PHL hosts culture-themed APEC 2015 at heritage resort in Bataan

Casa Mexico at the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar resort in Bagac, Bataan. Photo by Riz Pulumbarit

Delegates from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies are getting a Filipino cultural experience with the country hosting the international event at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan until Friday.

According to Department of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, they chose to hold the event at the Las Casas, which features 18th to early 19th century Filipino heritage houses mostly inspired from the Spanish occupation.

“We walk the talk when we say, ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines.’ We did not opt for a conventional hotel; we wanted to deliver a unique experience. I think APEC delegates are in for taste of refined hospitality in Bagac as they bask in the past while charting the region's future,” Purisima said.

The APEC Workshop on Fiscal Management Through Transparency and Reforms is currently being held, while the APEC Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting will follow on June 11 to 12.

These meetings are being held at the Hotel de Oriente – a replica of the building of the same name in Binondo, Manila – while delegate guest rooms will consist of a mix of old casa and apartment types of lodging.

“When delegates remember APEC 2015 in Bagac, we want them to recall not only which regional priorities they successfully advanced, but that they did it where beauty defied time and space,” Purisima said.

The Las Casas houses are comprised of recreated villages of cobblestone streets, small plazas and outdoor sculpture.

These structures are mostly relocated and reconstructed with materials sourced from old houses from different parts of the country, while some give tribute to already existing structures.

The APEC is an annual event where delegates of members countrys converge to discuss business strategies that will ease free trade across the Asian region.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. — Andrei Medina/BM, GMA News