“Bataan has fallen,” said Carlos P. Romulo.
When these words resounded from the radios in 1942, the Filipinos knew that the last standing peninsula fighting against the Japanese colonizers was defeated—along with it were hopes of freedom.
Flash forward to almost 72 years, the country has long risen; but, in the middle of Bataan is a place that seem to have not moved on.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan showcases the past, minus the horrors of the foreign invasions.
It is a village where you can imagine the guardias civiles or civil guards doing rounds along the cobblestoned streets; the kids tucked in bed inside their “Bahay na Bato” during curfews; and ilustrados or the educated Filipinos gathering secretly in a “Principalia.”
How? The village is comprised of authentic ancestral houses dating back to the 18th Century. The old houses, from all across the Philippines, were dismantled “brick by brick” and “plank by plank,” as described by the local tour guides, and reconstructed in Las Casas Filipinas.
One of the noteworthy structures in the place is the Casa Quiapo. Built in 1867, it was originally located at R. Hidalgo Street in Quiapo, Manila. It holds so much prestige in the history of the Philippines. For one, it was designed by Felix Roxas y Arroyo, the first Filipino to practice architecture during the Spanish Colonial Period. It also became the campus of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in 1908—where prominent Filipino icons stepped into and studied, like Fernando Amorsolo, Guillermo Tolentino, and many more.
Another is the Casa Luna. From La Union. It was the house of brothers Juan and Antonio Luna where our heroes held important meetings. It also became the headquarters of the United States’ Armed Forces in Northern Luzon.
The oldest of the Las Casas Filipinas structures is the Casa Candaba. It was built in 1780. In 1961, it served as the set of the film Noli Me Tangere directed by National Artist Gerardo de Leon.
Las Casas Filipinas’ founder, Chief Executive Officer Jose “Gerry” Acuzar, started buying old houses and reconstructing them in Bagac, Bataan as a hobby.
He said in an interview with Balitang America, “Para bang nakakalungkot na nawala na ‘yung kaluluwa ng bahay… almost 100 years nag-exist, isang bagsakan lang nawawala.” (It seems sad that the soul of the house just vanishes… it existed for almost 100 years, and in just one snap [demolition] it is gone.)
Little did he know it at that time but his efforts have become very important in the preservation of the history and culture of the Philippines. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a living reminder of the past—of the fall and rise of the country.
“Bataan has fallen; but the spirit that made it stand a beacon to all the liberty-loving people of the world cannot fall!” said Romulo.
And a part of that “spirit,” the “soul” of the houses, live on in Las Casas Filipinas.
***
Mango Tours is a provider of quality, affordable and convenient travel services that include low-priced airline tickets, customized Philippine and International Tour Packages, Cruises, Land Transfers, Passport and Visa Concerns. It is #1 producer of reliable travel services particularly when it comes to Philippine travel arrangements to the Filipino-American community in the US. Mango Tours is able to provide its customers with a number of travel options at affordable rates because of its consolidator contracts with over 11 airlines. Book your travel bookings with Mango Tours by calling its 24/7 US toll-free number at 1-866-2-MANILA (1-866-2-626452). Visit www.mangotours.com to know more about its latest promos and travel offers.
