TRAVEL FEATURE
by
Gerard Newcombe
GPO Box 849 Sydney NSW 2001 Two guitarists strummed while they and other members of the colourfully dressed young quartet sang an enchanting Tagalog love song. The carabao, pulling the covered wagon in which we sat plodded resolutely along exhaust-free roads lined by hibiscus and frangipani and shaded by coconut trees, until we arrived at the river. Beautiful Mount Bahanhaw was reflected in the river and, completing what could have been a stage setting rather than real life was Mount Cristobal and the Sierra Madres range. Villa Escudero, a mere fifty-two miles or seventy-five minutes to the south of Manila, is surely the most unusual resort in the Philippines. Situated in the province of Quezon, immediately across the border which separates that province form the province of Laguna, Villa Escudero is not only a resort but also a working hacienda, a throw-back to bygone days and an absolute must for those smitten with nostalgia. The estate supports about two hundred families and boats its own church (a splendid modern edifice within which are balustrade and a stairway from the famous Quiapo Church in Manila) and a school. The hacienda is still run on feudal, albeit, benevolent lines. The tenants are supplied with seeds and fertilizers and turn over half their crop to the landlord who provides free schooling for their children and other such prerequisites. Law is enforced in that gambling and drinking are permitted only on birthdays and during fiestas but, – this being the Philippines that means nearly every day. The resort part of the estate is mainly located on the south shoreline of the fifty yard wide tranquil river which is bordered on either side by myriad palm trees. Jutting out into the water, is a large restaurant, a swimming pool with immaculate changing rooms and nearly a score of well designed, tastefully appointed bungalows, each with a verandah on which one may while away the day swinging in a hammock. All the buildings are constructed of native materials and the architecture is attractive and functional. A diving platform is moored in the water which will also delight anglers in that it is well stocked with fish. Here too are a number of long, slender rafts, some with benches, which can be poled up and down the river. Take your choice: You can have boisterous fun or quite relaxation. Rather than dine in the restaurant over the river, most visitors will prefer to eat in the restaurant which is in the river – yes, literally in the river. Immediately below the thirty-foot high, man-made Labasin waterfall, at the south end of the river (which is an integral part of the hacienda’s hydro-electric scheme). Half -a-dozen long tables and a dozen benches stand in the river which, at this point, is a mere twelve inches deep and twenty yards wide. Guests remove their shoes and socks, roll up their trouser legs and, after serving themselves from the buffet table on the far side of the river, sit down below the cooling and gurgling waterfall to enjoy their meal. Mr. Conrado Escudero, who manages the hacienda, indicated that this was no tourist gimmick but that his grandparents many, many years ago would travel from the “big house” to the waterfall in a carabao-drawn wagon and would there alight and be served lunch at a table placed in the water below Labasin Falls. Any tour of the hacienda (and there are organized tours in carabao-drawn wagons) ends at the museum and no visitor can possibly be prepared for the quantity or the quality of its contents. Currently, a giant, two-storey museum stands in the grounds and displays the infinite number
Page 1 of items in the collection: The Family Memorabilia, however, will remain in the family homestead, where they are now. Three successive generations of Escuderos have been regular and compulsive collectors. They collected anything and everything from beetles to silver spoons; from old bathroom tubs to magazine covers. Here one can see the first tennis machine in the Philippines; the clothes worn by President Marcos and his First Lady on the occasion of a visit to the United States; and the furniture of Igorot tribespeople. But, above all, are superb collections of celadon and liturgical treasures. The latter include previous icons in gold embroidered robes and silver altars which were traded by several well-known churches, such as those of Quiapo and Sariaya, when they needed to raise funds for repair. And if all this is boring for the children, then they can play among the World War II relics on the immaculate lawn in front of the museum or be left in the children’s playground near the swimming pool. This oasis in the Philippines is truly a world of its own. Be sure not to miss Villa Escudero!
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