The Arlegui mansion inside the Malacañang complex is now ready to house a proposed joint transition office if the incoming Aquino administration wants to.

Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Director-General Elena Bautista-Horn announced on Monday that the Palace has completed the maintenance work of the pre-war mansion at the cost of P180,000.

The repair of the mansion took 12 days, including two days to vacate the place and 10 days to fix the facility, said Bautista-Horn, a member of the Presidential Transition and Cooperation Team, formed by President Arroyo to ensure a smooth turnover of power.

Old, yet still useful furniture and office equipment have also been placed inside the repainted mansion to accommodate the office of the transition teams from the incoming and outgoing administrations until the formal handover of power at noon of June 30 when President Arroyo ends her term.

Bautista-Horn, speaking to reporters during a tour of the mansion, said she is "very happy with the way it turned out," apparently referring to the repair of the Arlegui mansion especially at reasonable cost.

She made clear that the incoming Aquino administration has not closed its doors to Arlegui mansion as a joint transition office, based on recent conversations with Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

She also expressed hope the next leadership would consider the Arlegui house, a safe and comfortable venue for a transition office, although the Palace could not press the offer, if it considers another place.

The two houses of Congress are expected to proclaim today, Tuesday, the country's new President and Vice President after completion of the ballot count by a joint Senate-House panel.

The government rents Arlegui residence at P20,000 a month. The contract expires on June 30. Bautista-Horn said it is up to the next administration if it still wants to rent it afterwards.