BAGAC, Bataan-—At least 55 old houses, one of which was constructed in 1744, are reconstructed at the resort here to highlight a prominent businessman’s love for the arts, culture and heritage of the country.
Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar (The Philippine Houses of Acuzar) sits on a 400-hectare property facing the West Philippine Sea, and is owned by New San Jose Builders Inc. Chairman Jose Rizalino Acuzar, who decided to collect houses established during the Spanish Colonial era to the pre-World War II period. “Acuzar noticed during his travels to other countries that the local population values their respective” culture, arts and heritage. It’s not the
same in the Philippines. So he decided to do Las Casas and put the houses in one area,” head tour guide Dexter Manansala said to Central Luzon-based journalists during a tour at Las Casas on November 24.
“Acuzar said he will restore houses at La Casas as long as he can,” he added. So far, only 26 hectares of the huge land was used for the houses and other amenities.
A tour of Las Casa includes storytelling about the people who lived and dwelled in the houses.
“Las Casas Filipinas is not just about the showcase of these colonial houses. It is about the people behind these houses that gives it importance, the stories behind these houses, the kind of life
Filipinos had during those times,” a brief about the old houses said.
“The heroism, the daily toil, the anecdotes that make up the histories behind these houses. Sometimes, it is about the discoveries in the
process of transferring these houses is where the story lies,” it said.
The houses from Pampanga
AT least four of the old houses at Las Casas here were transferred from Pampanga.
The houses were from the towns of Candaba, San Luis, Santa Rita and Lubao. In 1961 National Artist for Film Jerry de Leon used Casa Candaba as one of the settings for the movie Noli Me Tangere. The film was adapted
from a novel of Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero.
The mansion was originally owned by the Reyes family, one of the richest families in Pampanga during the late 18th century. The house—also known as Casa Bato (rock)—served as the residence of the
Spanish Governor General when visiting Pampanga. The house, one of the biggest in the complex, was transferred to Las Casas in 2014.
Casa Lubao is the “youngest” among the houses at Las Casas, located about an hour-and-a-half drive from the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. It was constructed in the heart of the town in 1920, a plantation house built by Valentin Arrastia and Francisco Salgado.
The house known for its wide-open windows was acquired after World War II by Juanita Arrastia and her husband, Dr. Wenceslao Vitug. Arrastia and Vitug sent their poor young neighbor, Diosdado Macapagal, to school. Macapagal later became a president of the Philippines.
Macapagal’s mother volunteered to be a househelp to the Vitug couple to express her gratitude to them.
The other houses
CASA Majayjay in Laguna was built in 1744. Its restoration at Las Casas is set to be completed this year. The oldest and one of the most prestigious houses in the complex, it used to be occupied by “money lenders with a heart and Indios loaded
with gold.”
The Casa Hagonoy (Bulacan) has a “love story that went sour.” It was said a young man fell in love with a pretty lass. The woman agreed to marry the man if he would build a big house for them. She also wanted expensive jewelry. The man granted her wish, but they eventually suffered the consequences
—they died poor.
At least 70 percent of the original materials of Casa Hagonoy were transferred to the complex. Other houses were done with less 50 percent of the original materials recovered. Erwin Dona III, director of brand marketing of Las Casas, said Acuzar is now looking for old houses to buy in the Visayas.
Most of the houses were from the Luzon and none from the Visayas. It has one from Mindanao —the Casa Maranao which was the house of a datu or sultan.
The Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar Heritage and Convention Center, regarded as the first heritage complex by the sea, is now targeting tourists from Pampanga and Bulacan.
Starting December 1, it will offer stress-free travel from pickup points in Bulacan and Pampanga.
Image credits: Ric Gonzales