The ritual climbing of the stairs—symbolizing the possession of the Malacañan Palace—was a tradition conscientiously began by President Manuel L. Quezon. As he would write in his memoirs: “From the grandstand, I went through streets crowded with people acclaiming their first President, on to the Palace of Malacañan, the great mansion on the bank of the Pasig River which had been the seat of power of foreign rulers for many decades past. As I stepped out of the presidential car and walked over the marble floor of the entrance hall, and up the wide stairway, I remembered the legend of the mother of Rizal, the great Filipino martyr and hero, who went up those stairs on her knees to seek executive clemency from the cruel Spanish Governor-General Polavieja, that would save her son’s life.” Quezon wanted the ritual to symbolize that, henceforth, a Filipino chief executive would be governing from Malacañan Palace, one who could walk up the stairs proudly as the leaderof his own people; at the same time, ascending those stairs would be a constant reminder to every president of the portion of the oath of office which pledges justice to every man. - - - - - Read more on the history and the legend surrounding the ritual first climbing of the stairs: “The Possession of Malacañan Palace,” on the Presidential Museum and Library website.
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The ritual climbing of the stairs—symbolizing the possession of the Malacañan Palace—was a tradition conscientiously began by President Manuel L. Quezon. As he would write in his memoirs:

“From the grandstand, I went through streets crowded with people acclaiming their first President, on to the Palace of Malacañan, the great mansion on the bank of the Pasig River which had been the seat of power of foreign rulers for many decades past. As I stepped out of the presidential car and walked over the marble floor of the entrance hall, and up the wide stairway, I remembered the legend of the mother of Rizal, the great Filipino martyr and hero, who went up those stairs on her knees to seek executive clemency from the cruel Spanish Governor-General Polavieja, that would save her son’s life.”

Quezon wanted the ritual to symbolize that, henceforth, a Filipino chief executive would be governing from Malacañan Palace, one who could walk up the stairs proudly as the leaderof his own people; at the same time, ascending those stairs would be a constant reminder to every president of the portion of the oath of office which pledges justice to every man.

- - - - -

Read more on the history and the legend surrounding the ritual first climbing of the stairs: “The Possession of Malacañan Palace,” on the Presidential Museum and Library website.

Source: malacanang.gov.ph

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