Description of the attraction
Built in 1920 in Renaissance style, Kalayan Hall is the oldest part of the Malakanang government palace located in Manila. This Spanish pavilion combines the stories of the American period of control over the Philippines, the period of the Commonwealth, and the times of the Second and Third Republics. Its concrete façade once shone with Rhomblone marble, but in the 1960s it was darkened by repeated lime coatings. Today, Kalayan Hall is one of the best-preserved pre-war buildings in the Philippines, surviving the test of time and serving as a link between the past and the present.
Cast decorations, wrought iron canopies and balconies, covered verandas and high ceilings for perfect air circulation in tropical climates are the hallmarks of this imposing building. For several decades, the history of the Philippines has been made here.
The main hall on the second floor of Kalayan Hall once served as a guest bedroom, then it housed the President's Office. In 1968, it was rebuilt into a huge room called the Maharlika Hall, where government dinners were held during the reign of Ferdinand Marcos. From the balcony of this very room, President Marcos delivered his final oath and farewell speech in February 1986.
Until 2002, Calayan Hall served as the Office of the Press Secretary of the President of the Philippines, and then was turned into the main gallery of the Presidential Museum and Library. It has preserved an old table, at which the mighty of this world gathered, as well as the Gallery of Presidents - a collection of various things, including clothes, gifts, documents, etc., that belonged to 15 presidents of the country.
Today, Kalayan Hall houses the Malacanang Museum, the official memorabilia of the presidents of the Philippines. Here you can see objects that once belonged to the heads of the country, ranging from Emilio Aquinaldo to the current president, Benigno Aquino III, as well as works of art and furniture from the palace collection.
