The Marcos Museum and Mausoleum integrates both memorabilia storage and the current resting place of Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. It is situated in the heart of Batac City, Ilocos Norte. The museum shows memorabilia of the late president, from his stint in the armed forces up to his presidency. The large and solemn mausoleum contains the glass-encased coffin where Marcos' embalmed body has been on public display since shortly after his remains were brought home in 1993.

Marcos' Death

On September 28, 1989, Marcos died of lung, kidney, and liver complications in Hawaii three years after he, his family, and allies were exiled there. In 1986, Marcos fled the country in the face of a nonviolent revolution, the "People Power I," which ended his regime. The odyssey of his remains began when the government of President Corazon Aquino denied Marcos' return to the Philippines. Thus, Marcos' remains were interred in a private air-conditioned mausoleum at Byodo-In, a Japanese Buddhist temple, in the island of Oahu.

Return of Marcos' Remains

In September 1993, after having been kept in a refrigerated, glass-topped coffin inside an air-conditioned crypt for four years, Marcos' remains were finally brought to the Philippines. Fidel Ramos, the newly elected president who succeeded Aquino and second cousin of Ferdinand Marcos, allowed Imelda Marcos, Marcos' widow, to bring her husband's body home but refused her demand for a hero’s burial.

Eventually, after a series of rituals and ceremonies, Marcos' remains were interred in a mausoleum in his hometown for public display, according to his family, until the government yields to Imelda's demand for a burial in the National Heroes' Cemetery in Manila. President Benigno Aquino III, son of the late Corazon and Benigno Aquino Jr., tasked Jejomar Binay to determine if Marcos should be buried in the Heroes' Cemetery. Binay made his recommendation, though Aquino has not yet made a decision.

Preserving the body

Frank Malabed, Marcos' mortician, stated that he has helped preserve the body. It took him three weeks to restore Marcos' body so that Filipinos would recognize it. Local morticians maintain and check it regularly. Formaldehyde was used to preserve the body before it was flown to the Philippines.

The Marcos Museum and Mausoleum Today

Twenty-two years after Marcos' death, his remains are still on public display at the mausoleum. The mausoleum is built of adobe blocks. The solemn interior is divided into an entry hall styled with old English standards and a bust. The family's mortician confirmed that the corpse is real, although people suspect it is a wax replica, and the real body was secretly buried.

Travel to Marcos Mansion!

•    By Land: Partas, GV Florida Transport, Dominion Bus Lines, Philippine Rabbit and Fariñas Transit have regular trips that will take you directly to Laoag City. Travel Time: From Manila to Laoag City, 10-12 hours. So, I advise you to have a night trip for this.
•    By Plane. Take a direct flight from Manila to Laoag via Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines. Travel Time: From Manila to Laoag City is about an hour. Flights are usually at night, so better make the necessary adjustments on your itinerary.

Then from Laoag City, you can hire a jeepney that will take you from Laoag to the nearest towns of Paoay and Batac. Batac is about 15km away from Laoag.

Accommodations in Laoag are also available. There are lots of inns and hotels throughout the town offering comfortable rooms and cottages at a reasonable price.

•    Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel - Brgy. 37 Calayab, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Pamulinawen Hotel - National Highway, Brgy. 22, 2901 San Nicholas, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Plaza Del Norte Hotel and Convention Center- 15 Suba, Paoay, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Grand Octagon Resort - Airport Ave., Brgy.50, Butong, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Java Hotel - 55B Salet Gen. Segundo Avenue, Laoag City, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines
•    Mira de Polaris Hotel - Ventura St., Brgy. San Francisco,San Nicolas, Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Ilocos Region, Philippines