Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar

Feb 18 2014

When I first heard the project of Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar years ago, I was apprehensive with the idea of moving Filipino-Spanish mansions from their original locations. But then, with the lack of government support of preserving historical sites and buildings, something has to be done at the very least to save our heritage. And what they did is marvelous. It really feels like you’ve been time-warped during the Spanish regime.

Recreating the houses was not an easy task. They either requested or bought some of the actual pieces from the old heritage houses that were being torn down or neglected. They relied on old photos to achieve that authentic appearance. Currently, there are more than 20 houses in the resort and there are still some that are being constructed.

You don’t have to check in to get inside the resort. A guided tour for walk-ins is available if you just want to spend a day. The history of each house will be briefly explained and then you’re free to roam around and take pictures. Just a tip: It’s better to call their office in advance if they will have a big tour group coming in that day. Luckily for me and my friend, when we arrived in the morning, we were the only guests until 5 buses full of foreigners arrived at 2PM. Good thing we were finished enjoying the place already.



How to get here (from Manila):

Take a Bataan bus going to Balanga either in Cubao or Avenida. It takes almost 3 hours. Could be 2-2.5 hours if there’s no traffic.

Walk (if the weather’s not hot) or take a tricycle going to Balanga Terminal.

Ride a bus or jeepney that goes to Bagac. The journey is about an hour. Tell the driver to drop you off at the nearest point to Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar.

From there, take a tricycle and tell your destination. He will take you directly to the place. This should be less than 5 minutes.

Just do everything backwards to return to Manila.

For more information, visit their website: www.lascasasfilipinas.com