Paul Simon L.

Apostol DLSU – D
BTM41 H – CTHM005
The Ecosystem of Heritage Tourism
In each of the six stages in the life cycle of a heritage tourism product, give examples of heritage
tourism products and articulate the activities they are currently undertaking and what examples of
common problems arising from the stakeholders of heritage tourism.
• Early development or conceptualization
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar - The genius of real estate magnate José "Jerry" Acuzar gave birth
to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. In 2003, he decided to open an estate in the Bataan region, just
outside of his hometown of Balanga. Acuzar eventually settled on a 400-hectacre plot of land near
the fishing village of Bagac, where he built a charming manor house and a series of small cottages.
Five years later, Acuzar was offered pieces of a historic Cagayan Valley home. He later dismantled
and rebuilt the structure on his estate in an attempt to restore it to its former glory. He was quickly
approached about heritage homes for sale. Acuzar brought the heritage homes to his estate using
the same method of dismantling, relocating, and rebuilding. While the estate remained private,
more people became aware of his activities and wanted to visit his reconstructed heritage houses.
Acuzar recognized an opportunity to make the location more accessible to the general public.
Acuzar debuted his private estate as a beach resort to help fund his work restoring heritage houses.
Calling the facility “Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar,” the new retreat finally opened its doors in
2010. As Acuzar grew his team of artisans, the destination gradually expanded into 63 heritage
homes and 34 structures built in the style of the historic houses on-site.
• Launch, inauguration, or commencement
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Local Government of Kawit, Cavite have partnered
for the monumental lighting and video mapping show of the iconic Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit,
Cavite, as part of the 117th Philippine Independence celebration, in order to raise the standard of
monument lighting and building presentation.
Through an audio-visual staging that employs video mapping technology, the 18th century national
landmark will be experienced in an entirely new light. Video mapping, also known as "projection
mapping" or "spatial augmented reality," tells a story, creates an impression, and brings any
structure to life by using digitally produced visuals based on the architectural lines of a structure.
"With this effort, our foreign and domestic tourists will gain a better understanding of the country's
many heritage destinations." We seek to inspire the private sector and other stakeholders to
collaborate in preserving both our tangible and intangible cultural legacy for future generations of
Filipinos to see and cherish. Our successes now are anchored in and built on our history. And our
history and legacy are essential to the survival of our national identity."
The lighting and video mapping of the Aguinaldo Shrine is a DOT project implemented by the
Tourist Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and OptimumShow Philippines, Inc.
through the initiative of the LGU of Kawit, Cavite. The project is also supported by the Philippine
National Historical Commission (NHCP).
• Growth
Recently, the National Museum has been on its role when it comes to attracting tourists. Due to
the rise of social media, the said attraction was endorsed and recommended by its visitors because
of its knowledgeable contents and structure. The long-awaited realization of the National Museum
Complex, enacted by law in 1998 under Republic Act 8492, is one of the National Museum of the
Philippines' recent milestones. On June 28, 2016, the National Museum of Natural History was
inaugurated with a ceremonial turnover of the Tree of Life and its unveiling by then-President
Benigno Aquino III and his cabinet secretaries as representatives. Finally, the National Museum
of Natural History will open to the public on May 18, 2018, as part of the International Museum
Day celebrations. President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11333, popularly known as the
National Museum of the Philippines Act, on April 26, 2019. The law was enacted to strengthen the
institution's mandate in the management and development of museums and collections of national
importance in the fields of arts, cultural heritage, and natural history, making the museum more
responsive to the 21st century and the needs and demands of its stakeholders.
• Maturity
Currently, the heritage attraction that is really on its peak and maturity is the Walled City of
Intramuros. Despite the expected slowdown in arrivals due to the coronavirus disease 2019
(Covid-19) outbreak, visitors to Intramuros have increased.
"(For Intramuros), the numbers are increasing due to promotions and the opening of new sites;
surprisingly, we were not affected (by the impact of Covid-19); we shifted our focus to domestic
tourism," Intramuros Administration chief Guiller Asido told the Philippine News Agency (PNA)
on Tuesday night at the opening of the Allies for Freedom exhibit at the American Barracks within
the so-called Walled City.
He claimed that foot traffic in Fort Santiago alone reached 10,000 per day last month, up from 400
to 500 visitors in the same period in 2019.
"Right now, we're averaging 10,000 to 12,000 a day, which has increased by more than a hundred
percent from the previous average of 400 to 500," he said. Also, Intramuros attracted 3.7 million
visitors last year.
• Tourism Innovation
The old, abandoned, and derelict building of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
(HSBC), the Philippines' oldest foreign bank, was transformed into a gem that drew the attention
and admiration of many people.
The façade inspires admiration and nostalgia for the neoclassical beauty and splendor of the
building, transporting us to the grandeur of Old Manila.
Many heritage advocates were initially concerned about the building's construction, but they have
all been pleasantly surprised by what the new owner has done. The new owner repurposed and
renamed the structure "Grand Café 1919" after reusing and repurposing it.
Grand Café 1919 retained the Neoclassical appearance of the old façade, the original
commemorative plaque found in the building's Main Entrance, the intricate iron grille windows,
the 23-foot-high ceiling, and Corinthian-style capital, while presenting the restaurant with more
modern interiors, lighting, and furniture, as well as strategically placed large black and white
vintage photos of Manila.
The Grand Café 1919 kept its spacious ambiance for the bar, with the coffee and cake shop on the
ground floor and the large dining area on the mezzanine. The upper floor of the restaurant has
several different capacity private function rooms, which are common in Chinese tea houses in the
area.
• Decline
One of the heritage attractions that got into a decline is the El Hogar Filipino building which is
located at Binondo. The building was fortunate to survive the devastation of World War II, but
perhaps not what followed. The El Hogar Building, like many other sad stories about heritage
landmarks, fell into neglect and decay as the Melian companies ceased operations and creeping
urbanization rendered it no longer a viable business address. It had been abandoned for many years
before recent mysterious developments. There were rumblings of something going on in the
building in early 2014, with security now in place and news that its commemorative marker and
time capsule had been removed from the site. The building's ownership apparently changed hands
earlier that year, or possibly even earlier. Details are still hazy at this time, but what can be
determined is that some "things" are being done in the building that the public is unaware of.
References:
Aguinaldo Shrine comes to life for Independence Day | GOVPH. (2015, June 10). Official

Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2015/06/10/aguinaldo-shrine-show-independence-

day/#:~:text=The%20residence%20was%20declared%20a,and%20during%20the%20earl

y%201920s.

Historic Hotels Worldwide. (n.d.). Historic Hotels Worldwide.

https://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/las-casas-filipinas-de-acuzar/history.php

History – National Museum. (n.d.). https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/about-us/history/

Roamer, U. (2014, November 7). El Hogar Endangered? - The Urban Roamer. The Urban

Roamer. https://www.theurbanroamer.com/el-hogar-endangered/
Sambatyon, E. (2019, November 21). Binondo’s Grand Café 1919 rises from bank ruins,

showcases Old Manila heritage. Good News Pilipinas.

https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/binondos-grand-cafe-1919-rises-from-bank-ruins-

showcases-old-manila-heritage/