A timeless testament to PH’s rich history
WITH its stately facade and ornate detailing, Laperal Mansion at Arlegui Street is no doubt a timeless testament to Philippine history and architectural splendor. But besides the beauty of its European architecture and tropical-infused Philippine touches, the historic mansion — meticulously restored by the Philippine government to serve as a Presidential Guest House for foreign dignitaries — is a love letter to the country’s past presidents.
Each of the mansion’s 14 bedrooms is a tribute to a past president, adorned with locally-crafted furniture and art.
Filipino interior designers meticulously crafted the rooms, drawing inspiration from past presidents’ personalities and the legacies they left behind.
President Diosdado Macapagal’s suite (designed by The Collective’s Elizabeth Eder Zobel de Ayala, Junie Rodriguez and Mia Borromeo) is inspired by the former president’s humble roots in Lubao, Pampanga. This is manifested in the choice of Pinilian Inabel curtain trim with palay (rice) motif.
Some of the detail designs at the president Carlos Garcia suite (by La Maison D’Antoine’s Antonio Mendoza) are inspired by his passions. The accent wallpaper with printed books symbolizes his title as ‘the Prince of Visayan Poets,’ while the chessboard highlights his skill in playing the game.
Meanwhile, the suite of president Ramon Magsaysay (by Villanueva Interior Design Associates’s Jose Luis Villanueva) offers a glimpse of the president’s life on a more private and personal level. Green, his favorite color, dominates the color palette of the suite. Paying homage to his love for farming, the designer commissioned furniture pieces adorned with intricate palay carvings
The suite of president Elpidio Quirino took a different approach as designer Raul Ramon Lopez-Vito Bucoy 2nd (of Casa Buddha) complemented the room’s lovely views of the pool and the garden. The result is a fresh-looking room with a punch of pastel and a pop of greens; cheetah printed fabric, dusty pink drapes and sea grass wallpaper, among others. To add a touch of Quirino, Bucoy used hints of chinoiserie in the bathroom as Quirino was the first Filipino Chinese president of the country.
Meanwhile, the suites of former presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (by A Design’s Ma. Teresa Alindogan, Alfredo Antonio Barretto 3rd and Arthur Tselishchev) and Joseph Ejercito Estrada (by Jonathan G. Matti Design Associates) showcase their sides not usually known to the public. Arroyo’s dominantly blue room represents her love for diving while Estrada’s Franco-Filipino reflects his penchant for fine French furniture mixed with Filipino. president’s love for reading, hence, the elaborate library and office. Red, the color associated with Marcos, is also dominant in the room. New and antique pieces from the Malacañang museum are also integrated in the room.
The suites of presidents Manuel Quezon (by TFLifestyle Studio’s Tatiana Patrixia Fricke Lichauco) and Sergio Osmeña (by Kenneth Cobonpue’s Interior Crafts of the Islands, Inc.) take inspiration from their rich cultural background.
Quezon was extremely proud of his Filipino heritage and the strategic location of the Philippines, hence, the room boasts of pearl, shades of beige and taupe, gold accents and punches of deep green and blue representing Philippine fauna and the ocean. Osmeña’s, meanwhile, use elements from his Chinese ancestry and his tropical home.
Former president Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd suite (by Atelier Almario’s Maria Victoria Almario and Cynthia Almario) takes a modern but simple approach. The room’s piece de resistance is the eight-piece bespoke artwork that marry the eight notable achievements of the Aquino Administration with his love for target shooting. The room has masculine color scheme, with blue wallpaper (for his alma mater, Ateneo), white side drapes, and a warm oak for the wood.
For the Manuel Roxas suite, designed by Maria Cecilia Ravelas of RED Interior Design, special consideration was given to the fact that Roxas held the position of the last president of the Commonwealth. As such, the bedroom pieces are made from local materials but with clean and modern lines consistent with the period style.
Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s strength and decisiveness are represented in his suite designed by Chat Fores Design Studio. The team of Chartra Paz Fores chose neutral colors with splashes of deep browns and burgundy to highlight Duterte’s masculine taste, and touches of animal print in exotic tones to give the room a little earthiness.
Visitors of the suite of president Fidel Ramos (by Jorge Yulo Architects and Associates) should first look at ceiling, which represents the order instilled by president Ramos. Yulo also took inspiration from the ensuing peace and justice of his administration by using blue walls, which is also the significant upper stripe of the Philippine flag.
Finally, there’s the suite of former President Corazon Aquino (by Balay ni Atong Arts, Crafts and Antiques’s Al Modesto Valenciano). To be sure, it is dressed in the former president’s favorite color with soft furnishing draped in Inabel.
Noteworthy are the bespoke drawer handles that depicts the yellow ribbon which was a popular symbol of the former president’s movement. The chinoiserie in the head board, mirror, and lamps gives a nod to the Chinese roots of the former president.
Laperal Mansion also boast of five state rooms named after Philippine historical figures — Magellan (living room), McArthur (dining room), Emilio Aguinaldo (multi-purpose hall), Jose P. Laurel (multi-purpose hall) and Rizal (family room).
Overall, Laperal Mansion blends design, craftsmanship and hospitality that showcases the essence of Filipino identity to the world.