New presidential museum eyed in Baguio

MANILA, Philippines — The government will put up a new presidential museum in Baguio City soon, according to First Lady Liza Marcos, who said it will help promote unity and allow Filipinos as well as foreign tourists to learn more about the country’s current and previous leaders.

In an interview streamed on YouTube on Friday, the First Lady said they plan to replicate the Teus Museum near Malacañang at the Baguio Mansion House.

Teus Museum showcases the “vibrant” and “diverse” history of Philippine presidents, housing a vast collection of priceless memorabilia, including presidential attire, footwear, flags and busts sculpted in the likeness of the former leaders.

“You know, I noticed the youth, they don’t know history. That’s why it’s easy for them to bash people,” Liza said.

She said the Teus Museum receives around 6,000 visitors a month.

“So now, since Teus is a hit, we’ll duplicate it at the Baguio Mansion House… so all tourists who visit
 Baguio can go there for free,” she said.

The Teus Museum features a brief description of the circumstances that brought the presidents to power and some achievements during their time as leaders.

Liza said she learned that students who visited the museum got emotional after gaining knowledge of the Philippine leaders’ lives.

The gallery aims to foster unity among Filipinos, the First Lady said.

“Why are there yellow, pink or red? That shouldn’t be the case. The election is over, we should have to love our country,” she said, referring to colors used in presidential campaigns.

According to her, they decided to build the presidential museum outside Malacañang so that people would not have to go through security protocols.

Apart from the Teus Museum, the public can also visit for free the Bahay Ugnayan Museum and the Goldenberg Mansion at the Malacañang complex, she said.

The Bahay Ugnayan Museum offers a glimpse into the life and times of President Marcos where visitors can journey through his formative years, observe the key events that defined his tenure and marvel at the campaign materials that paved the way for his ascent to the presidency.

“How can you love your country if you do not love your president? It’s that simple. If you were red for Marcos before, if you were yellow (for the Aquinos), the election is over, right?” the First Lady stressed.

Bahay Ugnayan, which she dubbed “The Road To Malacañang,” currently features the life of President Marcos.

“Because there’s a study, the reason why Filipinos always bash the new President is because they don’t know anything about the President. So, we put this museum for Bong,” Liza said, referring to her husband by his nickname.

“But if you look at it, it is cut and paste. So, after the inauguration, when the next president is proclaimed, we’ll remove all these and we’ll put (a gallery) for the new president,” she said.

The government launched The Malacañang Heritage Tours, which includes visits to the three museums for free, in June last year.