The Coconut Palace
Photo by: Coconut Palace FB Page
The Coconut Palace, or otherwise known as Tahanang Pilipino, is the official residence of the vice president of the Philippines. It is located at the heart of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. First Lady Imelda Marcos ordered the construction of the palace. It got its name because it used mostly coconut lumber and other parts of the coconut tree for its construction.
It was initially built as the guest house and to receive Pope John Paul II in 1981. However, the Pope refused to go after he learned how much it costs, which was P37,000,000.
The person behind this is Architect Francisco "Bobby" Manosa, and he is known for incorporating Filipino designs in his works. Architect Bobby Manosa For the palace, coconut trunks were used for the columns and coconut wood shingles are for the roof. At least 70% of the whole structure is made out of a coconut.
Photo by: Coconut Palace FB Page
Before officially becoming the residence of the vice president of the country, it used to be a guest house for famous people like Brooke Shields and George Hamilton. It was also featured in some TV shows like Amazing Race and Tanging Yaman. There were also wedding parties held in the palace. In 2011, it was handed to Jejomar Binay as his official office and residence as the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines.
If you would like to see this amazing place, it’s open to the public for viewing.
