Contributed by Travel Jock
I’m not really a fan of History as a subject. I hate memorising dates, places and other olden times stuff; but travel has made me love culture, exploration and more recently, history.
This heritage park in Bagac, Bataan made me fall in love with the Philippines in the 1900s. It’s like a time travel to the Spanish colonial era where you feel that you are one of the characters of Noli Me Tangere or El Filibusterismo.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is the Philippines’ first and only heritage resort by the sea as their website claims to be, and I can really agree.
Also read: 12 Notable Sites in the Philippines Every History Buff Must Visit
There’s a day tour which costs less than ₱1,000 with good tourist guides who explain everything about how the Casas were acquired from the original mansion or houses, and were carefully and meticulously reconstructed.
It was a good thing I found a great deal in Agoda. It’s half the price of the deluxe room, from ₱10,000 to ₱5,000, so I immediately booked it!
There are other expensive rooms where you get to experience the feel of the 18th century.
The beach is not that good, and the big waves didn’t permit us to swim.
Instead, we just enjoyed the “batis”-inspired pool.
And of course, the history of the place is what we came for. Supposedly, I was to wear an Ilustrado outfit but I forgot to bring my wardrobe so I ended up being an “aliping saguiguilid” named Indio. May I present to you…”The Misadventures of Indio”.
It was more or less a 3-hour drive from Quezon City, thank you NLEX & SCTEX for a smooth trip. To get there, take the Dinalupihan exit and drive straight to Balanga, then turn right at the intersection to Bagac.
For commuters, you may take a bus bound for Balanga City at the Cubao terminal (Genesis or Bataan bus). At the Balanga terminal, take the bus to Bagac town and tell the driver to drop you off at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. There are two entrances but it’s too far a walk so you may opt to ride a tricycle at the bus stop. And when it’s time to go home, you may ask the security to call for a tricycle to pick you up.
Please do bring an umbrella and water to keep you hydrated because it’s really hot!
For complete details regarding the price, availability, and other packages, check out their website.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
Brgy. Ibaba, Bagac, Bataan, 2107, Philippines
Landline numbers: +63 2 332 5338, +63 2 332 5286, +63 2 877 4501, +63 2 877 4502
Mobile number: +63 917 872 9361
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
