Marcos mansions

The term “Marcos mansions” [1] refers to at least fifty upscale residences in the Philippines which are considered part of the ill-gotten wealth of the family of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.[2][3] These are aside from the various overseas landholdings of the Marcos family, which are spread around the world.

Along with the Marcos jewels, their overseas landholdings, art collection, and Imelda Marcos' shoe hoard, the Marcos mansions are frequently cited to illustrate the Marcos family’s wanton spending during the dictatorship. Because the estimated cost of these mansions is much more than the income recorded in Marcos’ sworn statement of assets and liabilities (SALN), the number, size, and opulence of these mansions is interpreted by the Philippine government as prima facie evidence[4] that the Marcoses plundered the Philippine economy.

Some of these properties are titled in the name of Marcos family members, but others are titled in the name of identified “Marcos cronies,” but reserved for the use of the Marcos family.[1] In some cases, several such mansions were located close together, with specific mansions meant for individual members of the family, as was the case of the Marcos mansions on Outlook Drive in Baguio.[5] Many of the Marcos mansions were sequestered by the Philippine government when the Marcoses were expelled from the country as a result of the 1986 EDSA Revolution.[2]

Locations

Locations of houses considered "Marcos mansions" include[6] properties in Philippines' "Summer Capital" of Baguio City,[5] in the Ilocos region where the Marcoses trace their ancestry, Leyte where Imelda Marcos' family came from,[7] and throughout the Greater Manila Area and its outskirts.[8]

Baguio properties

Among roughly 50 Marcos mansions scattered throughout the Philippines, the nine properties located in Baguio city are among the most commonly covered by media reports, because of their reported opulence and because of their closeness to each other and to major tourist attractions:[2] including Minesview Park, Wright Park, and the Baguio mansion house which was constructed in the early 1900s to be the summer residence of the Philippine head of state. Four of these houses occupy roughly 5 hectares of land on Outlook Drive, just across from the mansion, and were each designated for a member of the Marcos family; the "Wigwam house compound" for Bongbong Marcos, the "Fairmont house compound for Imee Marcos, the "Hans Menzi house compound" for Irene Marcos, and a fourth house for Ferdinand Marcos' mother, Doña Josefa Edralin Marcos.[2][5]

Located on the same road is a two story house called the "Lualhati residence", whose title was held by Marcos crony, Jose Y. Campos, on behalf of the Marcoses. Another property, the Banaue Inn compound, is located just behind the Campos house.[2]

Metro Manila properties

Closer to the main seat of power, Marcos mansions were located in Makati, Parañaque, Pandacan, and San Juan. Houses were once again designated for each of the three Marcos children: a residence in Seaside subdivision, Parañaque was designated for Bongbong Marcos,[9][2] one in Wack Wack subdivision in Mandaluyong was designated for Imee Marcos,[2] while a house in Forbes Park, Makati, was designated for Irene Marcos.[2]

Marcos mansions in other provinces

Other locations where Marcos mansions were built include several in Ilocos Norte and Leyte, the home provinces of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos respectively; and in Mariveles, Bataan, and in Cavite.

Particularly notable is the Malacañang of the North mansion in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, which was built by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) in 1977, in time for Ferdinand Marcos's 60th birthday. The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court stripped the Marcoses of the property in 2014, voiding a 1978 agreement between Marcos and the then PTA, deciding that since it is a national park, the Marcos family had no legal rights over it since national parks are "inalienable public domain".[10] Bongbong Marcos objected to the decision, saying the property was owned by the family.[11]

In Olot, Leyte, a muti-million dollar seaside resort was constructed in 1974, in time for the Marcoses to entertain participants of the 1974 Miss Universe beauty contest, which was being held in the Philippines that year.[2] The property was severely damaged by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.[12]

A different mansion, in Tacloban City, is noted for having been the former site of the "impoverished quonset hut" which was Imelda Marcos' childhood home.[2] When her husband became president of the Philippines, Imelda transformed the site into a 2000 square meter mansion with a shrine to the Sto Niño and a museum, which has since been dubbed the "Sto Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum".[7] The site was less damaged by Typhoon Haiyan than the Olot mansion was, but still sustained at least PhP20 nillion worth of damages. The Philippine Commission on Good Government, which had sequestered the property, decided to repair the site since it had been converted to a tourist site which was a major money-earner for Leyte.[7]

Use of government money for construction and maintenance

Verification by the Philippine government's Commission on Audit after the ouster of the Marcos family revealed that the construction, renovation, and maintenance of these various houses were paid for by the Philippine government through the office of the President. Maintenance and upkeep alone cost at least USD 3.2 million in 1984 and USD 10.5 million in 1985, all at prevailing exchange rates and not yet adjusted for inflation.[2]

According to the calculations of author Ricardo Manapat, this would have been sufficient to feed "a small town of 48,000 people," or "8,000 starving families of 6" for a year.[2]

See also

References
  1. Dumlao, Artemio (2012-01-28). "Marcos mansions rotting". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  2. Ricardo., Manapat (1991). Some are smarter than others : the history of Marcos' crony capitalism. New York: Aletheia Publications. ISBN 9719128704. OCLC 28428684.
  3. Garcia, Myles (2016). Thirty Years Later... Catching Up with the Marcos-Era Crimes. ISBN 9781456626501.
  4. "Republic Act No 1379" (PDF).
  5. Alegre, Ace (2006-09-30). "Marcos Mansions in Baguio: Future Tourism Sites?". Bulatlat. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  6. Henares, Larry (2014). Kiss and Bite.
  7. Gabieta, Joey A. (2015-07-18). "Imelda's ex-summer mansion gets P20M for repair". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  8. "Court orders forfeiture of Bugarin properties". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  9. Dizon, Nikko (2003-06-11). "Marcos lots for sale: No takers | Philstar.com". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  10. "Marcoses lose Paoay property". Rappler. 2014-04-23. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  11. "Paoay property is ours – Bongbong Marcos". Rappler. 2014-01-16. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  12. Ramos, Marlon (2013-11-19). "Supertyphoon 'Yolanda' destroys Imelda Marcos mansion". Retrieved 2018-05-07.
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