Volcanic ash (lahar) was one of the materials utilized in the cement mix that was used in paving the roads of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). We learned this interesting piece of information when the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) recently hosted a familiarization trip and orientation for the members of the press.

Although lahar brings to mind the devastation brought about by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the BCDA was optimistic that by making lahar a part of a sturdy highway system, it would help erase the memories of a nation buried under tons of volcanic ash. It turned out that using lahar was more economical and also helped unclog riverbanks in Central Luzon.

The SCTEX is considered the most scenic of all the country's expressways and is supposedly the Philippines’ longest toll road at 93.77 kilometers (km).

Since it commercially opened last April 2008, SCTEX has made travelling to the areas of Central and North Luzon seamless and faster. Aside from cutting travel time, the SCTEX has helped the country’s tourism growth through the possibilities of quick getaways and day tours, which in effect, have also helped emerging places and destinations become easily accessible to both foreign and local tourists.

A historical spot

The Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a 400-hectare heritage resort located in Bagac, Bataan. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from Metro Manila via the SCTEX, the resort is patterned after a typical town settlement during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines.

This is a place where one can admire well-restored 19th century classic mansions, establishments, and stone houses while walking along cobblestone roads.

The houses featured, reportedly, were actual structures sourced from different locations in the country that were painstakingly redeveloped in the resort “plank by plank” and “brick by brick”. Most are at least a century old, restored to their original grandeur, resulting in an overall Filipino neighborhood of yore at a venue showcasing a Hispanic lifestyle influence.

An example of a notable house is the Casa Lubao, which was owned by the relatives of former President, now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It has a spacious dining hall, three bedrooms, a large balcony with iron grills, huge windows, and wood plank floorings.

There are also accommodations available to visitors who want to stay longer than a day. The Paseo De Escolta, which is reminiscent of commercial buildings in Manila during the early 1900s, moonlights as a fully operational hotel.

Other than the hotel and the requisite historical day tour services, there is also the Marivent Café that serves traditional Filipino-Hispanic cuisine; and the Taberna del Señor Pepe, a cigar and tapas cocktail place where different musical groups also play at night.

Wellness, the Korean way
 
From Bagac, Bataan on our way back to Manila, we dropped by the New Well Being Spa Resort in Lohas Hotel located at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. Built around the former Redwood Villas Clubhouse, the three-hectare property has 40 hotel rooms and claims to have the “largest spa in the region” in accordance to Korean spa standards.

The spa is equipped with a Jjimjilbang, a Korean-style sauna system. There are three kinds of sauna rooms that you can find: a wood-fired hot bulgama; a warm, charcoal detox room; and an ice room. There are also shower and locker rooms with hot and cold jacuzzi areas. Massage rooms are divided into common and VIP areas.

Hungry? The Café Mu and the Yummy Restaurant offer an array of Korean dishes alongside international food choices as well.