Finding your Roots and your inspiration

Photos by Fernan Nebres

Manila, Philippines -  Good thing the weather cooperated when we decided to take the long road to the famed Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan. We had heard so much about Las Casas Filipinas from friends and strangers, and almost always the response was the same: that the place felt like a history book come alive. Those words were enough to convince us to take the trip. After all, how many places do you know fit that description?

Well, Las Casas Filipinas did not disappoint the minute we entered its gates. It was as if we were zapped into another time, with old houses restored to their former glory. Each of the 27 heritage houses in the property vied for our attention. We were ushered in to Casa Mexico, a quaint house that serves as the front office of the heritage resort (yes, Las Casas is one). The staff was gracious and helpful, and eye-catchingly dressed up in turn-of-the-century attire. This prelude was proving to be more exciting than we thought.

And rightly so. We were welcomed by Las Casas general manager TK Solvason, who insisted that we take the tour before meeting owner Jerry Acuzar. “But first, lunch!” she happily announced as she led us to Café Marivent.

It was a lunch that spoke of classic Filipino, a thread evident throughout Las Casas: pinakbet, lechon kawali, chicken binakol, and the sensational kinilaw (“So clean-tasting!” we chorused). Solvason said, “Filipino cuisine always works with our guests, both foreign and local.” While we were already exclaiming at how full we were, she convinced us to try their signature gabi (taro) ice cream. Marvelous does not even begin to describe it.

Paseo de Escolta

We were saying the exact same thing — marvelous — when we finally walked around Las Casas. As we have said earlier, each house was competing for attention, in a good way, we must add. For us, love began with Casa Vyzantina, a bahay na bato that used to stand at the corner of a Binondo street. The fabulous three-story marvel not only regained its heyday, it has been converted into a seven-bedroom heritage house with high-end accommodations, too. The bathrooms use no less than Hermes toiletries. The attention to detail was particularly stunning, from the intricate carvings of the cabinet door to the colorful pieces that make up the ceiling. Rich, luxurious and decadent, this house proved that life in the past centuries was just as grand. Hard to believe, then, that before Casa Vyzantina was replanted here, it was in a dilapidated state in Binondo, housing no less than 50 informal settlers. What can we say, hope should never be underestimated.

We were later led to Paseo de Escolta which highlights replicas of Escolta’s famous buildings in Manila. True to their original concept, the Las Casas versions also use these structures for shops and hotel accommodations. The Casa Escolta has 17 well-appointed hotel rooms classified as studio deluxe, studio with loft, and executive suites. 

The other transplanted heritage houses also offer accommodations for people who want to enjoy the peace and quiet, and sense of history of Las Casas. Some of the houses, like Casas San Miguel, Meycauayan, and Jaen I, boast of five to six bedrooms, making them ideal for big families and groups. And yes, the guestrooms come equipped with flat LCD TV, air conditioning units, hot and cold shower, bathtub, coffee and tea-making facilities, among others.

Of course, the houses themselves are the attractions. Each one has a story to tell, each furnishing and piece a chance for history to speak. In these modern times, we must admit, visual aids are necessary in making people understand and appreciate their heritage. These houses, transplanted from their original locations, are the visual aids, the helpful evidence that Filipinos did live such lifestyles.

Batis-inspired swimming pool at Las Casas Filipinas

Then again, we also maintain that stepping out of the house would be a bright idea. Las Casas not only has the gastronomic outlets (and there are many, trust us), it also has the recreational facilities to make one’s stay a memorable one.

Las Casas has a batis-inspired swimming pool, jogging route, Napiya Spa, water sports facilities, beach, game room, calesa rides, kite flying, island hopping, fishing, and even chicken feeding. Guests can go relive the good old days playing sungka, luksong tinik, tumbang preso, and syato within the resort. A resident choir sings authentic kundiman songs while a guitar artist plays traditional folk songs. Very Pinoy.

How interesting is it that Las Casas Filipinas began as a hobby for owner Jerry Acuzar. Humbly admitting that he was not exactly a history buff, Acuzar explained that it took just one person to turn him into one.

“It was Speaker Sonny Belmonte who introduced me to all this,” he said. “He was my boss at the GSIS, and he introduced me to collecting art and historical artifacts. The Speaker knew his Philippine history. I kept listening to his personal lectures on history, and his passion rubbed off on me. He would recommend good art pieces to invest in. I, in turn, would do so until I became so passionate about art and history that it consumed me.”

Las Casas Filipinas owner Jerry Acuzar: Pride in the past, hope for the future.

As a fitting tribute to his mentor, Acuzar not only had a bust of the Speaker made, he even named one of the streets Plaza Belmonte.

With the proverbial spark becoming a flame, Acuzar took his newfound passion to the next level. He traveled to better appreciate local and world history, to take in as much information as he could. “I developed an emotional connection to these things. When I began transplanting houses here, I was coming from a place that was not half-hearted. I was giving it my all.”

True enough, reassembling old houses and restoring them to their glorious states became his calling. He would put together a team that would take down houses and transfer them to this 400-hectare land in Bagac. He has a family of artisans staying in Las Casas, making wood carvings. Even his wife Tess is involved in the interior design of the houses. To ensure that it was not just another soul-less reassembly, he hired experts on Philippine history to carry out the task properly. He said, “I wanted each house to be as historically accurate as possible.”

“I love the fact that the young ones who come here get to appreciate history even more because they can see in Las Casas things they read in books. Here they have something to connect to. I found that this is best done when they see physical structures from a bygone era,” he said.

Interiors of the three-story Casa Vyzantina.

He is not about to stop. Truth to tell, he has more heritage houses to rebuild and more attractions to showcase. Soon, guests will see a replica of the Binondo estero and a cathedral rising in the property.

“At Las Casas, we say ‘Pride in the past, hope for the future.’ That pretty much sums up what this is about. It is about finding your roots and inspiring the next generation,” he concluded.

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Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is located in Barrio Pag-asa, Bagac, Bataan. For more information, call (632) 546-9123, e-mail at reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com or log on to www.lascasasfilipinas.com.