The Mansion in Baguio City formally opened its doors to the public on Sunday after conducting exclusive private tours to students from nearby universities in August, according to Malacañang Social Secretary Bianca Zobel. The Mansion, the summer residence of Philippine presidents since the Commonwealth Period, is also referred to as Mansion House. The First Family has yet to schedule a vacation in the facility as it is still under renovation.
“The reason for this (opening to public) is that we have noticed that every day around 500 tourists are taking pictures outside Mansion House and on weekends, it reaches up to 2000. So, we would like to open the doors so that people can come and take pictures inside,” Zobel said. Zobel said they have also opened the Presidential Museum at Mansion House to encourage people to learn about the history of the place and the lives of past Philippine Presidents.
“This is also very important in unification, right? We need to know about our history and our culture so that we feel one,” she added. The Mansion is open to visitors from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m., accommodating 20 people per tour every 30 minutes.
“The rooms inside are small. The way you walk through, you might just bump into each other. So, that’s the reason we’re only doing 20 at once,” Zobel noted.
While walk-in tourists are welcomed, people are encouraged to book a tour through the Malacañang Heritage Tours’ website, Facebook, and Instagram pa.