Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Malacañang Palace and Museum
1000 J.P. Laurel St, San Miguel • Mon-Fri 9am-noon & 1-3pm (closed public hols) • P50 •
T
02 784 4286,
W
malacanang.gov.ph •
Reservation forms plus passport photocopy must be emailed to the palace at least 7 days in advance (see website); no shorts, sleeveless
tops or flip-flops • The palace is a short taxi ride east of Intramuros and Quiapo
Home of the governor-generals and presidents of the Philippines since the 1860s, the
Malacañang Palace
(also “Malacañan” Palace) is a fittingly grand and intriguing edifice,
well worth the minor hassle involved in arranging a visit (you can also join a tour; see box,
p.62). Much of the palace is permanently off-limits to the public, but you can visit the
wing that houses the
Malacañang Museum
. Housed in the beautifully restored Kalayaan
Hall, completed in 1921, the museum traces the history of the palace and of the
presidency from Emilio Aguinaldo to the present day. The origins of the Malacañang go
back to a smaller stone house dating from 1750, which was bought in 1825 by the Spanish
government and, in 1849, made into the summer residence of the governor-general of the
Philippines. After the governors' palace in Intramuros was destroyed in the earthquake of
1863, the move to Malacañang was made permanent and the property was extended
several times over the years. President Aquino actually resides in Bahay Pangarap, another
property within Malacañang Park, and maintains his of
ce in Bonifacio Hall of the palace.
Makati
Some 5km east of Manila Bay,
Makati
was a vast expanse of malarial swampland until
the Ayala family, one of the country's most influential business dynasties, started
developing it in the 1950s. It is now Manila's premier business and financial district,
chock-full of plush hotels, international restaurant chains, expensive condominiums
and monolithic air-conditioned malls.
Opposite the station, the biggest mall is
Glorietta
, which has a central section and
side halls numbered 1-5, and heaves with people seeking refuge from the tra
c and
heat. A short walk from Glorietta to the other side of Makati Avenue is
Greenbelt Park
,
a landscaped garden with the pleasant, modern, white-domed
Santo Niño de Paz Chapel
in the centre. The park forms part of Makati's other main mall,
Greenbelt
, which, like
Glorietta, is divided into various numbered halls; on the north side is the excellent
Ayala Museum (see below).
Just to the north is the pleasant green swathe of
Ayala Triangle
, bordered by Ayala
Avenue, Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Further along Ayala Avenue, at the
junction with Paseo de Roxas, is the
Ninoy Aquino Monument
, built in honour of the
senator who was assassinated in 1983, while a block further on, the shimmering
PBCom Tower
(259m) at 6795 Ayala Avenue is the tallest building in the Philippines
(closed to the public).
Ayala Museum
Makati Ave at De La Rosa St • Tues-Sun 9am-6pm • P425 •
T
02 759 8288,
W
www.ayalamuseum.org • MRT to Ayala
Makati's one must-see attraction is the
Ayala Museum
, by far the best place in the
Philippines to get to grips with the nation's complex history. The mighty Ayala family
donated much of the initial collection in 1967, and this modern building was
completed in 2004. here are no dreary exhibits here, or ponderous chronological
approach - the permanent exhibitions just highlight the key aspects of Philippine
history beginning on the
fourth floor
with an extraordinary collection of pre-Hispanic
goldware, created by the islands' often overlooked indigenous cultures between the tenth
and thirteenth centuries. Over one thousand gold objects are on display, much of it
from the Butuan area in Mindanao, including the “
Surigao Treasure
” (see p.438). Don't
miss the astonishing Gold Regalia, a huge 4kg chain of pure gold thought to have been
