Filipino expatriates who plan to take a holiday in the Philippines, almost always wanted to explore new attraction, in addition, of course to their hometown when they go back to the Philippines as a balikbayan. I for one, living in Australia for more than 20 years looking forward to the provincial way of life where everything is simple and people not still affected by this materialistic world we live in.
 
If one has a short period of time o kapos sa panahon, I can suggest one, just few hours away from Manila. I am referring to the famous Villa Escudero which even today is still attracting quality visitors who would like to enjoy the Filipino way of life in the countryside, but with modern facilities of a resort.

The best way to experience rustic life in Philippine countryside is to visit the Villa Escudero Plantation and Resort which one writer described as a ‘world of a bygone era, pastoral and idyllic, lyrical and idealised, like the paintings of artist Fernando Amorsolo, the Dalagang Bukid period of sculptor Guillermo Tolentino, and the sentiments expressed in classic songs like Manuel P. Velez’ Sa Kabukiran.’
 
Villa Escudero is located in San Pablo City, Laguna, a kilometre away from the Laguna-Quezon boundary arch. The vast plantation is being managed by the Arsenio Escudero and Rosario Adap Memorial  Foundation. It is characterised by well-maintained coconut palm trees villages extending us far as the towns of Tiaong and Dolores in Quezon province.
 
A scenic backgorund to this idyllic site is the graceful peaks of the legendary Mt. Banahaw which provides flowing spring waters to the popular resort.
 
Villa Escudero is also a reflection of the country’s historical past. During the Philippine revolutions against Spain and the United States, Filipino revolutionists were given shelter at the plantation. It also became the sanctuary of Filipino and American soldiers during World War II.
 
Aware of this historical importance, the Escudero family decided to build a resort within the vast coconut plantation, with an impressive museum housing the valuable rich collection of the family.
 
The Escudero collections started as early as 1923 and covered a whole range of items of archaeology, ethnography, history, folk, and various objects of art. The structure itself which houses the museum is a reconstruction in the style of an old Province Laguna church. It is built on a floating foundation to prevent destruction from earthquakes. Architecture is ecclectic. The balusters are from Vigan  (far northern city of Luzon); the doors are original native pieces.
 
Near the entrance are two large antique cabinets with intricate designs. The ground floor is ablaze of lights illuminating each object from carrozas of the Santo Entierro, carved retablos of various saints on hardwood and images decked in black velvet and silver. On the right side are oil paintings of rural scenes, folk and ethnic art objects such as shell and paste necklaces, decorated hats, Muslim wares and portraits of Philippine ethnic tribes. The left side is a heaven of natural history, birds, insects, animals and plants.
 
The mezzanine floors are miscellaneous array of potter, jewellery, Oriental ceramics, secondary burial coffins, dioramas, costumes, different kinds of war equipment, deep sea diving paraphernalia and a host of others. There is also a shrunken head and Emperor Nero’s tear vials. There is also a money collection, including some old mints of foreign currencies.
 
The museum offer special musical and cultural programs in its large structure Filipinas Pavilion. The building itself is unique, the ceiling is made of layers and layers of coconut wood set on large cement beams.
 
During the holidays, Villa Escudero is a must-see for visitors, foreign and local alike. The resort welcome drop-in guests if there are enough accommodations but usually for a big group and planning to stay overnight, advanced booking is required.
 
Visitors to Villa Escudero will have an instant feeling of being among the locals. At the reception hall, visitors are served with a welcome drink of sago (extracted from a kind of palm tree) by resort employees dressed in native costumes: colourful trousers and camisa de chino for males and kimona or baro’t saya for the women. Visitors join a tour of the resort in a carabao-drawn cart, while being serenaded by a young female singer, also in native attire, singing Filipinol songs. Guests are encouraged to participate in the singing of lively Filipino tunes. The carabao cart is fairly decorated and can accommodate many people. Through a leisure travel round the resort passing through local houses within the coconut plantation, the entertainment continues.
 
The self-contained resort has tennis courts, basketball courts, a spring-fed swimming pool, conference and seminar facilities, camping sites, parks for children, indoor games facilities, and bambo and palm-roofed cottages (air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned units) beside the long, narrow but deep lake where schools of dalag (local fresh water fish) and tilapia (another local fresh water fish) abound. Hint: Click at any image above to display it in its full size. Hover your mouse pointer over the full-size image and then click at any side arrow that appears or rotate your mousewheel to scroll to the next full-size image.

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