Balesin Island is a tropical island and barangay off the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines. It is administered as part of the municipality of Polillo of Quezon province.[1]
 Beach outside the clubhouse at Balesin Island | |
.svg)  Balesin Island Location within the Philippines .svg) Balesin Island Balesin Island (Philippines) | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 14°25′27″N 122°02′14″E / 14.4242°N 122.0372°E |
| Area | 4.24 km2 (1.64 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 8.74 m (28.67 ft) |
| Administration | |
Philippines | |
| Region | Calabarzon |
| Province | Quezon |
| Municipality | Polillo |
| Barangay | Balesin |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1,207 (2020) |
| Additional information | |
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Geography
editBalesin Island is situated within Lamon Bay and has a land area of 4.24 square kilometers (1.64 sq mi).
Climate
editThe weather of Balesin Island is dominated by the trade winds, creating two seasons. The amihan (northeast monsoon) brings moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the east. Typically it begins in November or December and ends sometime in May or June. Throughout rest of the year, Balesin Island experiences the habagat (southwest monsoon) season, characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.[2] The island is periodically subject to severe tropical storms.[3]
History
editDuring the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, a contingent of seven soldiers lived on Balesin Island, reportedly existing peacefully with indigenous local fishermen and their families.[4]
Balesin Island was once owned by businessman Baby Ysmael.[5] The island was later acquired from Ysmael by Edgardo “Ed” Tordesillas, who began to develop it with basic facilities for tourism. Early customers were predominantly Japanese. Today Balesin Island is a property of Alphaland Corporation,[6] a private company majority owned by its Chairman Roberto Ongpin,[7] a prominent Filipino businessman.
Balesin Island Club
editAround 10% of the island has been developed to create a luxury resort, Balesin Island Club,[8] with membership fees reportedly in the range ₱2.4-4 million.[9]
The resort was master-planned to optimise ecological sustainability. Runoff from the 1.5 km runway of Balesin Airport provides over 100 million liters of water annually which passes through several man-made lakes and filtration to provide potable water. In addition used water is recycled for landscaping during the summer. The island's coral reefs are managed for diving and sustainable fishing with local species including parrotfish, butterfly fish, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, grouper, and deep-sea crabs.[10]
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Beach at Phuket Village, Balesin Island Club -
Beach outside the clubhouse at Balesin Island -
Beach outside the clubhouse at Balesin Island -
St Tropez Village, Balesin Island Club
Transportation
editThe island is served by the E.L. Tordesillas Airport, also known as Balesin Airport which has a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) runway.[11] Balesin is served by buses, jeeps, electric golf carts, and service vans around the island.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Punzalan, Yolanda (January 12, 2014). "The grandeur that is Balesin". Yahoo! News. VERA Files. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ "Philippines : Weather". Lonely Planet (travel guidebook). Archived from the original on 2017-09-10. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
- ^ Pazzibugan, Dona (July 28, 2011). "Storm toll: 27 dead, 31 missing". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- ^ "Balesin Island: Balesin Island". www.balesin.com. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ Jurado, Emil (January 14, 2020). "Nation-builders, heroes and patriots (Part 2)". Manila Standard. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ Lowe, Aya (April 4, 2013). "Alphaland's Balesin grows to meet demand". Rappler. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013.
- ^ "Life in the fast lane". Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ "Balesin Island Club places 2nd in UN World Tourism excellence awards". Manila Standard. January 31, 2018.
- ^ "The Price Tags of The Philippines' Most Exclusive Clubs". Esquire. April 3, 2017.
- ^ Lanyon, Charley (October 28, 2012). "Hot spots: Balesin Island Club, the Philippines". South China Morning Post.
- ^ Arnaldo, Maria Stella (June 22, 2017). "UNWTO cites Ongpin resort's sustainable-tourism program". BusinessMirror. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
External links
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