BAGAC, Bataan – This mountain town known for beautiful sandy beaches adjacent to the West Philippines Sea is ready for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference Workshop on June 9 – 12, 2015, an official of the town and the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar announced Tuesday.
Nicanor Ancheta, Bagac municipal administrator, said the third class municipality is all set for the holding of the APEC Workshop on Fiscal Management through Transparency and Reforms & Senior Finance Officials Meeting.
Dexter Manansala, head of the tour guides department of Las Casas, said the new Hotel de Oriente, a replica of the destroyed Hotel de Oriente in Binondo Manila, is ready for APEC. “Muling nabuhay ang Hotel de Oriente, ginawang convention center, na ang unang gagamit ay ang APEC,” he said.
Manansala said the fully-air-conditioned convention hall can accommodate 1,200 persons. He said that what are being prepared are minor ones like the sound systems, tables and chairs. “Ang buong building ay handa na,” Manansala said.
Ancheta said that Mayor Rommel del Rosario has met with police and other security agencies as well as village chiefs in 14 barangays in the maintenance of peace and order. “The mayor asked all residents for full cooperation in the maintenance of cleanliness in their respective areas,” he said.
Ancheta said their problem is where to house members of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police, especially their top officials.He said that as of Tuesday, heritage park Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar has stopped accepting reservations. “Aside from Las Casas, the National Power Corporation Hotel and Resort Village and resorts are fully-booked,” he said.
The NPC Resort Village has 20 rest houses, 48 hotel rooms and four VIP rooms that Ancheta said are all taken. “Pati lahat ng 15 malalaking beach resorts at iba pang maliliit na resorts ay punuan na rin,” the municipal administrator said.
Ancheta advised visitors who cannot be accommodated in Bagac to get hotel accommodations in Balanga City which is merely 45 minutes of land travel away. Manansala said that delegates as well as other visitors will be awed with the beauty and comfort they will experience in the new Hotel de Oriente. The floors of the two-storey building are of wood parquet while the ceilings are made of wood mosaic with painting of national artist Botong Francisco. The steps of the winding stairs are also of wood mosaic.
At the first floor is Juan Luna’s Spolarium made of wood mosaic also done by a local artist. “Hindi ito kinulayan at ang ginamit ay ang natural color ng kahoy,” Manansala said. He said that the new Hotel de Oriente was built through pictures and documents about the old one that was destroyed during World War II. At the former site is the Titana Building near Binondo Church.
