The Malacañan sa Sugbo (which is Cebuano for “Malacañan of Cebu”) is the official residence of the President of the Philippines in Cebu City. This building, colloquially called the Aduana, was constructed in 1910 during the American colonial period and for most of its time until 2004, housed the Cebu Bureau of Customs before being refurbished during the administration of President Arroyo as the Presidential Palace of the South. The building faces the sea, sits beside the Plaza Independencia to the north, and is very near the previously featured Fort San Pedro.

Interestingly, Malacañan sa Sugbo was rehabilitated at a very small cost of only 700,000 pesos. The government cut down on costs by tapping the 53rd Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army for free labor and by asking the top furniture makers of Cebu to donate the furnishings and accessories for the interiors. There were a total of 23 furniture manufacturers that donated and they include Maitland-Smith, Cebu Fil-Veneer, and Pacific Traders. Chary Aboitiz was the designated interior designer and her task was to make sure the furnishing match. The Palace thus also functions as a showcase of Cebu’s furniture industry, which is responsible for around 60% of the Philippines’ furniture exports. I think you can visit the palace and have a tour.

Photo by ericlucky290 (CC-BY-2.0)

During the 2006 (2007) ASEAN Summit in Metro Cebu, the palace became the venue for a cultural show, called a “Tertulla”, for the spouses of the leaders of the ASEAN countries. First Gentleman Mike Arroyo played host to the several foreign dignitaries who where treated to Filipino cuisine and a show depicting Cebuano culture.

A couple of other official presidential residences that have been featured before here in Vista Pinas are Malacañang Palace and The Mansion. There’s also Marcos’ Balay ti Amianan and ancestral home, Erap’s Tanay Rest House and alleged Boracay Mansion, and Aguinaldo’s ancestral home for your reading pleasure.

And for more Google Earth fun, try viewing this simple, yet neat-o, SketchUp model of Malacañan sa Sugbo from the Google 3D Warehouse.

Download KML file (for Google Earth)