Living My Maldita Life: June 2011

A donde el corazon se inclina, el pie camina.

As they say in Spanish, "Home is where the heart is".

And I found it in a 3-hour drive away from Manila, tucked somewhere in the town of Bagac, in the quaint lil (but really a girth on the map) province of Bataan.

Hola, amigas. Bienvenida a Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar!

I stumbled upon this perfect picturesque hideaway when my team and I were browsing (more of brainstorming) for the next summer outing destination for our department. The ambience promised a lot of culture and relaxation and we were immediately sold. So we got our bags ready and hied away to NLEX via the Gapan-Olongapo road and rallied to Bataan.

We were not disappointed.

The attendants were dressed like Katipuneros and Katipuneras (really, it was a nice touch... kind of completed the look AND feel of the place). We were booked for a day tour complete with full board meals. Our group had so much fun taking photos and walking the Heritage Tour to know more about the houses (thus, the term casas) and the rich history that pervades each structure.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is actually a private collection of the owner, each house almost a reconstructed 60 percent of its original form. The houses were ACTUAL old houses found almost everywhere in Luzon that the owner fancied and bought off, transported and recreated in this hectares and hectares of land space in Bagac. What's good also about the resort is that its houses can actually be lived in. There are also hotel rooms available to spend the night with. Really really special. (ironically, the toilet and bath of the rooms are so 21st century so no worries about squatting on the floor for your thingamajigs!)

Note though: not recommended to spend more than 2 days in the resort. The ambience makes you sleepy. Kind of boring for adventure-seekers. Though the beach fronting the area is quite wild --- it's South China Sea, baby! --- it might not be a good choice to frolic in with kids in tow. If you plan to hit this beach area, it's perfect for skim boarding. The food in the resort can be quite expensive, it's best to book a day tour coz it's more cheaper with the package.

Bataan is one province that is rich in history and culture. After all, the infamous Death March during the Japanese Occupation can be accounted for here. There is still much to explore, but we found our weekend getaway a perfect cap in Las Casas.