My 2016 semestral break was definitely one for the books. Normally, I would’ve spent this week-long academic break catching up with my friends from Taft over beer, watch my friend’s gigs, binge watch a TV series or hibernate. But this year, my semestral break was synchronized with my brothers’ that my parents decided it was time to arrange a trip.
Up north, in the beautiful Province of Bagac, Bataan lies Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar. I looked up the place prior to our departure (because I’m that kind of person who wants to know of the place I’m dressing up for) my first thought was it was basically just a huge-ass land that had old houses.
Santuario De San Jose was the first structure I noticed upon entering the premises. Although the place was under renovation during our trip.
Little did I know as our first tour took place that the houses I coined as just “old houses” actually had stories. Each house was dismantled brick by brick from their original lots, numbered, transported to Bagac, reassembled in the same order, and then restored. These houses were chosen based on their historical, cultural and architectural value.
A tour of the heritage houses gives a glimpse of the way of life of the Filipinos during the Spanish era, from 1521 to 1898, when the Philippines was under the Spanish rule.
The first house we set foot on (yes, and I mean literally as taking off your shoes prior to entering someone’s home was a gesture of respect in the Filipino culture) was Casa Hangonoy. Our tour guide told the tale of the house as it was originally owned by a vain wife who prided herself in jewelry and a beautiful house. Her proud excesses drove her descendants to become priests and nuns. Casa Hangonoy’s balcony also provided a vast view of the man-made lake.
(I apologize in advance for I actually wasn’t able to take a picture of the houses itself as I was too tuned into the tour guide)
Casa Hangonoy balcony
view from the balcony
Now, in the middle of the tour, our tour guide mentioned that one of the houses that we would be visiting was coined as “the most controversial”. This house was named Casa Biñan. 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 a Guardia Civil captain. When her husband found this out, he came home and locked her in their bedroom. 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 Guardia Civil captain and some say this was the true reason behind Teodora Alonzo’s imprisonment.
Another fact about Casa Biñan is that this is where Heneral Luna’s iconic death scene was filmed. Yep. John Arcilla’s assassination scene happened here.
Casa Biñan where they shot Heneral Luna’s death scene
I’d go the distance and talk about the houses but the list of tales are just too beautiful to be only read through your computer screens.
Apart from the house tours, you won’t really run out of things to do here at Las Casas. Paseo de Escolta stands as their “plaza”. Souvenir shops, a bakery called La Panaderia, and a store of homemade beauty products can be found here. They even provide this service where in you can dress up in old Spaniard’s-time clothes and have your picture taken.
Did I mention that they offer a balsa tour? It’s pretty cool. Maybe even better if I knew earlier that I could eat on the raft.
hi dad
Trams and Jeepneys are available and goes around the resort incase you grow tired of the walking.
Las Casas also offers Italian, Filipino themed restaurants and a bar just across the infinity pool and by the beach. I recommend the Pesto and Penne Arrabiata in La Bella Teodora for food. A Sangria at sunset by the beach definitely made me feel like on vacation despite knowing that in a matter of days, I will again be back in school lining up for one of the most dreadful seasons–enlistment.
I definitely wouldn’t mind going back, walk around once again under the scorching sun because I’m pretty much aware good food is just a tram ride away.
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