when then President Arroyo visited Davao region. At another time, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman occupied the guesthouse when they were distributing aid to the people in the affected areas of Typhoon “Pablo” in 2012. “We also hold meetings with the disaster agencies in the guesthouse,” our source added.
In September last year, the Presidential Management Staff used the guesthouse as a “staging point” during the visit of President Aquino to Samal Island, the source said. We talked to another DPWH staff who told us that the guesthouse is being eyed as the “Malacañang of the South.”
“We were told that no one is allowed to enter the compound now. Recently, a television crew went there to get a footage of the building but the guards prevented them from entering the depot compound,” he said. Even DPWH personnel are not allowed to enter the guest house. Major Ezra Balagtey, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Eastern Mindanao Command, said they’ve also received reports – but have not yet received formal notification –that the guesthouse beside their camp will be used by Duterte.
The military office is right beside the DPWH depot compound. About a hundred meters away from the guesthouse is a community of informal settlers. More talks about the guesthouse were told to us by Kurt Concon, a resident in the community for about 30 years. He said that they have noticed the maintenance work soon after the election.
Lately, Concon noted that security has been strict since the maintenance work started. “In the past, we can just get close to the fence of the compound. Some of us would also catch fish or gather shells near the coastline. But recently, they’re quite strict,” he said. Now everyone in the community refers to the guesthouse as “Malacañang,” Concon added.
http://www.mb.com.ph/people-are-talking-about-malacanang-of-the-south/
“The place is befitting the highest leader of the land,” said Leo Villareal, press secretary to the Davao City mayor, when asked to confirm if the guesthouse will be converted into the “Malacanang of the South.”
The house is in the Regional Equipment Depot of the Department of Public Works and Highways compound. It faces a good view of Samal Island and a reclaimed coastline with a helipad for two helicopters. Somewhere in the landscape is an unfinished jetty that extends some 30 meters towards the sea.
Security will not be a problem for a six-foot concrete fence surrounds the depot and the guest house is accessible through its own gate that stands four feet high. The whole compound is near Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) and the guest house is a stone’s throw away from the quarters of the Navy’s Special Warfare Group (SWAG).
The guesthouse is already quite prepared to house Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte. There’s 300 square meters of space, which already has a conference room. A two-story building next door has the kitchen and living quarters for the staff. The two-story guest house was built during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and cost about P24 million. It was completed in 2007.
But even if it looks like that structure will be the “Malacañang of the South,” there is no official confirmation, except Villareal’s statement, if indeed the incoming president will make that the seat of power in the south. According to some reports, Duterte may hold his office there when he is in the city. But we have no formal notification yet,” a DPWH official said.
The guesthouse has been used for government operations in the past. It was occupied only once by a President and that was in June, 2008, when then President Arroyo visited Davao region. At another time, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman occupied the guesthouse when they were distributing aid to the people in the affected areas of Typhoon “Pablo” in 2012. “We also hold meetings with the disaster agencies in the guesthouse,” our source added.
In September last year, the Presidential Management Staff used the guesthouse as a “staging point” during the visit of President Aquino to Samal Island, the source said. We talked to another DPWH staff who told us that the guesthouse is being eyed as the “Malacañang of the South.”
“We were told that no one is allowed to enter the compound now. Recently, a television crew went there to get a footage of the building but the guards prevented them from entering the depot compound,” he said. Even DPWH personnel are not allowed to enter the guest house. Major Ezra Balagtey, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Eastern Mindanao Command, said they’ve also received reports – but have not yet received formal notification –that the guesthouse beside their camp will be used by Duterte.
The military office is right beside the DPWH depot compound. About a hundred meters away from the guesthouse is a community of informal settlers. More talks about the guesthouse were told to us by Kurt Concon, a resident in the community for about 30 years. He said that they have noticed the maintenance work soon after the election.
Lately, Concon noted that security has been strict since the maintenance work started. “In the past, we can just get close to the fence of the compound. Some of us would also catch fish or gather shells near the coastline. But recently, they’re quite strict,” he said. Now everyone in the community refers to the guesthouse as “Malacañang,” Concon added.
http://www.mb.com.ph/people-are-talking-about-malacanang-of-the-south/
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