Bianca Manalo’s Birthday Celebration in Malacañang Sparks Comments from Filipinos
While there may be nothing wrong in celebrating birthdays, the frequency of the celebrations held in Malacañang is the trigger of comments why some people now call the palace a birthday venue.
The Malacañang Palace has long been the residence of the sitting president in the Philippines and his/her family. It is a significant structure not only in the Philippine government but the whole nation. Its facade is embraced by an image of serious important occasions in line with the president’s fulfillment of duties.
However, a recent event in Malacañang sparked different reactions from the Filipino people and once again highlighted previous similar events. Actress-beauty queen Bianca Manalo took to social media her delight on a rare experience of having celebrated her birthday in the Palace.
Bianca is the girlfriend of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. Aside from her, the Senator, and President Bongbong Marcos and his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, several other senators and their spouses were present during her birthday celebration in the Palace.
The said news elicited different comments from the netizens with many Filipinos fondly commenting that Malacañang has turned into a birthday venue. It is after a series of birthdays being held in the Palace.
In October 2022, then presidential adviser for creative media Paul Soriano celebrated his birthday in the Malacañang. In July 2023, former First Lady Imelda Marcos celebrated her 94th birthday in the Palace, too, which was her home for decades during her late husband’s rule.
I believe there is nothing wrong in celebrating birthdays in the Palace. However, the series of celebrations is really triggering most especially it reaching the point when the First Couple is hosting a birthday party for a senator’s girlfriend.
It is my humble opinion that the authorities must take into consideration the happenings in the Palace which undeniably affects the image of the government. I believe the image of how the Palace should be must be preserved to a high extent.
Disclaimer: The content of the article posted above is an opinion of the writer. Also, the citations provided are based on the information deemed as facts by the different legit sources that contribute to the basis of the making of the whole viewpoint. The writer does not, in any form, intend to create inaccurate understanding of the topic or influence the readers instead, express one’s viewpoint in a formal manner.
