BALESIN ISLAND CLUB

         I was recently invited to celebrate weekend Masses at one of the country’s most famous exclusive island resorts, the Balesin Island Club. Among its many amenities, the resort offers Sunday Mass for its guests, flying in a priest each weekend to preside over an anticipated Mass on Saturday evening and another on Sunday morning. As the visiting priest, I flew in on a Saturday and departed Monday morning. In between Masses, I enjoyed the perks of being treated like a guest, with complimentary accommodations in one of the resort’s villages and a 50% discount on meals at any of the island’s restaurants—good for two people.

          I initially wanted to bring a seminarian along, but with it being the last days of classes, they were all busy preparing for exams and other year-end activities. So, I invited an architect friend from Leyte to join me, and he eagerly accepted. Our flight to Balesin took off from Sangley Airport, and after a 30-minute journey, we arrived at the island, which belongs to the town of Polillo, Quezon.

            Balesin is a 500-hectare tropical paradise with stunning white sand beaches. I found the best beach was on the western side of the island, near the Balesin Village and the main clubhouse, where the sand was powdery, and the waters were crystal clear. The island boasts seven themed villages: Mykonos, Toscana, Costa del Sol, St. Tropez, Phuket, Bali, and Balesin—each designed to reflect the charm of its namesake destination.

          We were billeted at the St. Tropez village. Eager to explore the island, we rented bikes and spent most of the day visiting each of the beautifully themed villages, discovering the unique features of this extraordinary island resort. 

The outdoor restaurant near the main club house. 

The most beautiful beach and the best for swimming is on the western part of the island near the main club house. 

ST. TROPEZ VILLAGE

TOSCANA VILLAGE

PHUKET VILLAGE

The Phuket village was under renovation so there were no guests at the time. 

THE CHAPEL

BALI VILLAGE

The Bali village being on the western part of the island has a wide beach front and good for swimming. 

COSTA DEL SOL VILLAGE

The southern tip of the island with limestone rocks. 

Just in front of the Village Chapel is an aviary with parrots and love birds that are already tamed. 

MYKONOS VILLAGE

The Mykonos Village with its white washed walls and blue windows and doors looks stunning with the blue skies as background

Had lunch in one of the restaurants of Mykonos. 

The resort also has an aquaculture. They also produce their own salt. 

Barangay Chapel

There is a local community within the island and they have their own chapel.  Just before we left, we took time to visit the chapel. We noticed that there was a guardhouse at the entrance of the village.  Since, the whole village was fenced, I joked to the chapel caretaker that they really are special as they reside in a gated community.  

Was informed by the chapel caretaker, that in order to limit the population of the community, those who marry somebody from outside of the island can no longer reside in the island.