First priority: our family’s comfort and its party-parties.
That about sums up Bongbong Marcos’s scale of urgencies. Judging by his record the past six months, he is not a working president, definitely not a pro-active one except in cases where his family’s luxury is concerned.
While the nation reels in bread-and-butter issues where even the lowly onion has shot up to an astronomical 720 pesos per kilo, the Marcoses have no qualms to display how extremely keen they are to lavish themselves with money that comes from our own pockets.
Liza Araneta Marcos herself had earlier posted photos and videos of her leading the groundbreaking of a new Palace catering building back in September. Yet we all know the Palace already had such a facility since a long time ago. Lamented party-list representative Arlene Brosas back then (and she was squarely right): there is no budget for pandemic ayuda and additional classrooms, yet when the Marcoses want a quick allocation of funds for their whims and caprices, money is released pronto.
But for the Marcoses then and now, there is an inherent callousness at coming to terms with a nation mired in a cost of living crisis. After the new catering building, the next project was also rushed but hushed – their official residence.
As Manila’s air navigation facilities went kaput (commissioned in 2018 under Rodrigo Duterte) and planes midway into their flights were turned back because of zero radio response on January 1st, something was brewing at Bahay Pangarap.
The presidential residence across the Pasig from the Palace had been torn down. In fact, news of its renovation back in November had been picked up scarcely by media, meaning there was no official Palace announcement. In its place, four inter-connected villas were constructed – one for the Marcos couple, and one each for their three children. Are they planning to live there forever and ever?
Those involved in the construction were expressly told not to take photos. But the Marcoses probably could not contain their glee at the prospect of living in a new posh dwelling. Workers took stolen shots, and one even had a selfie with the president.
As December came to a close, only the first house was about to be finished. This one has two bedrooms, one for the husband and another for the wife. But there was one deadline to make – the Marcoses wanted a New Year’s Eve party at their new Bahay Pangarap. So the cavernous party salon was rushed, complete with new modern chandeliers. Landscaping for the new pocket gardens surrounding the villas had to be completed.
How much did this project eat into our pockets? There is no disclosure.
Bahay Pangarap was in no run-down condition to be renovated. In fact, the previous Bahay Pangarap (designed by Juan Arellano) was last renovated by architect Conrad Onglao in 2008 under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who had it administered under the Internal House Affairs Office of the Office of the President. Her aim was to use it as a venue to welcome state guests. It was her mother Eva Macapagal who named it Bahay Pangarap in the 1960s as a rest house and integral part of the 19-hectare Malacañang Park across the Pasig.
The 2008 Bahay Pangarap was not even old in chronological age. The architecture in fact was contemporary modern. The two immediate past presidents had resided there: Benigno Aquino III (who was given the choice of the house by the Presidential Security Group because he had wanted to continue going home to the Aquino residence in Quezon City), and Rodrigo Duterte.
Bongbong Marcos had again tapped architect Onglao to build him a new Bahay Pangarap. Now, he, Liza, sons Sandro, Simon and Vincent can rest their heads easy in a plush villa of their own dreams even if the rest of the country wallow in poverty and joblessness.
The Marcos brand of governance is truly back: the extravagance of a nouveau-riche family with no conscience to squander peoples’ money for their own privileged elitism.
In a country where everyone can no longer afford onions, the ruling family freely throws away taxpayer’s money to serve their lust for opulence. Something is very wrong there, and it becomes more wrong if we do not register our critical citizenship at such misgoverning.
This make me sick to the core! What is this curse that our people have chosen to be a willing participant of? We allow pillage, rape & plunder to take place every single day! Worse, we fund the operation & lavish lifestyles of these heinous criminals!
When oh, when will we consciously choose to elect accountable, competent & compassionate officials who will make the FILIPINO a priority?
As long as idolatry and fanaticism characterized the Filipino voters, and not thru the selection of quality leaders of character, integrity, competence, and purpose our social and political turmoil, and economic stagnancy as well shall continue to drag our nation to further hopelessness, poverty, unrest, and oblivion.
Magsabi kayo kung sino gusto nyo. Kung pinili yan ng lahat. Yan ang tayo. Sa panahon b ng gusto nyo na nanalo. Wala bang nangyari ng sinsabi nyo. O tama naman ang nakaraan na Admin. Di ba lalong naghirap ang sambayanan. yang sinasabi nya, sino ba ang nagpamahaql ng sibuyas di ba ang mga negosyante din. Niloko ng mga ito ang mamamayan para masira ang administrasyon.
Yup. Something is and was very wrong here. Juan dela Cruz voted for him. So… Juan dela Cruz deserves it. Sanamagan. That, despite knowing the prospects and results if he were elected. Sanamagan.
Truly shaking my head.
In fairness, the 31M is dubious. It’s more of tampering the SD cards that made them won the game. They have done everything to make sure they are sitting in the palace. we need another TRUE EDSA Revolt for this criminals
Poor Philippines and Filipinos ????
God please help us and our country ????
Yuks! Still again and again! And we the Filipino people continue to live in a dream of everything will change sooner or later; God is in control. That may be true, but it is also an excuse for doing nothing brave, courageous, daring, to stop this opulent spending of people’s taxes and declare it a crime! We continue to go down the drain into poverty ad infinitum …
Kasumpa-sumpa talagang ang Pamilya Marcos. Manhid sa kahirapan ng bayan, samantalang nagpapakasasa sa paggasta ng perang bayan.
Walang pagbabagon mula sa Tatay Marcos, Sr. na mandarambong ng perang bayan, ngayon ang anak Marcos, Jr. ang nagsasamantala sa perang bayan.
Very sad indeed. We Filipinos need to wake up , to become aware and voice out our objection. Our silence will contribute to maintaining the corruption.
I think who ever will be the president they will do what is good for them not for the people. Everybody will taking advantage of there position. Panapanahon Lang. We better be quiet that’s all and do our business. ✌️✌️✌️
Such a stupid comment! If everybody keeps quiet like you say no matter what happens around us: poverty, unemployment, government corruption, decadence, indifference—might as well live in a cemetery.
Awareness is everybody’s business. “Everybody will taking (sic) advantage of there (sic) position.” A fallacy of generalization if there ever was one; notwithstanding the execrable grammar.
What? Be quiet with all the mismanagement in the gov’t? The squandering of people’s money on all their whims and caprices! We are doomed if we all gonna do that.
This is what the 31minions wanted to be like. WTF!!!
Can you please have your articles translated to Tagalog, Cebuano and other local languages? Maraming naniwala kay BBM ay mga simpleng tao at hindi nakapag-aral. If we want them to be properly informed, they need to read articles like this in a language they understand best. Thank you po and I am one of those fervently praying for our beloved country.
They will pay for their callousness for their wanton spending g of people’s money. Truly they are kelptomaniacs!
Thank you, Antonio Montalvan, for this ‘hush,hush, rush bahay pangarap.
What comes to mind, is the end of Marie-Antoinette who said, if the people want bread, then, give them cake( BRIOCHE)!
What silenced her was la guillotine.
The marcos family is a curse to the Filipino people. These family continually denied abuse of human rights . As one of marcos’s victim of the sons (bbm) security , the family tries to deny and cover these criminal acts. People will try to accept them nonetheless. Public believes FB…
Kawawang pilipinas,lugmok na sa utang pinamumunuan pa ng mga buwaya,…
The insensitiveness of the Marcoses to the plight of the Filipino people is on display again. The extravagance is back. This is what the Filipinos get when voting for somebody with no track record of good governace and deep respect and love for country.
We can just comtinue to observe how the events are going. Probably in a year, things will fall into its proper place then we will have more observations on how he will lead the country. But the observations of the writer are valid and speak well for the sentiments of our people. Bravo for this really. I just hope that Pres. BBM is open to suggestions and constructive feedbacks from us. God Bless our Country and the People.
Their purpose is only to show off and not truly for the people. The truth will come out if not now in the near future. If only he could visit the nearby slum area and see how many people celebrated Christmas and New Year with only bread and the cheapest butter in town because that is what they could only afford. Hay naky! what a shame…
I do not know what to say☹️????????????????
It’s really a prosperous new year and beyond to their family! I can only pray that their hearts will find no rest until they rest in Him.
“For whatever you do to the least of your brethren you do it to Me”
Why hash hash? Something fishy going on?
In the Philippine Constitution it says that public officials should have simple living and avoid ostentatious lifestyle, so the lavish expenses of the First Family using people’s taxes and the public treasury is a violation of the Constitution. It also lacks sensitivity for and empathy with the suffering Filipinos. But what can you expect from someone who is so used to corruption that has become so normal for him. And what can you expect from a leader who ascended through anomalous elections? He wants to live and rule like a king and establish a kind of modern monarchy in the Philippines. That is enough reason for the Filipino people to assert their people power. That is the moral thing to do.
Sukang suka na ako sa pamilyang MARCOS!!!
The Filipinos are being played by the Marcos clan like a fiddle. Why did you let them leave the country without giving them the punishment they so deserve anyway? Think about what the Romanian military gave the Ceaucescu couple for their abusive power for 25 years (similar to Marcos), they enriched themselves and their cronies, and no one can say anything negative against them, and come out alive. In their final hour, they still think they want fair justice. The Marcos family is shameless.
NO ONE TO BLAME BUT STUPID IGNORANT NEVER LEARNING FILIPINOS!! THEY REALLY DESERVE WHAT THEY GET!!
I am against the Marcos family longtime ago and happy that they were evicted out from Philippines. Now they are back to our country and our people are complaining from help and poverty they suffering now, when in fact the whole family in Palace are spending lavishly always in trip around the world. There are lots of poor people have been killed because of drug. All politicians elected are just after money, they care about the situations of the people and our country. I can’t believe and understand what is happening to my beloved country.
Magsabi kayo kung sino gusto nyo. Kung pinili yan ng lahat. Yan ang tayo. Sa panahon b ng gusto nyo na nanalo. Wala bang nangyari ng sinsabi nyo. O tama naman ang nakaraan na Admin. Di ba lalong naghirap ang sambayanan. yang sinasabi nya, sino ba ang nagpamahaql ng sibuyas di ba ang mga negosyante din. Niloko ng mga ito ang mamamayan para masira ang administrasyon.