Once upon a time in Bavaria, King Ludwig II instructed his subjects to build a castle as a retreat house and eventually his home. With its medieval architecture and 19th century style, little do people know that Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle is also located in the outskirts of Metro Manila—as its replica, of course.

Photo by Kyle Bustos

Once upon a dream

Positioned in Lemery, Batangas, “Fantasy World” is an actual castle with its own local history. The tourist facility was primarily developed to become a club for private members. As developments were ongoing, it was later designed to be a theme park that would open to the public and ultimately be comparable to the fairytale magic and flair Disneyland brings to families.

However, in 2001, the future of Fantasy World and the amusement it would bring to Filipinos came to a halt when its development underwent financial issues.

With more than one source of ownership, it is rumored that the Japanese businessman behind the idea of Fantasy World had no choice but to abandon the structure due to its lack of funding. Reports from one of the nation’s leading newspapers, Philippine Star, claimed the project was initially done by the Filipino-owned corporation ECE Realty & Development led by Emilio Ching, the owner of said company. With further investigations, the corporation failed to comply with the Security and Exchange in Commission’s requirements for Fantasy World to be registered as an amusement park. Ching’s neglect of cooperating then led to an abrupt halt which all boiled down to the developers as they were scrutinized for their lack in credibility. But despite the unforeseen problems, construction for Fantasy World was approved by the Department of Tourism (DOT), which managed to put up an archaic themed castle with towers, a main gate, and access roads prior to its discontinuation.

Elevated on top of a hill and surrounded with lush greenery, the castle’s facade, with its crumbling paint and crippled design due to its abandonment over the years, adds a mysterious and medieval vibe. Statues of dragons at the entrance, throne rooms, and tree houses that give a generous view of Batangas are also accessible thanks to the local homeowner’s association that maintains the park to this day.

Photo by Kel Santos

Workers’ unfair conditions

One worker from Fantasy World’s groundskeeping department, who has been working in the amusement park for 13 years since 2005, said it required a great deal of effort on his part to work there, as he and his fellow workers are tremendously short-staffed.

“Kapagod din kasi sa clubhouse ako lang mag-isa, sa garden mga 13 lang [kami], lahat ito pababa, araw-araw,” the elderly man, who refused to be identified, said.

Fantasy World, which is estimated to be 30 hectares, and with only 13 groundskeepers, results to an unfair treatment of their employees. Even if Fantasy World in itself is inoperative, the importance of maintaining the property’s physical aspect is necessary for everyone who pays it a visit. But to the worker, the themepark’s worth in terms of preservation is nothing more but a job. “Yun lang trabaho namin,” he added.

Despite being seemingly mishandled, Fantasy World still manages to attract visitors, as guests have an entrance fee of P1,000 for every 10 people. Mostly visited by families and groups of friends, varied age groups from different parts of the country, ranging from millennials to seniors, claimed to have known about Fantasy World thanks to social media.

Unfortunately, the moniker “Philippine Disneyland” reference is somehow inaccurate for anyone who sees Fantasy World personally.

In a visit to Fantasy World, The Benildean interviewed guests from all walks of life. Married couple Raffy and Maiden Balagtas, both 34 years old, said the theme park would not be good for tourism, adding “hindi [ito] makakatulong. Locally, oo, pero foreigners hindi. Hindi nila ‘to pupuntahan, kasi sa kanila mas maganda, pero sa atin [for Filipinos], this will do.”

Meanwhile, Nestor, 60, and Nely Tribunsay, 56, who drove all the way from Tayabas, Quezon, talked about the wasted opportunities Fantasy World could have brought to Filipino families who cannot afford a plane ticket to the nearest Disneyland, which is in Hong Kong.

“Pag pinaganda ito, para rin ito sa mga hindi afford makapag-travel para masabi na lang na “Ay nakapunta na nga ako” [sa Disneyland],” they said.

With every piece of struggle Fantasy World went through from the day it was constructed to present time, one can still wonder the point of it all. For some locals, it doesn’t matter that the theme park barely runs; in reality, Fantasy World will only ever be appreciated for its fortification. But the fact remains that despite its abandonment, some Filipinos still consider it a great deal that the castle is well taken care of, as it brings an out-of-the-ordinary experience to behold for those who pay it a visit.


Photo by Kel Santos

A real “Philippine Disneyland” may not be attainable soon, but just as long as Fantasy World remains open, with a little bit of imagination, its grandiose structure is enough to impress those seeking for a fairytale-like scene.

Photos by Kel Santos and Kyle Bustos
This article was originally published in The Benildean Vol. 4 No. 2: Preservation.