A magnificent work commissioned by then First Lady Imelda Marcos and designed by architect

Francisco Maosa is the Coconut Palace found in the CCP Complex in Pasay City, Metro Manila
which was both praised and criticized to be ostentatious (or of a display that is tawdry or vulgar).
The Coconut Palace, known in Filipino as Tahanang Filipino (literally Filipino Home) was
intended to house Pope John Paul IIs (deceased) visit to the Philippines in 1981. Because of the
poverty of the country during that time, the Pope rejected the offer to stay in the flamboyant
house made of roughly 70% chemically treated coconut products including lumber, roots, trunk,
bark, fruit, flower and shell.
According to the architect, the P37,000,000 (about $10,000,000 during that time) worth Coconut
Palace, built in 1978 was planned prior to the Popes plan to visit the Philippines. A showpiece on
the versatility of the coconut and its viability as an export, the Coconut Palace is made from
several types of Philippine hardwood including tugas and balayong, coconut shells, and the
Imelda Madera, a specially engineered and chemically treated coconut lumber used as the solid
foundation of the building.

Coconut Palace Gate

In the ground floor, an ornately designed 24-seat table, with 40,000 tiny pieces of inlaid coconut
shells, inside the splendid dining room is one of the main attractions together with the library
where the Marcos (Ferdinand Farther, Imelda Mother, Imee Daughter, Bongbong Son) used
as study area.
Each of the seven suite in the second floor are named after the different (and random provinces)
in the Philippines. Its only seven because it was considered as the familys lucky number.

Coconut Palace Rooms

1. Zamboanga Room
This is where George Hamilton, Imelda Marcos favorite actor, stayed during his visit to the
Philippines. There are a few rumors that Imelda and Hamilton had a secret relationship but no
one can share it in details. This is the first room.
2. Pampanga Room
The notable part of this room is the overlaying bedsheet made of Jusi Fibre or fibre from the
banana tree.
3. Marawi Room
Representing Muslim Mindanao, this room is adorned in the colors purple and green, the official
color of these people.
4. Bicol Room
This room faces Manila Bay and one can experience the best sunset here. This was Imelda
Marcos favorite room. Noteworthy are the beautifully hexagonal-shaped table.
5. Mountain Province Room
A picturesque, historical treasure room filled with traditional Ifugao tribal artifacts.
6. Iloilo Room
This is where Brooke Shields stayed during her visit to the Philippines. It showcases Iloilos best
handicrafts.
7. Pangasinan Room
This is Ferdinand Marcos room. They have a separate room with Imelda, probably for security
reasons. It has a large bathroom and a nice, remarkable bedspread made of Pineapple fibres or
Pina fibres.
The Coconut Palace is shaped like an octagon while the roof is designed like a Filipino salakot or
hat. Another notable highlight is the 101 coconut shell chandelier and another notable guest is
Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. Now, it is a museum, with a butterfly garden and an
orchidarium.
On the fifth season of the Amazing Race, a reality TV show, the Coconut Palace was used as pit
stop when the competing teams went to Manila. They were welcomed by Luli Arroyo, the
daughter of, then President Gloria Arroyo. The palace also served as the principal location for
Tanging Yaman, an ABS-CBN primetime TV series in replacement for Malacaang as the
residence of the First Family.
Averaging 50-100 tourists on a normal day, the Coconut Palace has an entrance fee of P100
which includes the well-versed tourist guide. Picture taking in the ground floor is fine but on the
second floor it is strictly prohibited to preserve the ambiance and uniqueness of the rooms by
avoiding massive publications.

The Coconut Palace is sometimes booked for weddings and party venues by those who want a
unique and peaceful environment. If you have enough money and you want to please your soonto-be-wife on your wedding day, just prepare P100,000 (for every 5 hours) as your venue rental
fee.
Celebrating coconut as the Tree of Life, the Coconut Palace is considered by many as one of the
most striking structures, for its interiors and architecture, in the CCP Complex. It is located
Eduardo A. Makabenta, Sr. Street nearby Philippines International Convention Center, Folk Arts
Theater and Sofitel Philippine Plaza. It is 600 meters west of Star City Philippines and 800 meters
southwest of the Manila Yacht Club.

The Coconut Palace

by Jane Dacumos on July 20, 2012
Photo by paulshaffner of flickr.com

Do you know where the official residence and principal workplace of our Vice
President is? It is a palace made up of coconut shells and coconut lumber known as
Imelda Madera.
Also known as Tahanang Pilipino, Coconut Palace is the home of the Vice President
of the Philippines. Located at the CCP Complex, in Pasay, south of the centre of

Manila, it was commissioned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos for Pope John Paul
II's visit in 1981. However, the Palace's architect Francisco Maosa, later claimed
that the Coconut Palace was planned long before the Pope even decided to visit the
country.
Before becoming the official residence of the Vice President, the palace was best
known for wedding receptions.
The Coconut Palace
The Palace is a showpiece on the versatility of the coconut and its viability as an
export. Built in 1978, it is made of several types of Philippine hardwood, coconut
shells, and a specially engineered coconut lumber apparently known as Imelda
Madera. Each of the suites on the second floor is named after a specific region of
the Philippines and displays some of the handicrafts these regions produce.
A Palace in a Coconut
The palace is shaped like an octagon (the shape given to a coconut before being
served), while the roof is shaped like a traditional Filipino salakot or hat. Some of its
highlights are the 101 coconut-shell chandelier, and the dining table made of
40,000 tiny pieces of inlaid coconut shells. Highlighted as one of the Cultural Center
of the Philippines most striking structures for its architecture and interiors, the
palace celebrates the coconut as the ultimate Tree of Life. From the coconut's
roots to its trunk, bark, fruit, flower and shell, the palace's design, form and
ornamentation echo these elements.
Notable Guest and Guest Rooms
The Coconut Palace has been a guesthouse for many visitors, including Libyan
leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Brooke Shields and George Hamilton.
The Coconut Palace has found itself being featured in various TV shows. On the
fifth season of the reality series The Amazing Race, the Coconut Palace served as
the pit stop when the competing teams went to Manila. The contestants were
welcomed by Luli Arroyo, daughter of Former Philippine president Gloria MacapagalArroyo.
The Palace was made a primary filming location for the ABS-CBN teleserye
Tanging Yaman, standing in for Malacaang Palace as the residence of the First
Family.

The palace has seven guest rooms named after different provinces all over the
country.
Zamboanga Room, the first room and said to be George Hamilton's favorite
Pampanga Room, showcases Kampampangan art with statues made of lahar
from Mount Pinatubo
Marawi Room, showcases Muslim Mindanao
Bicol Room, Imelda Marcos' favorite room
Mountain Province Room, containing many Cordillera tribal artifacts
Iloilo Room, Brooke Shields' favorite room
Pangasinan Room, Ferdinand Marcos' room
A Glimpse to Coconut Palace
The palace is located on F. Ma. Guerrero Street at the Cultural Center of the
Philippines Complex between the Folk Arts Theatre and the Sofitel Philippine Plaza.
The Light Rail Transit (LRT-1) is the fastest and cheapest way to get from Manila to
Pasay. From its station in Monumento, the LRT traverses the Rizal Avenue Ext. in
Caloocan going to the City of Manila all the way up to Pasay City.
Public transportation within the city, like in most of the urban areas in the
Philippines, is facilitated mostly using inexpensive jeepneys and buses. Tricycles
(motorbikes with an attached two seater carriage) are the usual transportation used
for short distances, while Taxi cabs are used by the upper middle class. The roads
are organized around a set of long narrow and circumferential roads that radiate
and circle in and around the city.

Binay coconut palace controversy.

Recently, Pres. Aquino OK'd the request of VP Binay for an official residence - the Coconut
Palace. But wait, what's the Coconut Palace exactly? From Wikipedia:
The Tahanang Pilipino (Filipino Home), better known as "the Coconut Palace", is a palace in
Manila, Philippines, commissioned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos for Pope John Paul II's
visit in 1981. However, the pope declined the offer, saying that it was too ostentatious a place to
stay while in the poverty-stricken Philippines.
See how ostentatious that place is? It's like a resort of sorts. A guesthouse, a wedding reception
area, a museum. Yes, it's also a museum. Right now it is, but as soon as VP Binay sits his tax
money-grabbing ass down there it won't be no more.
Okay so first things first: Why the hell is VP Binay requesting for an official residence in such an
opulent place? Did you know that he complained to Aquino about his office in the PNB building
in Makati? If you'll remember correctly, there were news airings of pre-VP Binay fixing his
office at the PNB so that people allegedly could be able to reach him fast. What happened to

that? Obviously it's gone, along with it the taxpayers' money spent on renovating his PNB
building office which will now be useless.
While Pres. Aquino is showing what others call humility, Binay is doing the exact opposite. It
seems that Binay wants to fully enjoy all the perks the VP seat can offer. And this is just one of
those. Pope John Paul II denied that place because there were lots of people in the Philippines
who were unable to enjoy such luxury. The Pope was willing to partake in their misery. Well, we
see Jejomar Binay, not willing to partake in such misery. He loves the, as he likes to call them,
informal settlers right? Why is he unwilling to partake in such misery by living the Coconut
Palace alone? Oh right, he's not the Pope. He never will be. He's a lawyer. It's funny how lawyer
and liar sounds the same.
Recently he also requested to be exempted from Aquino's anti-siren abuse and escort policy. Can
you imagine that? This guy is acting bigger than the Philippine President! Noynoy decided to
forgo the perks of being able to glide freely into roads without traffic. He opted instead to wait in
line and stop at red lights like ordinary Filipino citizens. But Binay? NO. He decides he's too
precious to wait in line and stop at red lights. Hey, when was the VP bigger than the Philippine
President again?
Don't mistake me for something I'm not though. Some people may think "Ay supporter ni Mar
Roxas to." Definitely I'm not. Read my old posts. I blasted Mar Roxas for things he did in the
past.
Are we so sure now that "kay Binay gaganda ang buhay?" Were the Filipino people just deceived
by the allure of Makati? Definitely yes. What's obvious here is the only one that'll get a damn
good life is Jejomar Binay. Instead of opting to use his PNB office, he chose to settle at the
grandiose Coconut Palace. Where do you think he'll get the money to pay the people who will
man the place? How about the water bills? Electric bills? Maintenance costs? You think he'll use
his own money? Hell no. The taxpayers' are the ones going to carry the burden of Binay's
luxurious choice. Binay will charge all of the following expenses to the "Kaban ng Bayan." How
will our life get better when this unbelievable VP of ours spends taxpayers' money on ludicrous
choices instead of using it for public projects? Go figure.
I didn't vote for Binay. I voted for Bayani Fernando. Recall how hard Fernando creamed Binay in
the Harapan 2010 VP debate. When Binay got caught with a question, you know what he did? He
looked at the homie crowd he brought from Makati and ordered them to shout out loud for him.
He wasn't even half as good as Bayani Fernando.
The only reason why Makati's the city it is today is not because of Jejomar Binay. Binay was just
a lucky SOB that happened to be the Makati Mayor at the right place, at the right time. It won't
matter if Benhur Abalos or Sonny Belmonte was Makati Mayor at Binay's peak. Makati will just
improve all the same. It's just that investors kept coming in. Investors saw Makati's future.
Investors molded Makati, not Binay. If Binay molded Makati, how come the outskirts of Makati
now still look like the outskirts of Makati years ago? Go to Cembo or Pembo or whatever
"embo" suffix there is in Makati, you'll see how different those are from the city's CBD (Central
Business District).

There's also a title that was given to Jejomar Binay when he was still Makati Mayor: Mr.
Condominium. You know why? It's because everytime a developer builds a condominium, Mr.
Binay receives one condo unit FREE. Wonderful isn't it? I don't know how many condominiums
there are in Makati currently, but I'm betting there's a lot. So yeah, 20-30 condo units give or
take. That'll blow past P30 million easy.
For some, I will come as a dude with a serious case of crab mentality. You're wrong. If it's for the
country, I'm all for it. But what Binay's doing is not proving to be for the country. What, you
think being given an official residence is a right? Come on. It's a privilege. It's not a right.
Binay's just making it look like a right. Aquino just happened to be considerate. You know, Binay
has been working for the Aquino's since 1987, maybe earlier. Maybe Pres. Aquino thought he
could give Binay some slack.
But being the traitor that he is, Binay could stab Aquino in the back like he did with Erap. He
knew Erap wasn't going to win. So what he did was do smear campaigns against Mar Roxas. He
created the Noy-Bi commercials. They know the facts. They just won't admit it to the people.
Like Roxas said, pertaining to the smear commercial, "Kung ngayon palang nanlilinlang na ng
tao yang si Binay na hindi pa sya bise-presidente, panu pa pag nakaupo na?"
He's the First Black VP yes? Yeah. He's also the First VP ever in the history of the Philippines to
demand such a privilege. As far as I'm concerned, so far he's just showboating and enjoying the
perks, arming his way through the new administration. He's all form, no substance to back up his
claims.
So quick notes. Why don't we need Binay at the Coconut Palace:
1. Because it's a huge waste of taxpayer money. Let the money go to projects instead;
2. Because he can work effectively anywhere if he's even half the man who think he is. He
"brought" Makati to its state today, why can't he do the same with the Philippines at his PNB
office;
3. Because his mission statement is "Kay Binay gaganda ang buhay" and not "Si Binay gaganda
ang buhay.";
4. Because Teofisto Guingona didn't complain. Noli de Castro didn't complain. They were former
VPs yet we didn't hear a squeal of complaint from them. Binay needs to be a role model, a
standard setter. Not an SOB;
5. Because he needs to prove that he has substance over form. What he's doing is just
showboating and posturing, aside from the fact that he always complains about how he wasn't
the DILG head, how crammed his PNB office is, how he was not President.
So far, clearly the Filipinos made a huge mistake again, unless it will be proven otherwise. How
thick is this guy's face eh? He's only a spare tire yet he acts like the big boss himself. I'm
smelling corruption, don't you? (see: Binay needs big budget and wants to be DILG head)
'Till my next instalment.
Article from
http://tjsdaily.blogspot.com/2010/07/opinions-binays-controversial-transfer.html?
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