Change is coming: Duterte prefers different name for Malacañang

The facade of the Malacañang palace. FILE PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VAL HANDUMON

President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to change the name of the 200-year-old Malacañang Palace.

“Call it Malacañang Palace, I only call it ‘The People’s Palace.’ One day I will rename it, ‘People’s Palace,’ Duterte said in a press briefing in Davao City on Thursday.

Malacañang is the official residence and workplace of the Philippine President situated across the Pasig River in Manila.

READ: Rody’s 2nd home: Bahay Pangarap

The President said the term Palace was only used during the Spanish and American regime in the Philippines.

“Hindi naman palasyo yan eh. Noon lang’ yan sa mga panahon ng mga p****g-i***g pumunta dito at ginawa tayong alipin. ‘Yun mga Español pati mga Amerikano, sino pa?” he said.

(It’s not a palace. It was only called that during the regime of those (invective) who came here to conquer us. The Spanish and the Americans, who else?)

He said he was bent on changing the name because the term “Malacañan” was associated with imperialism.

“Oo. Tanggalin ko (Yes, I will replace it). You know why? [The] word “Malacañan,” sucks with imperialism. Totoo. Sino man ang nagpangalan ng ‘Malacañang Palace’? Mga Español man ‘yan (It’s true. Who gave it the name Malacañang Palace? It’s the Spaniards). Why should I not just address it as the “People’s Palace of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

READ: The grandeur–and ghosts–of Malacañang

Hours after his inauguration on June 30, Duterte met with hundreds of poor families in Tondo, Manila, saying he really wanted to be close to the marginalized Filipinos.

The President said the poor are most welcome inside Malacañang during his administration. He said the poor could even sleep in Malacañang.

During his inauguration, militant leaders, who were usually subject to violent dispersals by past administrations, were also able to set foot in Malacañang and had a dialogue with Duterte.IDL/rga

READ: Believe it or not: Mendiola march ends inside Palace

RELATED VIDEO