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President Rodrigo Duterte invited a group of journalists he has known since the election campaign to his official home for dinner and some jamming and singing to unwind after his first State of the
Nation Address.
Nation Address.
His longtime partner, Honeylet Avanceña, welcomed the group up a short flight of stairs at the main door that leads to a sprawling hall.
One would not be wrong to think that this is the most secure house in the country, located as it is inside the Presidential Security Group compound across the Pasig River from Malacañang Palace.
It has none of the elaborate decorations and chandeliers of the centuries-old Malacañan.
Avanceña said they didn’t want to redecorate the place because that would mean spending taxpayers’ money.
"Hindi naman amin ito. Tsaka 'pag nagdecorate ka diyan," she said as she looked up at the ceiling, "pera 'yan ng gobyerno."
[Translation: This place is not ours. If you decorate, you will use government funds.]
The President commended his predecessor Benigno Aquino III for being "frugal" in maintaining the official presidential residence that was called Bahay Pangarap. Aquino was the first President to occupy the house, now renamed Bahay Pababago.
Duterte and Avanceña gave reporters a quick tour of the house but for security reasons the presidential staff allowed photos and videos only of the living room.
The house is structured like a barn or warehouse with a large central hall and high ceiling with exposed wooden beams.
There were no rugs or carpets to cover the simple elegance of the shiny floor. Concrete columns with wooden cladding surround the hall.
The hall was spacious enough to accommodate two dining tables, each seating 10 people, one large round table and couches and lounge chairs for visitors.
The President also brought the group inside his bedroom and showed his bathroom, which has a bathtub and shower, plus his and her toilets.
Avanceña said the President has asked for a mosquito net, or "kulambo," over their bed similar to what they have back home in Davao. It was put up two weeks ago.
Although Avanceña said the President is a nocturnal person, he has been sleeping soundly in Bahay Pagbabago. She said he had a good night's sleep and snored the night before his SONA.
His slippers lined up on one side of the room and his other personal items being neatly arranged seem to show that the President is an organized man.
Right outside his bedroom is a dining table for two. Here is where he has his meals — usually alone these days.
Duterte's relationship with the media
Could Duterte’s dinner invitation for reporters who closely followed him during the campaign mean his so-called boycott of media interviews will end soon? That isn't clear, but he said he is considering holding a press conference once a month.
He said he doesn't have any problem with the media as long as they report the truth — whether it is to praise or criticize him. In his SONA, he said “bonafide media (have) always been partners for change.”
He is still not used to being called "president," and since taking office on June 30, he said he has been constantly worrying about the nation’s problems. Knowing what he knows now about the responsibilities of a president, Duterte said he wouldn't want his friends to seek the highest office in the land.
Duterte spoke about the lighter side of his SONA. He explained that the reason he had a difficult time reading the teleprompter was because his eyeglasses were making him see double.
The relaxed and informal dinner was followed by a jamming session with a band. The President sang OPM hit, "Ikaw."
President Duterte as a father
During the gathering, his daughter, Kitty, called him to ask what his SONA speech was about because it was her school homework and she wasn't able to watch his speech.
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Duterte told Kitty that he talked about solving the traffic jams in Metro Manila, and that he proposed to fix the railway system in the country. At one point, he patiently explained to her his vision to develop Laguna de Bay into an economic and ecotourism zone.
Avanceña said she stays in Manila roughly twice a week. She said she is pleased that many people are looking after Duterte even if she is not around to personally take care of him.
"Maraming nag-aalaga sa amin. [May] nakabuntot sa kanyang doktor, nurses," she said.
[Translation: Many people are taking care of us. Doctors and nurses are constantly with him.]
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She said she is adjusting to the tight security that comes with being a member of the president’s family, but she twice gave the bodyguards the slip. She said she sneaked out with Kitty and secretly drove to a mall.
It was Duterte's campaign spokesperson Peter Laviña who coined the name Bahay Pagbabago earlier this month.
"Let's discard that PNoy old name pipe dream Bahay Pangarap," he said in a Facebook post.
source: cnnphilippines.com