Comprised of several dozen “heritage houses,” each building at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar represents an aspect of national Filipino history. The collection of buildings were specifically chosen based on their individual cultural, historical, and architectural features. They range in style from mansions to wooden stilt houses.
The resort itself is designed to resemble a historic Filipino town, offering visitors a taste of the Philippine’s past come to life. The buildings were acquired and transported from varying locations across the country. Each historic structure has been carefully restored. The structures were meticulously dismantled before being reassembled by a skilled group of architects. In cases where an authentic reconstruction was not possible, materials that were as close to the original were used to complete the project. Needless to say, each building’s legacy is as unique as its architecture.
Some of the most notable houses onsite include, Casa Candaba, Casa Lubao, Casa Hidalgo, and Casa Bizantina. Built in 1780, this is the most historic documented building in the resort. It originally served as the Spanish Governor’s home when he would visit the town of Pampanga. Casa Hidalgo itself was designed by Felix Roxas y Arroyo in 1867. He was the first Filipino to practice architecture in the Philippines.
Owned by Rafael Enriquez, the house was considered the most elegant during the Spanish Colonial era. The house held classes for the University of the Philippines until 1926, where Enriquez served as a professor and later its first director of the School of Fine Arts. Also known as the “Don Lorenzo del Rosario House,” Casa Bizantina was designed by Catalan architect Joan Josep Jose Hervas y Arizmendi in 1890.
It was the first home of the University of Manila in 1914. And the wonderful Casa Lubao was constructed in 1920 right after the conclusion of World War I. Its original purpose was actually for the storage of sugar and rice. But during World War II, the Japanese used it as a military outpost,
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar was born from the genius of real estate magnate José “Jerry” Acuzar. In 2003, he decided to open an estate just outside of his hometown of Balanga in the Bataan region. Acuzar ultimately settled upon a 400-hectacre tract of land near the fishing village of Bagac, building a quaint manor home and a series of small cottages. Five years later, Acuzar was fatefully offered parts of a historic home from the Gagayan Valley.
He subsequently dismantled and reconstructed the building on his estate in an effort to restore it back to its former glory. In no time, he was offered heritage homes that were being sold. Using the same method of dismantle, relocate, and rebuild, Acuzar brought the heritage homes to his estate. While the estate remained private, more people heard about what he was doing and wanted to see his reconstructed heritage houses.
Acuzar saw an opportunity to make the location accessible to the public. To continue financing his work in restoring the heritage houses, Acuzar debuted his private estate as a beach resort. Calling the facility “Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar,” the new retreat finally opened its doors in 2010. As Acuzar grew his team of artisans, the destination gradually expanded into 63 heritage homes and 34 structures built in the style of the historic houses on-site.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar has since established itself as one of the most luxurious holiday destinations in the world, hosting hundreds of enthusiastic cultural heritage travelers every year. The work accomplished by Acuzar and his team had earned the resort great praise, too, even being recognized for their continued stewardship by the Philippine Department of Tourism. Historic Hotels Worldwide also bestowed the resort with its Award of Excellence for “Best Historic Hotel in Asia/Pacific” in 2021. A member of Historic Hotels of America since 2017, this fantastic historic resort is truly a fascinating place to experience.
https://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/las-casas-filipinas-de-acuzar/
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