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My MalacanangMy Malacanang

Through all the often fierce jockeying for residence in Malacañang, one man had largely kept mum about having been a longer Malacañang resident than any of the Philippine presidents — except one. Then the former long-time Malacañang resident, Raul S. Gonzalez, came out in November 2009 with a superb memoir-cum-essay collection, My Malacañang, blithely asserting at the very start of the very first chapter: “Except for Ferdinand Marcos, no president of the Philippines lived in Malacañang longer than I did. You read it right—‘than I.’ And yes—‘lived,’ as in resided, ate, drank, slept, wakened, thought, dreamt, fell ill, got well, played, laughed, wept, prayed. And yes, yes—‘longer,’ 12 or 13 years.” What follows are essays in elegant, often rhapsodic prose about life in the old palace by the Pasig River, about Philippine society and politics in general, and about the movers and shakers the author had served or had dealt with in his long career as a communications executive and writer.

“...superb, instructive reading for students of style and rhetoric in English.”

The author, Raul S. Gonzalez, served as press secretary to Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal in the 1960s after working as beat reporter for the now defunct Manila Chronicle. In later years he served as senior vice president at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), as board director of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and as vice president for university relations at the University of the East. Now retired, Gonzalez had developed a reputation over the years as a consummate wordsmith and language-savvy commentator, writing  columns for various newspapers and speeches for major public figures.

My Malacañang by Raul S. Gonzalez (320 pages, coated bookpaper) is a limited edition that’s not available in bookstores. Copyright © 2009 by the DAWN Alumni and Writers Network. Cover price is PhP500, plus PhP84 for domestic delivery in the Philippines via Air21; quotes for group orders or delivery charges for orders to foreign countries will be provided on request. For orders or inquiries, send e-mail to rsg819@yahoo.com.ph or second_opn@yahoo.com. You may also call Tel. (632) 726-8545 or (632) 811-2140, or send text to Mobile 0917-5220623.