- Coconut Palace
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Coconut Palace 
Alternative names Tahanang Pilipino General information Town or city F. Ma. Guerrero Street, Pasay, 1307 Country Philippines Coordinates 14°33′19″N 120°58′48″E / 14.55522°N 120.980013°E Current tenants Vice President of the Philippines Completed 1978 Renovated 2010 Design and construction Architect Francisco Mañosa
The Coconut Palace, also known as Tahanang Pilipino (Filipino Home), is the official residence and principal workplace 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 pope declined the offer, saying that it was too ostentatious a place to stay while in the poverty-stricken Philippines. [1] The Palace's architect Francisco Mañosa, later claimed that the Coconut Palace - a showpiece on the versatility of the coconut and its viability as an export - was planned long before the Pope even decided to visit the country.The Coconut Palace, built in 1978, 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.[1] 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. Before becoming the official residence of the Vice President, the palace was best known for wedding receptions.[2]
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’s 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.[3]
The Coconut Palace has been a guesthouse for many guests, including Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Brooke Shields and George Hamilton.[4]
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 Macapagal-Arroyo. The Palace was made a primary filming location for the ABS-CBN teleserye Tanging Yaman, standing in for Malacañang Palace as the residence of the First Family.
The Coconut Palace underwent a major renovations as it was being eyed as the official office and residence of the Vice President of the Philippines.[5]On February 11, 2011, it was officially turned over to Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay upon the signing of a lease contract with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) with a monthly rental fee of ₱400,000.
Guest Rooms
The palace have seven guest rooms named after different provinces all over the country.[1]
- 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 Coldillera tribal artifacts
- Iloilo Room, Brooke Shields' favourite room
- Pangasinan Room, Ferdinand Marcos' room
See Also
- Malacañang Palace, Presidential Palace
References
Coordinates: 14°33′19″N 120°58′47″E / 14.55515°N 120.9798522°ECategories:- Official residences in the Philippines
- Landmarks in the Philippines
- Palaces in the Philippines
- Coconuts
- Buildings and structures in the Philippines
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