Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar | |
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Location within the Philippines | |
Type | Heritage beach resort |
Location | Bagac, Bataan |
Coordinates | 14°36′09.6″N120°23′06.9″E / 14.602667°N 120.385250°E |
Area | 400 ha (4,000,000 m2) [1] [2] |
Opened | March 2010 |
Founder | Jose Acuzar |
Operated by | Marivent Resort Hotel Inc. |
Website | lascasasfilipinas.com |
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (Spanish for "Acuzar's Philippine Houses") is a beach resort, hotel, convention center and heritage destination in Bagac, Bataan, Philippines. [3]
Jose Acuzar, the owner of New San Jose Builders, Inc., started to rebuild Spanish colonial-era mansions in Bagac in 2003. In March 2010, the area was opened to the public as the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. It was placed under the management of Genesis Hotels and Resorts Corporation. [4]
Las Casas Filipinas temporarily closed in early 2020 due to community quarantine measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic but eventually reopened in July 2020. [5] [6]
In November 2021 it was named the "Best Historic Hotel in Asia and the Pacific" by the Historic Hotels of America, citing it as one of the hotels that "best celebrate its history in the guest experience and provide exceptional customer hospitality and service." [7] [1]
It was used as a filming location of Zorro , [2] Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral , [8] [9] Heneral Luna , [9] and Maria Clara at Ibarra .
Las Casas Filipinas covers an area of around 400 hectares (990 acres) [1] [10] in Bagac, Bataan. For its lodging facilities, Las Casas Filipinas has 128 guest rooms and 63 "elite casas" as of January 2021. [10]
The main attraction of the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is its heritage houses, which were transplanted from outside Bagac, Bataan. The houses are disassembled from their original location and reconstructed inside the premise of the Las Casas Filipinas. This method of heritage conservation has been contentious among conservationists since they believed that their original communities could have benefitted from the structures had they been restored on site. [11] The heritage park's proponent Gerry Acuzar claimed that he went with the method in order to save the structures from decay and neglect. [4] The heritage park was lauded by the Department of Tourism in 2021 under Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat for its preservation efforts. [10]
Houses included in the Las Casas Filipinas are evaluated for their historical, cultural and architectural value. Most structures dates back to the Spanish colonial era, but some buildings were built later such as the Casa Lubao which was built in 1920 during the American era. [4] The heritage park also include a torogan, a Maranao royal clan house from Lanao in Mindanao. [12]
Among the notable houses transplanted to the heritage park are: Casa Bizantina, Casa Hidalgo, Casa Jaen I, and Casa Unisan.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar also hosts a small church known as the Sanctuario de San Jose. [13] Other features include the Napiya Spa, a swimming pool. [14] The Tulay ni Lola Basyang is a bridge that crosses the Umagol River and is a replica of the old Puente de España in Manila. [15]
Bataan, officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula on Luzon, Bataan is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.
Lanao del Sur, officially the Province of Lanao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capital is the city of Marawi, and it borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao del Norte and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf.
Balanga, officially the City of Balanga, is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 104,173 people. It is south of San Fernando, Pampanga and northwest of Manila. Balanga joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2015.
Bagac, officially the Municipality of Bagac, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,365 people.
Las Casas commonly referred to as Bartolomé de las Casas (1484–1566), Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar.
Michael Paulo Lingbanan Avelino is a Filipino actor, singer, model, and film producer. He has starred in multiple hit television series such as Walang Hanggan (2012), Bridges of Love (2015), and The General's Daughter (2019). In films, one of his best known works is his portrayal of Gregorio del Pilar in the Philippine war epic Heneral Luna (2015), which he reprised in a title role for its sequel, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018). Avelino's other prominent films include Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay (2013), I'm Drunk, I Love You (2017), and Fan Girl (2020).
Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz or Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz is a major public square in Binondo, Manila, bounded by Quintin Paredes Street to the east and Juan Luna Street to the west, parallel to the Estero de Binondo. It is the plaza that fronts the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, one of the main churches of the City of Manila, and is considered the center of Binondo as a whole.
A torogan is a traditional ancestral house built by the Maranao people of Lanao, Mindanao, Philippines for the nobility. A torogan was a symbol of high social status. Such a residence was once a home to a sultan or datu in the Maranao community. Nowadays, concrete houses are found all over Maranaw communities, but there remain torogans a hundred years old. The best-known are in Dayawan and Marawi City, and around Lake Lanao.
The San Vicente Ferrer chapel, popularly referred to as the Pio chapel is a Roman Catholic chapel located at Barangay Pio, in Porac, Pampanga. Built in 1861, the chapel is believed to be the first circular chapel of its kind in the Philippines. In 2019, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake caused the two pilasters on the chapel's facade to collapse.
Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo is a 2014 Philippine historical action drama film centering on the life of Katipunan revolutionary Andres Bonifacio. It was an official entry to the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival.
The Don Lorenzo del Rosario House, also known as Casa Bizantina, is a heritage house museum originally located at San Nicolas, Manila. It was transferred and reconstructed in 2009 at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan. It was designed by the Catalan architect Joan Josep Jose Hervas y Arizmendi, in 1890. It is the only existing building designed by Arizmendi in the Philippines. In addition, it was cited by Tribune magazine in 1939 despite its neglected state.
The Rafael Enriquez House, also known as Casa Hidalgo, is a heritage house originally located at Quiapo, Manila, owned by Rafael Enriquez, a Spanish peninsular and painter (1850–1937). The house was built in 1867 – one of the first projects of architect Felix Roxas y Arroyo. Some of his notable works were Paterno House and Zamora House in Quiapo, Manila and the 1867 Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros, Manila. However, a carving on king post, stating "1807", indicates that the house was built before Rafael Enriquez occupied the house. This was discovered in 2006 – wherein the house was dismantled and relocated at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan.
The Don Hilarion Esquivel House, also known as Casa Jaen I, is a heritage house museum originally located at Jaen, Nueva Ecija built during the 1900s. Being the second house of the Esquivel family at Jaen, Nueva Ecija, it served as the venue for the homecoming of his son, Emmanuel Frias Esquivel, who studied at the United States. Their first house, which is also located at the same municipality, was built in 1890. At present, the house was re-located at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan.
Cheryl Ramos-Cosio is a Filipina actress. She is known for her association with the Philippine New Wave Cinema and starring in Jerrold Tarog's Mangatyanan (2009), Senior Year (2010) and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), and Brillante Mendoza's Captive (2012). She also starred in Prima Donnas as Darcy. In 2022, Ramos portrays the role of Dra. Katie Enriquez in the Philippine television medical drama, Abot-Kamay na Pangarap.
Goyo: The Boy General, or simply Goyo, is a 2018 Filipino epic war film starring Paulo Avelino as the titular "Boy General", Gregorio del Pilar, who fought and died at the Battle of Tirad Pass during the Philippine–American War. It was written, directed, edited, and scored by Jerrold Tarog, and is a sequel to the 2015 film Heneral Luna, which chronicled Antonio Luna's life. Additional members of the ensemble cast include Carlo Aquino, Mon Confiado, Epy Quizon, Gwen Zamora, Empress Schuck, Alvin Anson, and Rafa Siguion-Reyna. It was released on September 5, 2018.
Ramon Veroy Confiado, professionally known as Mon Confiado, is a Filipino character actor, theater actor and businessman who has appeared in both mainstream and independent films. He is the son of late veteran actor Ángel Confiado from a second family.
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Jose "Jerry" Rizalino Larion Acuzar is a Filipino business executive who is the founder of New San Jose Builders. He also serves as the current Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development since July 29, 2022.
New San Jose Builders, Inc. (NSJBI) is a Philippine real estate company based in Quezon City.