Housing heritage, telling stories

Entirely in Filipino “for Filipinos,” the more than a hundred-page book was written and edited by poet Marne Kilates

Aptly launched during the celebration of the National Language Month, the book Sa Mga Bahay ng Ating Gunita (To the Houses of Our Memories) chronicles the stories behind the houses inside the heritage-themed resort-cum-museum Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan.

Entirely in Filipino “for Filipinos,” the more than a hundred-page book was written and edited by poet Marne Kilates with research from Las Casas’ Dexter Manansala, Sarah Jane Cunanan and Maricris Valencia.

It features nine of the 62 reconstructed homes in a 400-hectare property that showcases not only heritage houses but also archival (researched archival plans and architectural design) and replica (copied) houses.

The book explains the story behind Las Casas owner Jerry Acuzar’s fascination for Philippine heritage houses.

His concern on the sorry state of conservation of these houses, led him to buy, dismantle these piece by piece, and reconstruct in Bagac but now, homeowners are now the ones offering their colonial houses to him, notes the book.

Other reasons why Acuzar buys heritage houses include the owners not having the capacity to maintain and rehabilitate the heritage structures and threats from corporations to buy the property for these to be converted into commercial centers.

Due to these problems, Acuzar became “a kind of conservationist,” resurrecting these structures back to life and converting these in his Bagac property into an open-air museum and heritage resort.

The book also fended off criticisms on the transplanting of the heritage houses, saying “today that Las Casas is growing and careful reconstruction and restoration are being practiced, even picky historians and opposing conservationists are now thinking twice and would first be silent when they see the works of Acuzar.”

It also pointed out that only one house in the sprawling property is 90 percent intact, others range much lower than that like the controversial Alberto House in Biñan, Laguna, which is only 10 percent of the original structure.

Among those houses that were reconstructed using archival materials are the Casa Ladrillo, Casa Bonita, Casa Esquina while the copied ones are the acccessoria buildings, shops at the Paseo de Escolta and the beautiful Hotel de Oriente which was originally located in Binondo and was bombed during World War II.

Aside from Casa Biñan and Hotel de Oriente, featured in the book with their histories, layout, uses and the arts associated with them are Casa San Juan from San Juan, Batangas; Casa Hagonoy or the Tomas Santos House from Hagonoy, Bulacan; Casa Lubao or the Arrastia-Vitug House from Lubao, Pampanga; Casa Unisan or the Maximo House (now Kusina ni Nanay Maria) from Unisan, Quezon and Casa Byzantina from Binondo, Manila.

STORIES of the past remain in these walls.

THE foundation of these houses are made of wood.

Philippine culture continues to live through art.

Also featured are the Casa Quiapo or the Rafael Enriquez House which became the first School of Fine Arts in the country in the early 20th century, the forerunner of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts.

It is now the headquarters of the Bellas Artes Projects Foundation, a non-government organization for the art education founded by Acuzar’s daughter Jam.

Another important house transplanted inside Las Casas and featured in the book is the Casa Luna or the Primitivo Novicio House from Luna, La Union.

Novicio was the uncle of brothers Juan and Antonio Luna.

This work is not only a book on Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar but actually on the creative community it built, from masons, architects, construction workers, artisans to hotel and resort staff serving the growing number of guests since it opened its doors close to a decade ago.