Feel like a president of the Philippines

By Eva C. Visperas

I received an invitation from San Fabian Mayor Jaming Libunao to come for a small talk, together with Violy Ferrer of Aksyon  Radyo, Cesar Ramirez  of  the Philippine STAR, Ding Micua of the Philippines News Agency. We were to interview him a day earlier but instead he requested we come the next day.

When we arrived at the venue, there were about 15 other local newsmen there as obviously another interview was arranged by Janice Hidalgo, Mayor Jaming’s known media coordinator.

While the other group “crossed examined” a supposed surprise visitor about an alleged anomaly exposed by the mayor’s staunchest rival, I was more interested in the venue – the famous Presidential Guesthouse, now known as The San Fabian PTA Beach Resort. It was the place where former President Ferdinand Marcos stayed whenever he had the luxury of time.

Standing at a sprawling 9.5 hectares government lot, the guesthouse was then exclusively for the former First Couple’s use. It still maintains its original structure and some of its fixtures.

Feeling like a president of the Philippines, Mayor Jaming greeted us.

“Is there no ghost here?” I asked. “Have no fear. There is no Marcos ghost here”, assured Diosdado “Dong” Crisostomo, the resort manager.

The presidential suite has two big, beautiful yet modest rooms, one below and the other above it which also has a veranda overlooking the scenic San Fabian beach, and the mediamen wondered about it. “Who stayed below and who slept above?,” one newsman asked but both Libunao and Crisostomo said they didn’t know the answer and only gave naughty smiles.

The presidential guesthouse has seven rooms, including two “pink rooms” for the couple’s two daughters, Irene and Imee and another “blue room” for their son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The rooms were known by the colors of the carpets that remained unchanged. There were four other guest rooms for their entourage who always traveled here in seven cars, Crisostomo said quoting stories from former employees there.

Being a former presidential guesthouse, it enjoys a big edge over other resort hotels because guests do want to feel how it is to be president of the country. Many specifically ask to sleep at the Marcos’ suite, Crisostomo said.

Owned and previously operated by the Philippine Tourism Authority, it was constructed during the time of the late Tourism Secretary Jose Aspiras. On Sept. 25, 1986, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) sequestered the guesthouse and directed the Philippine Tourism Authority to operate it as a resort.

(In 1994,18 hotel rooms and 18 dormitory rooms were built in the area for the holding of the Palarong Pambansa in 1995).

On May 16, 2006, the operation, management, administration and maintenance of the property were turned over to the local government unit (LGU) of San Fabian.

Before it was turned over to the LGU here, the PTA-managed resort averaged P4.5 to P5 million loss a year. “Now we’re making good,” Crisostomo said, pointing out the resort  has been consistently surpassing the monthly incomes of previous years under PTA. Libunao himself acts as the “top salesman” of the resort inviting officials from other towns and cities, even in other provinces, to hold their meetings, seminars and  parties there.

Crisostomo said they are planning to undertake more improvements in the resort to attract  more tourists as the mayor had an agreement with the PTA that whatever income it generates will be plowed  back for  the resort’s  upgrading of  its facilities.

I hope the good income lasts.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/business-log/)

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