MANILA, June 30 — The inauguration of the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines, Rodrigo Roa Duterte is expected to be simple and manifests “real change”.
The event is scheduled to start from 10:30 am and ends at around four in the afternoon at the the Rizal Hall of the Malacañang Palace.
Mr. Duterte is set to prove to the Filipino people his campaign slogan of true reform in the country from the very first day of his term as the country’s highest official.
Duterte, known for his simplicity, asked to change the conduct of the Presidential inauguration, opting to veer away from a fancy event.
In earlier interviews, Incoming Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Martin Andanar said that the long-time mayor of Davao City wants the inauguration to be solemn and simple.
Even the food the guests will partake are simple, like the lumpiang ubod (coconut pith spring roll), pandesal with kesong puti (white cheese made from unskimmed carabao’s milk) and Vigan longganisa (sausage from Northern Ilocandia) grilled on the spot, monggo soup mixed with smoked fish and alugbati (malabar spinach) in demitasse cups, fried saba (Carbava banana) slices, and Durian tartlet. For drinks, guests will have a choice between homegrown delights pine-mango cooler and dalandan juice.
Though the guests’ list has reached 627, Andanar said that it is unlikely to go more than that.
Mr. Duterte will likewise hold a modest “diplomatic reception” after the inauguration, which is expected to be a stark contrast to the lavish traditional Vin d’honneur hosted at the Palace for the members of the diplomatic corps.
Moreover, Duterte has not tapped any famous couturier to prepare his attire for the occasion. He chose Davao-based fashion house Chardin which created a barong Tagalog made from piña jusi fabric, which will be paired with black pure cotton pants. The barong also incorporates a symbol to represent the 11 minorities in Mindanao.
Another historic part in Duterte’s inauguration will be the live streaming of the gathering via the popular social media platform Facebook.
Duterte is poised to become the very first President in Asia whose inauguration will be broadcasted through the world’s largest social network.
Aside from the live streaming, nine national broadcasting companies will also cover the inauguration inside Malacañang, but will only be allowed inside palace grounds of gate 4. Other media members may monitor the event inside the new executive building press briefing room where big screens will be provided.
The full inauguration can be watched via the government television station PTV 4 and will be broadcast at the same time via live streaming at ptv.ph/ptvlivestream.
The official coverage will be done by the Radio TV Malacanang (RTVM) and will also broadcast it via live streaming at http://rtvm.gov.ph/main/?p=40206 beginning 8am today. (AVS-PND/PCOO)