By: Irene Sino-Cruz
The La Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a showcase of Spanish-Filipino heritage houses, a collection owned by New San Jose Builders Inc. founder Jose “Jerry” Acuzar located at the sprawling 400-hectare seaside property in Bagac, Bataan. La Casas Filipinas Bataan is one of the properties of Marivent Hotels & Resorts.
Most of the collection of around 63 heritage houses were transported from different places in the Philippines and brought to the fishing village of Bagac where it was rebuilt and renovated by a team of artisans and craftsmen, said Ms. Jane Andres, marketing manager of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.
Mr. Acuzar acquired the property, which has a river called Umagol, a beach front and beautiful views of the mountains, to serve as a vacation property for his family.
He started collecting heritage houses in 2008 when he was offered parts of an old home in Cagayan Valley. He decided to buy the entire house that was being dismantled and then transferred the parts to his Bataan property and rebuilt it piece-by-piece.
He was later offered heritage homes for sale, which he also dismantled, transported the parts and rebuilt at the 400-hectare estate.
Ms. Jane Andres, marketing manager of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, it took about a year to complete the process of dismantling, transporting of parts, rebuilding and renovation of the old houses, each with their own history.
These heritage houses provides a showcase of the artistry and skill of local craftsmen and artists who create the furniture sets, sculptures and artworks at the heritage houses.
One of the relocated houses is the Casa Hidalgo, designed in 1867, was the first campus of the University of the Philippines’ School of Fine Arts. On the other hand, Casa Biňan, is a replica of the original structure where Dr. Jose Rizal’s mother Teodora Alonzo once lived. Another replica is the Hotel de Oriente Convention Center, which was reconstructed and remodeled from the original Hotel de Oriente, the first luxury hotel in the Philippines that was built in 1889 and destroyed during World War 2.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Bataan has received several awards including the recognition as the Best Historic Hotel in Asia and the Pacific during the 2021 Historic Hotels Worldwide Travelers’ Choice Awards of the Historic Hotels Worldwide.
Marivent’s other properties are the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Quezon City, VS Hotel and Victorias Sports Club.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar located at the Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City is a dining and events space that also features heritage houses and is a perfect venue for weddings, birthdays and other events. Among the heritage houses at the Quezon City property only the Casa Juico is an original heritage house. The other houses are replicas like Casa Monroy and Casa Garchitorena.
Meanwhile, VS Hotel Convention Center is dedicated to sports, fitness and wellness to allow travelers with its state-of-the-art sports, fitness and wellness facilities. It also has a ballroom for big events and 11 function rooms for meetings and other events.
On the other hand, the Victoria Sports Club, also located in Quezon City, is the largest indoor sports club in Quezon City. It features facilities for various sports such as basketball, fencing, bowling, gymnastics and even has swimming pools.
For more information, you may contact them through the following numbers:
For Corporate Sales: 0917 872 9367/ 0917 803 9476
For Marketing: 0917 707 6980/ 0929 299 9632
You may also visit their website, www.mariventhotels.com
