Quezon City Reception House

The Quezon City Reception House is a reception house built and owned by the government of Quezon City to accommodate visiting dignitaries. It was built on the lot of the uncompleted and controversial Boracay Mansion. It is currently occupied by the Vice President of the Philippines.

Quezon City Reception House
Vice President Leni Robredo holding a dialogue with beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program at the Quezon City Reception House.
Former names	Quezon City Executive House
Alternative names	Boracay Mansion^A
General information
Type	Residence and Office
Architectural style	Mediterranean[1]
Location	New Manila, Quezon City
Address	100 11th Street, Barangay Mariana
Town or city	Quezon City
Country	Philippines
Coordinates	14.62275°N 121.0331682°E / 14.62275; 121.0331682
Current tenants	Maria Leonor G. Robredo Vice President of the Philippines
Construction started	April 5, 2013
Completed	2016
Cost	₱90 million
Owner	Local Government Unit of Quezon City
Technical details
Floor count	2[1]
Design and construction
Main contractor	Marigold Development Corp.
(^A) Some media sources refer the building as the "Boracay Mansion", a residential building that formerly occupied the lot where the Quezon City Reception House stands.

History

Quezon City Executive House

Snippet of the Google Street View, showing the house under construction, 2014.

Originally named as the "Quezon City Executive House"[1] meant to serve as an official residence of the Mayor of Quezon City and host foreign dignitaries and other guests of the local government, work on the property formally broke ground on April 5, 2013 and covered two stages. With a budget of ₱45 million for the first phase, initial works on new structural foundations started on March 1 and was expected to be accomplished by August 28, 2013. The total budget allotted for the project was at least ₱90 million. The executive residence structure occupies only 900 square meters (9,700 sq ft) of the almost 7,200 square meters (78,000 sq ft) property[2] and includes five bedrooms, four of which includes a full bath with a bathtub.[3] The building's ground floor features three conference rooms, an adjacent facility with 8 office spaces for transient staff, and a museum of Quezon City's history.[4]

As the Philippine Vice President residence

Then Vice President-elect Leni Robredo eyed the property as the new official seat of the Vice President; Robredo deems the house as a simpler alternative to the previous workplace of the Vice President, the Coconut Palace, which has proven to be expensive to maintain.[5][6] Robredo's inauguration was held at the mansion.

In June 2016, after getting wind of then Vice President-elect Leni Robredo's search for a new official seat for the Vice President of the Philippines, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte approached the transition team of Robredo and offered the Quezon City Reception House for Robredo's consideration.[7][8] After an initial misunderstanding concerning City Administrator Aldrin Cuña's press statement regarding the mayor's supposed disagreement,[7] Mayor Herbert Bautista in a press conference at the Reception House denied being against Belmonte's offer and stated that his office would find it an honor to host the Office of the Vice President.[9]

Robredo's chief of staff, Undersecretary Boyet Dy, clarified to the media that the Office of the Vice President was to still occupy its offices at the Coconut Palace and the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay until the expiration of the existing contract.[10] By June 18, works by contractor Marigold Development Corp. in preparation for the Vice President's use are 80 percent complete.[1] However, the Mayor's Office in the Reception House would already be made available for Robredo's use as early as July 1.[11]

See also

• Boracay Mansion, a house which once stood on the same site.
• Malacañang Palace, the official residence and working office of the President of the Philippines

References

1. Sauler, Erika (18 June 2016). "Leni 'feels at home' but 'Bistek' unhappy". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
2. Mateo, Janvic (5 April 2013). "Reception house to replace 'Boracay Mansion'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
3. Cupin, Bea (20 June 2016). "Where Vice President Robredo will hold office". Rappler. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
4. Jesus, Julliane Love De. "Robredo to hold office at QC Reception House". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
6. "Leni mulls holding office at Boracay mansion". philstar.com.
7. Corrales, Nestor. "Vice mayor denies Bautista unhappy Robredo will hold office in QC". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
8. Sauler, Erika. "QC execs tangle over Leni's choice of Boracay Mansion". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
9. Cupin, Bea. "Unhappy? Bautista says 'honor for QC' to host Robredo's office". Rappler.
10. "'Boracay Mansion' in QC eyed as Leni's office". GMA News Online.