Eskaya Spa and Resort - The New Unique Bohol Destination
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Travelling
to Bohol soon? Looking for a nice and pre-hispanic Filipino-inspired luxury
hotel? Through Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa you can enjoy Bohol much more with
that Filipino vibe around.
Thanks
to Architect Bobby Mañosa and his daring Filipino aesthetics that shape Eskaya
into a unique Bohol destination!
Architect
Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa is that rare breed of Filipino architect who
championed the Filipino style at a time when foreign influence was the vogue
and the use of indigenous materials was limited to a few brave souls.
It is therefore
not surprising that Mañosa has been tapped to put to life the vision of the
owners of the uppity Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa who wanted to
incorporate the local culture in Bohol, where the 16-hectare gateway is
located, into its aesthetics, particularly on its famous thatched villas
known as "balais."
As a result,
Eskaya, like Mañosa, has become a rare breed of a resort that while it exudes
the Mediterranean atmosphere in colors and flavors, there is no denying that
its soul is Filipino -- unique, unequalled, and unafraid.
Consider how the
culture of the Eskaya tribe, which inhabits Bohol long before the Internet
revolution conquered the province, was incorporated into its design philosophy.
A tough task, but Mañosa delivered. That, and the centuries-old churches,
ancestral homes, the province's topography, its faura and fauna, all played an
important role in making the resort as Boholano as its famous Chocolate Hills
are.
"The
fundamental of our local architecture is very clear to me. Culture, climate and
our rich history are both the unifying and dividing factor," says Mañosa. "Oftentimes
we look into the local region where the project is located to see if there are
any influences or local inspirations that can be derived in inspiring
architecture."
The 15 thatched
villas, as well as the other facilities inside the property including its
restaurant and bar, all used local materials found in the province -- rattan,
wood, cogon grass, stones, and bamboos.
The writings of
the Eskaya tribe, where the resort got its name, are also very visible in the entire
resort, starting from the letters of the alphabet that were used to identify
the property right at the main gate. "The biggest influence was the
writings of the Eskaya tribe which not many people know still exist to this
day,” says the architect, who credits his father for championing
"Filipinism" in his works.
"We felt an
awareness of Filipinos to know who the ‘Eskaya’ tribes are and what sort of
influences they have in the Visayas region. This brought my firm to a quest to
try and uplift the awareness of the tribe through architecture."
Mañosa also
credits the Lim family, who owns the luxury resort, for giving him and his team
the freedom in shaping up Eskaya into what it is today. The Lims even
introduced the architect to the Eskaya people just so he could get a firsthand
experience of the tribe's culture and ways of life.
"The owners
were very supportive and gave us a free hand on the design of the resort. They
also introduced us to the Chieftain of Eskaya who gave us a ringside
understanding of the tribe," Mañosa says.
While the 15
villas were designed uniformly to stay within the budget, each of them were
built in such a way that guests were assured of privacy, a rare commodity these
days especially if you live in a city as crowded as Manila. This way, the
guests will feel as if they are the only ones occupying the entire resort.
"The
positioning of buildings and their relationships to each other was very
important. We did not want a resort where “maximizing” the property
was a priority," says Mañosa.
"We felt that
space was just as important as the building space. This gave the guests
the freedom to experience and savors the openness of the landscape, and enjoys
the property's natural beauty."
Mañosa is still
involved in the expansion of Eskaya, including the building of additional
villas. "We wanted to continue the spirit of the old resort, keeping
its ‘soul’ which distinguishes the Eskaya design from other
resorts," he says.
With Mañosa's
imagination and creativity, the Eskaya spirit and soul will definitely live on
for hundreds of years.
For more information on Eskaya Beach Resort and
Spa, log on to http://www.eskayaresort.com/ or call (+632)576-3082, (+632)576-3051,
(+632)584-3180 or email reservations@eskayaresorts.com.
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