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| Balay Batac |
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| Capilla San Miguel |
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| Beachfront |
The beautiful Sitio Remedios Heritage
Village, near Playa Tropical Resort Hotel in the sleepy little town of Currimao,
is an amazing recreation of a mid 20th century Ilocos Norte village
sitting on a 1.8-hectare beachfront lot and laid out in a qudricula, a
grid typical of Spanish times.
Check out "Resort Review: Playa Tropical Resort Hotel"
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| Balay Bacarra and Balay Batac |
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| Balay Piddig |
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| Balay Piddig |
This heritage village, with its feel of mid-18th century Ilocos Norte, is owned by Dr. Joven
R. Cuanang, a neurologist, professor, art collector Harvard graduate and Medical Director at St. Luke’s
Medical Center. The resort was named after his mother.
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| Balay Piddig |
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| Balay Radrillo |
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| Balay Puraw |
At the
center of the resort is the quaint Capilla de San Miguel, a chapel named after
the patron saint of Currimao.
The chapel, fronting Plaza de Manzanillo, is a wide-angle vantage point from which to see the six distinct villas, 5 named after the respective towns (Batac, Dingras, Piddig, Bacarra and San Nicolas) from which the reconstructed ancestral home originates.
The resort's Abrao Restaurant by the sea serves local Ilocano fare (bagnet, Vigan longanisa, etc.), fresh fruit juices, and refreshing herbal drinks and teas.
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| Kwarto ni Cecille |
The wood and furnishings of
each villa, already considered scrap by their old owners, were rescued from old
Ilocos houses about to be demolished and gathered by Arch. Rex Hofilena who
used the materials to form each villa. The interior decor was provided by Dr. Cuanang's prized collection of family heirlooms, antique furniture (beds, dining tables, wooden sala sets, and the ubiquitous butaca plantation chairs with elongated arm rests, vintage lamp fixtures, etc.), locally-woven white cotton linens and paintings from his Manila galleries.
There are no television sets in the villas but they do provide airconditioning in the bedrooms and hot and cold showers.
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| The resort's swimming pool |
The
one-storey Balay Piddig (PhP6,000/night for 2 guests), with its calado (daintily-cut
wood) entry porch, has a room affectionately called Kwarto ni Cecile, named
after world-renowned pianist Cecile Licad who
inaugurated the place on May 2006 and rested here during her Ilocos concert
tour. Her room is now the Honeymoon Suite. The house also has the
upright piano that used to occupy the Dr. Cuanang’s ancestral house in
Batac.
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| Balay Piddig and Balay Batac |
The
living room of Balay Batac (PhP12,500/night for 4 guests), the largest house in
Sitio Remedios, has Dr. Cuanang's parents’ wedding picture, retouched in the
inimitable larawan style by National Artist BenCab.
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| Torre ni Mariano |
The
portrait "Remedios, Maestra" by Antonio Leano graces the
sitting area while a large mural by the artist Manny Garibay, honoring the
bravery of Gen. Artemio
Ricarte (El Vibora) hangs in the dinning area. A portrait of
Bishop Gregorio
Aglipay graces the second floor sitting area while portraits of
brothers Juan and Antonio Luna are also featured.
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| Balay Dingras |
The
one-storey Balay Bacarra (PhP6,000/night for 2 guests), made from wood salvaged
from a Bacarra house, features pictures of nautilus shells and artsy nudes by
famous fashion photographer Wig Tysman, an old drawing of the Bacarra Tower by
Zany Laygo and "An Ilocana Balasang," another gift by the National
Artist, BenCab. A bedroom, called Kuarto ni Antonia, was named in honor of its
first occupant, Antonia Bersola-Babao.
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| Fountain |
The
modest Ablon (an Ilocano word for "healing through touch/massage"),
adjacent to the dining area, is Sitio Remedios’ on-site health and wellness
spa. Twin enamel bathtubs here have a commanding view of the sea and the
fiery Currimao sunset. The resort also has a swimming pool and
jacuzzi in front of the dining area. Historical lectures are also
conducted in a hall called Centro Ilocos de Juan Luna.
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| Ablon |
Sitio Remedios Heritage
Village: Brgy. Victoria, Currimao, Ilocos Norte. Mobile number: (0920)
925-0217. Email: sitio_remedios@yahoo.com. Website: www.sitioremedios.com.
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