How’s our Vice President anyway?
Well, if you think that being the person to hold the highest posotion in the government have such prestige and luxury, there are those who do not really have much of i
Vice President Jejomar Binay points out that Philippine Vice Presidents are homeless, unlike, for example, U.S. Vice Presidents who are assigned a large Victorian home (”One Observatory Circle”) for entertaining or for actually living in when the Vice President has no Washington home and indeed, unlike some of our provincial governors, e.g., Batangas.
Probably all our Vice Presidents past and present had Metro Manila homes, but chances are a private house would have inadequate facilities to elegantly entertain large numbers. Even a five-star hotel does not have the same impact as an official residence.
High officialdom in the West receive visitors in style-Washington, D.C.’s State Department diplomatic reception rooms (with 18th and 19th century furnishings); London’s Lancaster House across Green Park from Buckingham Palace; Paris’ Quai d’Orsay salons; Rome’s 16th century Villa Madama (built by a Medici Cardinal).
The Coconut Palace, on Manila Bay behind the CCP, has been suggested as Vice Presidential residence. It’s very presentable and very large. It’s also one of Manila’s few truly beautiful domestic buildings and will be a loss to private individuals and organizations, including officialdom and diplomats, who use it for national day receptions, international conference and large socials.
Why not rescue one of Manila’s endangered heritage buildings. The purchase or perhaps a long-term lease of one such place would save part of our heritage while providing our Vice Presidents an official residence. Restored and hopefully furnished with top-grade art and antiques, it could be a showcase of Philippine culture.
As Makati Mayor, Vice President Binay had been working on a heritage district encompassing the 17th century San Pedro y San Pablo church, a park along the Pasig River, and an area of mostly post-war and a few 19th and pre-war homes. There’s a large house by the park that could be transformed into an official residence to be proud of.
Other heritage structures are begging for salvation.
A few remain along the Pasig at Sta. Ana. One of them, originally a mid-1800s mansion, was placed on the market last year. Enormous bahay-na-bato still stand on Quiapo’s R. Hidalgo Street near San Sebastian Church (a declared national historical landmark). The street is unsightly and congested but the restoration and official use of one of those homes could upgrade and save the entire area. A historic house on Pe√±afrancia Street (once belonging to a Spanish Governor General and to President Jose P. Laurel) was restored years back but is now empty.
The LRT line is a negative, but a few pre-war mansions remain on the Pasay City stretch of Taft Avenue. On Vito Cruz and New Manila are baronial 1930s homes, some with large gardens.
Government owns properties that could be restored into something special, e.g., an art deco mansion, formerly office of a small agency, by the foot of Ayala Bridge, or the pre-war City Courts building in Intramuros that is too small for Comelec, its present occupant.
How about giving a home to our Vice Presidents while preserving our architectural heritage?
Hmm…I believe that Vice Pres. Binay is the picture of a modest and humble official in the country nowadays. He do not need flamboyant home, just a a loving family and a a responsible citizen.
