Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Heritage Tour

As a heritage conservation fan who’s been to old Manila, Vigan and Iloilo and ooh’d and ahh’d at the sight of ancestral homes, going to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is at the top of my bucket list. Jerry Acuzar, the architect owner of the place bought several decrepit houses and transferred them to Barangay Pag-Asa in Bagac, a sleepy coastal town deep in Bataan. Some conservationists die hards are against this move since they believe that conservation should be in its original location and the close proximity to the sea might be detrimental for the centuries old structures in the long run.  But still I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the place. I’ve seen it on countless features online and in print but nothing compares to the real deal.

Coming from San Fernando, Pampanga my son Rye and I took a mini bus going to Balanga city. It was a 2 hour trip and at the terminal, the jeepneys bound for Bagac are already waiting for us. The ride to Bagac was a pleasant surprise since I saw the numerous Death March markers for every kilometer on the wayside. The infamous Death March of Fil-Am soldiers started in two locations, one in Mariveles and in Bagac. When I saw Kilometer 00, I had goosebumps. Aside from heritage history, I was a World War 2 historian wannabe. Just a month ago, Rye and I went on an epic calesa tour of San Fernando City and got introduced to the old train station where the Death March kilometer 102 is seen. This was too epic to be just a coincidence. I said a prayer to all the victims of this horrendous 5 day walk from Bataan to Pampanga and then the final destination was Camp O Donell in Capas, Tarlac.

I reserved an overnight stay in Bagac Bay Beach Resort which is just about a 10 minute tricycle ride away from the town proper so we checked in early before proceeding to Las Casas. Bagac Bay has powdery black sand and high waves this time of the year. 

The tour begins at 8:30am on an hourly basis until the last schedule at 4:30 pm. Our tour guide Sarah met us near the hotel reception area and showed some houses patterned after the ancestral homes in Binondo. 

We proceeded to the La Puesta del Sol or a small bridge where a Venice-like setting took my breath away. According to her, this was a replica of Binondo during the Spanish times, with boats gliding about Pasig River. In this area, all the structures were based from the historical archives and the houses are used for accommodation and private functions.

Sarah mentioned that the original houses were transferred “brick by brick, plank by plank” to the 400 hectare Bagac property and there are issues arising from these acquisitions. Jerry Acuzar, the owner-architect of New San Jose Builders rescued some of these historical houses from demolition and further decay. When I attended a heritage walking tour of Binondo last year, there are policies and guidelines which make it difficult for owners to make their house restored using government funding. Hence, their option is to sell or go for adaptive re-use if they have resources.

Before going there, I specifically didn’t read about the houses so I’ll have a surprise effect. I recalled some details I read in the past but I was ready to be wowed and Las Casas certainly exceeded my expectations.

The first house that caught my fancy was Casa Hagonoy from a prominent couple in Bulacan where the husband built such an elaborate house to fulfill his wife’s dream but they ended up poor because of it. One tip is to wear flipflops since footwear needs to be removed upon entering the houses.

Hotel de Oriente was built in 1889 and considered the best accommodation in Manila at that time. Situated near Pasig River and Escolta, it was the first class hotel where Americans used to stay.*

We went to check it out but there’s a function inside so I was able to just take a photo of the grand lobby with gold design. It seemed like we were in Europe with its elaborate wall fixtures. 

We then passed by Tulay ni Lola Basyang, patterned after San Nicolas bridge in Manila.

My top favorite houses were the following:

Casa Binan (18^th century)

 “Casa Biñan’s history throws shade on the mother of Jose Rizal, Teodoro Alonzo, whose mother was the second wife of the third-generation scion, Don Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo, of the family who owned the house. Don Lorenzo Alberto’s son Jose Alberto became a Philippine ambassador to Spain, and his long absences drove his wife Teodora Formoso to have an affair with the captain of the Guardia Civil. When her husband found this out, he came home and locked her in their bedroom, and Rizal’s mother was tasked to bring her food everyday. Formoso wrote in a letter, which she threw out of the window, that Rizal’s mother was slowly poisoning her. The letter reached the captain and some say this was the true reason Teodora Alonzo was imprisoned.”**

Casa Binan had a rich history with elements of drama in Rizal’s family. Rizal stayed here for a year during his childhood. The house through the years became one of the most prominent landmarks in the province of Binan, Laguna. However due to the passage of time and lease to various businesses such as a bank, movie house and supermarket. The current owner Gerardo Alberto wanted to donate what was left of the original materials to Acuzar however municipal officials of Binan and heritage advocates are still protesting this proposed plan.  The original structure still remains in Binan but a model house is displayed in Bagac. This model house was made famous for being the location of Antonio Luna’s murder scene in the film Heneral Luna. The guide also mentioned that the bed and room of Teodora Formoso came from the original house.

Casa Byzantina (1890)

 “The penultimate house we visited was Casa Byzantina, the first three-story building in Binondo. The first story is made of adobe stones and bricks and the two upper stories are of sturdy wood. The roof is galvanized iron because in those times, many people died during earthquakes when heavy roofs crashed on their heads. For five years it was the Instituto de Manila, an elementary and high school that later transferred and became the University of Manila. The house was badly neglected and was inhabited by informal settlers. Las Casas discovered real gold leaf in the architecture of the third story but badly damaged. The house is now a first class hotel that can accommodate 16 people.”**

Last year I had the privilege to join a free walking tour of Binondo and saw some of the best bahay na bato structures in the city but sadly, most of them are in various stages of neglect. Casa Byzantina stuck to my mind since we saw the place where it used to stand, now a factory. The guide mentioned that it was already in Bagac. According to some articles, it was the home of 50 informal settlers before Mr. Acuzar bought it.

Casa Hidalgo (1867)

Casa Hidalgo was designed by the first Filipino to practice architecture in the country during the Spanish era, Felix Roxas y Arroyo for the family of Rafael Enriquez. Originally located at the corner of Hidalgo Street and Callejon de Carcer in Quiapo, the house was considered the most elegant in the whole Philippines.

It was also the first school of Architecture in the Phils. – UP Fine Arts. Young artists such as Juan Luna and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo and later Fernando Amorsolo, Guillermo Tolentino Carlos Francisco and Tomas Mapua learned about their craft in this establishment. In 1927, after the operations of the UP Fine Arts transferred to Padre Faura street, the house had various repairs and used for other purposes like a bowling alley, boys and girls’ dorms, sex live shows and abortion clinic.

Among all the houses in Las Casas, I felt a tremendous energy in this place. For someone who’s scared easily and does not watch horror films, I was drawn to it and after the tour we want back to it and Rye didn’t want to go inside. I was all alone in its halls and I couldn’t explain how I felt. I prayed for all babies who must’ve died there and all bastardly acts that happened there. I also felt in awe of the place where the Filipino masters once walked and learned how to do their artistic styles.

We stayed 4 hours and I still think it wasn’t enough. If not for the heat, our tired feet and this kid who can’t wait to go swimming, we would have stayed longer. This trip reinforced my passion for heritage conservation, something, anything has to be done to help in restoring and preserving our national treasures.

Filipinos seem to have a short term memory loss like Dory when it comes to these important cultural matters. Centuries old houses are supposed to be treated like gold or diamond. I think this way probably because I used to live in a pre-war Art Deco building – Belair Apartments, designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio. But that’s another interesting story.

Expenses per Head:

San Fernando Pampanga to Balanga – P75 (non-aircon bus)

Balanga to Bagac – P47

Trike to Bagac Bay –- P10

Bagac Bay Resort – P1,500 overnight stay (aircon, single bed and toilet & bath)

Trike to Las Casas – P120

Las Casas entrance fee – P999 with day tour, cold towel and welcome drinks, 50% off for kids 12 yrs and below

Food at Bagac town market – P50

Sources:

* Lougopal.com

**http://thestandard.com.ph/lifestyle/destinations/209564/las-casas-filipinas-de-acuzar-restoring-the-lost-glory-of-old-filipino-houses.html

Rappler.com

Las Casas brochure

For details, visit www.lascasfilipinas.com