The private office in the basement tastefully showcases the Elvis memorabilia collected by Soliman. (Photo by NOEL B. PABALATE)

The place is located on higher ground, on the outskirts of Tayabas and just at the foot of legendary Mt. Banahaw.  Overlooking Tayabas Bay, the climate here is always comfortably cool. It indeed makes an ideal site for a leisure club. So when businessman Ronnie Soliman acquired the 22-hectare property from his in-laws, he developed a country club which he christened Graceland Estates and Country Club. The name was inspired by the famous Memphis residence of Elvis Presley.

As it happens, Soliman is an avid fan of Elvis. “I was only 13 when Elvis became an overnight sensation in 1956. I bought all his records and I watched all his films,” says he. “I also kept and collected every Elvis souvenir I could get my hands on.”

A successful insurance broker, Soliman says he started building Graceland in 1998 using his own resources. He felt the place was too beautiful to be left idle or neglected. It had to be experienced and appreciated by more people wanting a respite from the hassles of the city. The project was supervised by a group of young architects and engineers  who executed Soliman’s vision for Graceland.

Half of the entire property has since been developed. The place now features a man-made lake, a driving range, a hotel, several townhouse villas, a number of high-rise apartelles, and the usual country club and sports facilities. One of the highlights of Graceland is the private manor that stands majestically on a hill. Its elegant Spanish-Mediterranean architecture follows the main theme and look of the club. Soliman says the design of the place was inspired by a quaint neighborhood he visited in California, just north of Los Angeles. In this regard, the manor and the other structures in this local Graceland bear no resemblance to the original Graceland in Tennessee.

The manor was built to serve as a corporate house. Meetings are held in the airy living room, which features a high ceiling, a dramatic staircase leading to the second floor, and furniture pieces and accessories that were carefully chosen to enhance the classic look of the entire house. Soliman’s wife Baby says the interiors where designed by Graceland’s resident designers. Most of the furniture pieces are new and were custom built for the house. “But I also brought in a few family heirlooms,” says she. “We live in a condo in Makati and this house has given us the opportunity to make good use of the heirlooms.”

The house also provides a chance for Soliman to display his extensive Elvis memorabilia. “Up until the house was built, I didn’t have a place to show off the collection,” says he. “But I’m sure a lot of other Elvis fans have more. What I have are mostly presents from friends and relatives.”

The collection is housed in the spacious office located in the basement. Record albums, posters, coffee table books on Elvis, and other memorabilia are neatly showcased in this museum-like room. One of the highlights is a blown up mosaic black-and-white photograph of Elvis. Another prominent feature is Soliman’s Elvis stamp collection.

Surprisingly, there is no Elvis overkill in the rest of the house and the club. The manor itself looks more like a stately home of a ruling monarch, and less like the residence of the flamboyant King of Rock-and-Roll. Soliman never did have the chance to see Elvis in person or attend any of his live concerts but he did get to visit the real Graceland. “It’s very awesome but not everyone will like the way it looks,” he admits.

It wasn’t Soliman who came up with the name Graceland. When he was planning the project, he asked his daughters to come up with a list of names and he promised a cash prize to whoever came up with the chosen name. “Obviously, they all gave names that had everything to with Elvis! The lists included ‘Hound Dog,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ and many others. But ‘Graceland’ was just right. It fits the place.”

The name of the place intrigued another Elvis fan, the singer Chito Bertol. Known as the Elvis Presley of the Philippines, he visited Graceland and there he met Soliman. They hit it off and they have since been meeting socially at the regular gatherings of the Elvis Friendship Club, which Bertol heads. The club is celebrating the birth month of Elvis this January with a special concert which will be held at the activity center of Graceland.  The show marks the 76th birth anniversary of the legendary star and  it will be the first major concert in the local Graceland. The curtains go up on the evening of this 22nd of January.

So on that day and onward, it would probably be safe to add Elvis to the list of mythical figures said to be roaming the hallowed grounds of Mt. Banahaw.

For inquiries on Graceland Estates and Country Club and the Elvis Presley tribute concert, call 899-6597.