Why Do I Preserve Thee? For Heritage or Profit?

A Critical Analysis on the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar as

the Self-Marketed Vanguard of Filipino Cultural Heritage

Written by:

Medrano, Louise R.
 “Instagram-worthy”, and “aesthetically pleasing” are only some of the words visitors use

to describe Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. The famed heritage resort has garnered attention not

only from the Philippines but also from international communities for its unique concept as a

resort that transports its visitors to the 1890s, with the presence of various heritage houses as its

highlight. However, it has also gained attention for being controversial, with cultural activists

advising against going to the resort. This paper will present evidence showing that Las Casas is

not an institution driven by the preservation of culturally important homes, but an institution

motivated by gaining profit through commercializing history manifested through heritage

houses. This is seen through its charging of high prices for entrance and access to important

cultural properties, obtaining of the culturally relevant houses, and displaying a lack of concern

for the houses’ historical contexts. Despite its aesthetic scenery, it must be known that when it

comes to cultural heritage and cultural preservation, appearances and presentations are not the

only aspects considered.

Self-marketed as the “Vanguard of Filipino Heritage”, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is

an open museum of heritage houses located in Bataan, Philippines. The resort is famous for

housing numerous heritage houses that were gathered from all over the country. Jose “Jerry”

Acuzar, the owner of Las Casas, started the project in 2006 as his private collection and vacation

property before opening it to the public in 2010 as a full-service theme resort (Batten, 2013).

The first evidence showing the nature of Las Casas as a profit-driven entity and not a

cultural heritage and savior is its high rates. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar charges high prices

for what is meant to be free and accessible to the general public. Its famed Heritage Tours can go

from Php 1,500 to Php 2,500 per head. Meanwhile, a night in one of its Casas can go from Php

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10,000 to Php 140,000. Such prices show that the resort has a specific target market, those with

such disposable income to spend. This means that access to learning about and usage of such

heritage houses is restricted. It can be argued that such pricing goes against RA No, 10066. The

law, under Section 40: Public Accessibility, states that:

“Access to national cultural treasures or important cultural property, such as heritage

houses, by the general public for visitation and information shall not be hindered except

on reasonable cause. Fees may be appropriate, but they must be prescribed by the cultural

agency concerned.”

The NCCA has not publicized any endorsement or approval of the so-called ‘heritage resort’,

therefore it can be concluded that the prices Las Casas set were not based on prescriptions of the

NCCA. The rates of its services and accommodations are then purely based on the discretion of

the institution. Such high rates then discriminate upon the different divisions of the public: those

who can afford to spend such money, and those who can’t. Only those who can afford such

prices would be able to access going to the resort and learning about the cultural artifacts. Thus,

Filipinos belonging to relatively lower class divisions are deprived of the opportunity to see and

learn about the heritage houses in Las Casas.

By obtaining the heritage houses from their original locations, Las Casas is also depriving

its original location of the economic opportunities brought about by local tourism. By adding

more houses, the financial value of entry to Las Casas rises. While it may be possible for Las

Casas to instead sponsor the restoration of these houses, it would generate more profit by

transferring them to the open museum. Therefore, it is not always the last case scenario for these

heritage houses to be transferred.

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 The next argument lies within the fact that some heritage houses in Las Casas were

obtained illegally and distastefully. There are two manifestations of this: the process by which

they are obtained, and the lack of knowledge local government units and cultural agencies have

on the moving of the heritage houses.

The method used to obtain the heritage structures involves the dismantling of the

structure, uprooting it from its original location, and having its pieces transported to Bataan.

From there, changes will be made on its original form as it is being reconstructed accordingly to

accommodate the type of function Las Casas wants it to serve (Pulumbarit, 2014; Sembrano,

2019).

Las Casas’ method of obtaining houses is not only unethical but also illegal. ​Republic

Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 states that:

“…buildings with archeological, architectural, and historical significance built before

1960 cannot be moved or deconstructed without the approval of the National

Commission for Culture & the Arts (NCCA) or National Historical Institute.”

Las Casas has broken this law multiple times. The succeeding part of the paper will show how

through the stories of Casa Ordoveza, two ​torogans,​ and Bahay Alberto.

Casa Ordoveza was the oldest house in Luzon and the second oldest in the Philippines

(Sembrano, 2016). It was constructed in 1744 in Majayjay, Laguna. It was the ancestral home of

Lorenzo Pangutangan, whose last name was hispanized to Ordoveza (Takumi, 2016). The house

belonged to the Ordoveza clan for two and a half centuries. In 2016, according to the residents of

Majayjay, the rights to the wood and stone of Casa Ordoveza were sold to a heritage resort in

Bataan for reconstruction. The house was then demolished for transfer to Las Casas without prior

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knowledge from its respective local government unit or any cultural agency. Although Las Casas

owns the rights to the wood and stone of Las Casas, by demolishing it, moving its debris, and

reconstructing it, the institution still violates RA No.10066.

Another evidence of the malpractice of Las Casas is the acquiring of two ​torogan h​ ouses

from Lanao del Sur. The ​torogans were on their way to becoming properties of a UNESCO

institution and obtaining important cultural titles from the same agency. However, this

arrangement did not proceed due to the intervention of Las Casas. To this day, the indigenous

peoples of Lanao del Sur, the Maranao, are campaigning for the return of the ​torogans back to

their ancestral lands (Villegas, 2013). By taking away the ​torogans’ opportunity to be obtained

by UNESCO, Las Casas is not only violating RA No. 10066 but also depriving it of any benefits

it could have received from the organization.

Another house that fell victim to the hands of Jerry Acuzar is Bahay Alberto, a house

where Jose Rizal spent a year of his youth and where his mother, Teodora Alonoso, grew up. In

the 1800s, in Biñan, Laguna, the mansion was impossible to miss. Despite the Biñan local

government raising Php 20 million for its restoration, the owner sold it to Acuzar without

obtaining permission or approval from the local government or any cultural agency (Ranada,

2012). While many say that Acuzar obtaining the Alberto house is beneficial, it must be noted

that less than 10% of the original Alberto house’s structure was kept (Sembrano, 2019). In fact,

out of all the heritage houses, only one house is kept 90% to the original, with others having

much lower ranges. Thus, not only was the cultural and historical context of the house taken, but

also its original physical form. Furthermore, Bahay Alberto could have been restored and

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maintained because the local government was on its way to doing so already, as seen by its

obtaining of financial resources to do so.

Lastly, Las Casas doesn’t receive criticism only for its obtaining of houses. Cultural

activists state that when one takes away a heritage house and relocates it, its cultural and

historical context is threatened or lost. The Burra Charter, the internationally recognized

principles for cultural heritage protection, states that “the physical location of a place is part of

its cultural significance. A building, work, or other component of a place should remain in its

historical location unless relocation is the sole practical means to ensuring its survival.” In the

case of some houses of Las Casas, relocation was not the only means for the survival of the

heritage houses. Funds for restoration could have been gathered and for others, the houses were

in such a condition that did not need restoration. Such was the case of the earlier mentioned

examples: the ​torogans and Bahay Alberto. The ​torogans were on their way to obtaining

protection and other benefits from UNESCO while Bahay Alberto was on its way to being

restored by its LGU.

Figure 1. Exterior of Casa Byzantina

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 Figure 2. Interior of Casa Byzantina with La Barca de Aqueronte

Furthermore, taking a heritage house away from its original location takes away the

benefits locals could have obtained if the structure had been restored instead. A heritage house

has the potential to stimulate local tourism and add charm to the town, not to mention the

potential to enrich its history and culture (Ranada, 2012). However, it is not only through

relocation that a heritage house loses its historical context. It may also lose its context through

the replacement of what was originally inside the house. In Las Casas, this can be seen in Casa

Byzantina (See Figure 1). Also known as the Don Lorenzo del Rosario House, the three-story

structure was used as a residential space and a commercial space for selling medicine (Laya,

2013). However, what now decorates the space are objects that were not previously there such as

a replica of Felix Resurrección Hidalgo’s La Barca de Aqueronte (The Boat of Charon), a

painting depicting death (See Figure 2). From a historical and cultural perspective, this change

brings no added significance or value. From a business perspective, however, this change causes

the monetary value of the structure to rise, making the Casa Byzantina the most expensive casa

to spend a night in with a range of Php 80,000 to Php 134,000.

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 This paper argues that Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is not the vanguard of Philippine

Cultural Heritage it claims to be, but rather a profit-driven institution that commercializes on

Philippine Culture and History. This is evident in the way it charges exorbitant prices for

services meant to be accessible to the public, obtains heritage houses, and exhibits a disregard for

their historical contexts. It makes sense for the institution to be held accountable for the crimes

committed against the nation’s culture and history.

While many consider Las Casas to be commendable because of its restoration

procedures, people should stay critical of the institution. In the matter of Cultural Heritage, it

does not only matter whether an artifact is being preserved. How an artifact is obtained and

preserved is also evaluated. It should take more than Instagram-worthy Capiz windows, stone

fountains, and ​ipil wood staircases to make a cultural heritage savior. Knowledge of this will be

beneficial for the public because they will be more aware and critical of the cultural preservation

of artifacts, taking principles of Ethics and legal principles into account. It will also prevent other

institutions from following the same path of considering only outside appearances and monetary

values when it comes to cultural preservation.

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 REFERENCES

Batten, J. (2013, August 25). A moving tale. Retrieved from

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1298878/moving-tale

Laya, J.C. (2013). Philippine Heritage Homes: A Guidebook. Mandaluyong City, Philippines:
Anvil Publishing

Pulumbarit, V. (2014, January 4). Tales of love, lust, and murder at Las Casas Filipinas.
Retrieved from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/travel/342418/tales-of-love-lust-and-murder
-at-las-casas-filipinas/story/

Ranada, P. (2012, November 3). The tragedy of Bahay Alberto. Retrieved from
https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/15398-the-tragedy-of-bahay-alberto

Republic Act No. 10066.​ (2009, July 27). Retrieved from

https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2010/ra_10066_2010.html

Sembrano, E.A. (2016, August 8). 2​nd oldest house in the Philippines demolished. Retrieved from
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/234674/2nd-oldest-house-in-the-philippines-demolished/.

Sembrano, E.A. (2019, February 18). Controversial ‘Heritage Resort’ in Bagac, Bataan, leads
National Arts Month Celebration. Retrieved from
https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer-1109/20190218/28208
9163041031

Sembrano, E.A. (2019, September 4). Housing heritage, telling stories. Retrieved from
https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/09/04/housing-heritage-telling-stories/

Takumi, R. (2016, August 10). NCCA to probe demolition of Casa Ordoveza, 2​nd​ oldest home in
PHL. Retrieved from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/577118/ncca-to-probe-demolition-o
f-casa-ordoveza-2nd-oldest-home-in-phl/story/

The Burra Charter​. (2013). Retrieved from

http://portal.iphan.gov.br/uploads/ckfinder/arquivos/The-Burra-Charter-2013-Adopted-31
_10_2013.pdf

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Villegas, R.N. (2013, May 27). Art installations inaugurate art space at controversial Acuzar
‘heritage resort’ in Bataan. Retrieved from
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/105391/art-installations-inaugurate-art-space-at-controversial
-acuzar-heritage-resort-in-bataan/

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