Bagac town a major eco-tourism hub in Central Luzon

BALANGA CITY, Bataan- A retired government statistician explained the other day the unabated economic upswing of the province is the result of the positive foresight and solid entrepreneurial advocacy background of the local government authorities on eco-tourism industry.

Ms. Teresita O.Hernandez, a retired employee of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) has cited the proposal of Bagac mayor –elect Gabriel del Rosario, one of the country’s youngest mayoralty winners in the last elections, of transforming the coastal town into an European-architectural landscape of Spanish and American eras to match up with existing development in the world-class heritage resort of the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Barangay Pag-asa, Bagac town.

Hernandez, whose family once owned a Spanish house in San Jose, Batangas, stressed rekindling the flame of rich historical and cultural memoirs of Bagac would exactly connect the on-going expansion of the 400 hectare heritage resort.

According to Bataan History written by a priest, Bagac hosted one the largest sawmills in the country during the American occupation located in the coastal village of Saysain where a high school, a hospital, housing units and other amenities in a progressive community were established and the significant defensive roles of the town during the last World War to save thousands of USAFFEE soldiers.

With such teeming historical environment, Hernandez expects great potential of the coastal town as premier tourist destination in Central Luzon and Metro Manila with the signing of key air transport liberalization agreements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is another achievement of expanding tourism market.

The town hosted the senior finance officers meeting of the Asian Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) last year held at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar that served as strategic importance to the local tourism industry.