FILIPINOS AND AMERICANS HAVE SHARED MANY
things in their countries’ histories and there could be no better way to re-ignite that bond than to take a step back in time.
This year’s Ambassadors’ Tour – now called Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour which ran from July 14 to 21 – brought 331 tourists, mostly FilipinoAmericans, to the provinces of Bataan and Pampanga, the places that stood as witness to the struggles of Filipino and American soldiers during World War II. Their home while in Manila was the new luxury hotel Hilton Manila.
Both situated in Central Luzon, Bataan and Pampanga are accessible via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx). A trip to Bataan from Manila will take you about two and a half hours by private car to almost four hours by public transport buses. Pampanga, on the other hand, is just a oneand-a-half-hour drive from Manila.
“While we promote tourism, while we promote adventure among these kids, we insert certain substance subliminally and that subliminal insertion is through this Bataan tour. It was a deliberate, conscious effort on our part to include Bataan and for me, it’s a no brainer,” said Consul General to San Francisco Henry Bensurto.
“One, Bataan is an event that has become a bridge for two cultures – the Filipinos and Americans. Because in that event (WWII) that brotherhood was forged in the bloodshed of our heroes and for us to be able to highlight that among the first generation – by the way, some of whom were kids at that time – memories come back and we reignite the passion,” he said.
Now on its 13th year, the VIP Tour (Ambassadors’ Tour) is a brainchild of the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the US, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Tourism Promotions Board and Rajah Tours. This year, the program included a new component called Filgrimage (Filipino pilgrimage), a three-year-old project of San Diego-based entrepreneur Tony Olaes that caters to the young generation of Filipino-Americans.
The journey started on a rainy Tuesday morning. Ten buses transported the more than 300 tourists, grouped by state, to their first destination – Bataan. First stop was the World War II Museum located in the capital Balanga City, at the back of Balanga Elementary School. The two-story museum was built in honor of the fallen heroes of World War II. It showcases snippets of information about the war, particularly the Bataan Death March where thousands of Filipino and American soldiers perished. It also features a doll diorama portraying the torture of the soldiers. There is also an old toilet adjacent the museum which has been turned into a torture chamber. A surrender site monument is found within the vicinity of the museum, featuring the life-sized statue of Maj. Gen. Edward King when he signed the document of surrender to Japan on April 9, 1942.
The intermittent heavy showers brought by the stormenhanced southwest monsoon last week didn’t stop the balikbayans and Americans from visiting the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), located atop Mount Samat in Pilar town, just a few minutes away from Balanga City. One of the famous landmarks in Bataan, the 92-meter memorial cross was erected to honor the Filipino and American soldiers who fought for the country’s freedom against Japanese colonizers. At the base of the gigantic cross are marble slabs sculpted by the late National Artist Napoleon Abueva. A museum was also built underneath the cross which houses the remnants of war, including the weaponry, Japanese uniforms, miniature mountain landscapes and some photos taken from video documentation during the war.
From Pilar, the tourists drove further to Bagac to spend the night at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, a popular heritage resort situated on a beach facing the West Philippine Sea. This one-of-a-kind destination could also be accessed by sea. Tourists can take a ferry at the Pasay City Esplanade Seaside Terminal (behind Mall of Asia) going to Orion, Bataan. The regular fare ticket is P799. From Orion Port, take a bus going to Mariveles and get off at Alauli. Then take a jeep going to Bagac or bus going to Morong town and get off at the main entrance of Las Casas.
The 400-hectare resort, which was opened to the public in 2010, offers a glimpse of Spanish-era Philippines.
“It’s perfect for single travelers and it’s perfect for people to see a one-stop-shop of the Philippines in terms of architecture, the art, the culture and the food, and the complete heritage in a clean and safe environment,” said Paul Kerr, president of Las Casas Filipinas.
At present, the resort has a total of 217 rooms, divided into two – the regular rooms which are in the Escolta and the Estero and the old casas.
“It’s like moving into somebody’s house from before,” said Kerr, a German national who has been with Las Casas for the past three years.
The most expensive accommodation is the sevenbedroom Casa Vicentina, an original house from Binondo, which costs around P150,000 per night.
“It was basically left to rot and it was already deemed not fit for occupancy. We removed it and brought it here. And now it’s one of our masterpieces, a centerpiece,” Kerr said.
Las Casas offers a day tour, which includes a visit of the various houses on the property, with a tour guide giving details of the place.
“We have a balsa tour down the estero with a little bit of explanation about how these things were built and came together,” said Kerr.
The resort also offers its guests a wide range of food, from crabs and bangus (milk fish) which are native to Bataan, to Italian cuisine.
During weekends, the resort holds cultural shows and theater performances at the Hotel Oriente, a replica of the Philippines’ first luxury hotel.
“Besides the Instagrammable pictures that people get to take, they learn a little about history,” Kerr said.
On Wednesday, the VIPs departed Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and traveled to Clark via SCTex.
The guests started the Clark leg of the tour by indulging in mouth-watering meals prepared by 28-yearold Kapampangan chef Vince Garcia at the ASEAN Convention Center. The buffet included sisig, a popular dish in Pampanga, arobo or adobong puti, buro or fermented rice, fried hito and tilapia, as well as tibok-tibok and sapinsapin for dessert. The sinful crispy pork chicharon from the town of Guagua, however, was the clear hit.
Chef Vince explained each dish as guests partook of the food on the buffet table decorated with colorful abaniko fans and banderitas to match the venue’s festive mood. Chef Vince also did a cooking demonstration of sisig with some of the guests. Pampanga’s sisig has no egg or mayonnaise, the energetic Chef Vince, who owns Rainforest Kichen in the capital San Fernando City, repeatedly told the guests.
The visitors then proceeded to the second part of the program, a rolling tour of Clark’s iconic landmarks to learn about the province’s rich history and culture.
The highlights of the tour were the Clark Parade Grounds, which was originally pastureland of the Aetas; the Barn Houses built by the US military in 1904 for its officers; and the original pillars of Fort Stotsenburg, which were unearthed in 1965. The monument was named after US Cavalry Col. John M. Stotsenburg, who died in action while leading his troops in a battle with Filipino revolutionaries near Quingwa, Bulacan on April 25, 1899.
For decades, Clark Air Base was the largest US Air Base outside mainland US, until the US Bases Agreement expired in 1991.
For friends Savannah Durso and Erin Nicole Vedar, both 25 years old and who have joined all Filgrimage tours to the Philippines in the past three years, they did not just enjoy the beauty of the country but the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people as well.
“Each time we come back there’s always something new, you’re scratching the surface just a little bit more. I think the Philippines is so rich in culture and community and learning about that first hand is really awesome,” Durso, who hails from Oregon, said.
“For me, I’m always connected with the people, not just the Fil-Ams that are coming with us on the trip but the people who we are able to meet just by being in the Philippines, exploring different cities, different provinces, and that’s what keeps me coming back. ’Cause it’s always interesting to see how we are all connected,” said Vedar, who is from San Diego, California.
For 54-year-old Olaes, who was born and raised in the US, his first visit to the Philippines 12 years ago “transformed” him.
“On that trip 12 years ago, I came here as American and went back to the United States as a Filipino,” said Olaes, who also founded The Filipino School in San Diego.