It’s been years and a few Presidential terms when the Philippines had a First Lady, working hand in hand with the President in nation building. Within a few months of President Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr.’s term, First Lady (FL) Louise “Liza” Araneta Marcos’ feminine touch can be felt around the Malacañan Complex.
One of the first things the First Couple did was taking the time to get to know the people running the Malcañang complex, “They went around, with First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos asking everybody how they can help make their lives better while working inside Malacañang,” shares Deputy Social Secretary Dina Tantoco.
Like any woman of the house, FL, who is celebrating her birthday today, Aug. 21, took on the responsibility of making sure that they provide good working conditions to the staff, which, in turn, would affect the team’s morale and productivity. “For her (FL), this is a way of contributing to the nation. I’m sure she is aware (of the criticisms), but she just focuses on the work. She’s a positive person and looks for the best solutions. I’m sure she wants to put a lady’s touch—a mother’s love—to the Palace as it is the showcase of the nation,” adds Dina.
“A lot of staff members requested for meals, so the First Lady decided that meals—breakfast, lunch, and snacks (including coffee)—should be provided for free for all employees of the Palace. For those who will work overtime, they can even request dinner.”
From a small corner where the staff used to have their meals, they had the venue renovated and expanded where they can enjoy their lunch breaks. “The eating area is now a welcoming space. It was designed by Social Secretary Bianca Zobel to be a Filipino-inspired cafeteria with chessboard-pattern flooring, ample gallery lights, and functional furniture. It has a place for break time, and proper changing rooms and comfort rooms,” explains Dina. “This used to be a cramped place for eating, and also served as sleeping quarters for some of the staff. When the First Lady saw this area before, she suggested transforming this space into a cafeteria so the staff would have a clean and proper space to have their meals.”
With no more sleeping quarters, FL went around the complex to look for a better spot for the staff to get their rest. “The First Lady visited and saw that the Engineering warehouse could be converted into a fully equipped staff quarters,” said Dina. The Manila Bulletin Lifestyle team was given a tour of the new location—a living room complete with TV, common dining area with a fully equipped kitchen, and industrial washing machine on the ground floor, while the second floor was allocated for bunk beds with comfortable thick mattresses to give them a good night’s sleep.
“This was really a tremendous help for the staff since the job at the Palace is on a 24/7 basis. If they need to work late or wake up very early, they have a place to stay near the Palace. Everything here is taken care of. The President and the First Lady wanted to make sure that the people who work at Malacañang must not be inconvenienced, so that they can become more efficient and give their best to serve the nation.”
*Photos by Noel Pabalete. Full article on the Malacañang renovations here.