The Coconut Palace, which is also referred to as Tahanang Pilipino (Filipino Home) by the locals, was designed by renowned Filipino architect, Francisco Manosa The famous palace is located in Pasay, Philippines. It was built by former First Lady Imelda Marcos to coincide with the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II and was to act as the pope’s lodgings for the duration of his stay. However, upon arrival the pope refused to live there protesting that the enormous amount of money spent on the building could have been better spent on more charitable causes. Currently the palace is the official residence of the Vice President of Philippines.
The palace has a distinct octagonal shape inspired by the usual ornamental pattern into which coconuts are cut in Philippines before being served. There are a total of seven guest rooms within the palace, each named after a famous local province. Some of the more notable ones are the Mountain Province Room, where artefacts belonging to the Cordillera Tribes can be found; the Pampanga Room, which houses statues made of mud sourced from Mount Pinatubo; and the Bicol Room, which is said to be a favourite of Imelda Marcos.
The iconic palace is mainly made up of wood, with coconut trees being one of the most heavily used construction material. Nearly all parts of the tree including the bark, flowers, trunk, and even coconut shells, were used. There is even a chandelier that was constructed using over a hundred coconut shells, and a large dining table made using close to forty thousand coconut shell fragments. The palace has virtually undergone no changes since it was constructed and is a top tourist attraction.
Tourists in Philippines should definitely try and stop by this unique structure if time permits. The palace is located in Metro Manila, which is a fairly large city and the country’s primary tourist area. Tourists looking for a hotel in Manila at a convenient location can try the Heritage Hotel Manila. This Manila hotel offers gorgeous views of the Manila Bay and makes the perfect base from which to explore the region.