Information about Balesin Island

Balesin Island is a tropical island and barangay off the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines. It is located in Lamon Bay and is administered as part of the municipality of Polillo, Quezon.

Etymology

According to local folklore, Balesin island allegedly acquired its name from the local name for the banyan, balete, and the Tagalog word for salt (asin), reflecting the waters surrounding the island.

Geography

Balesin Island is situated within Lamon Bay and has a land area of 4.24 square kilometers (1.64 sq mi). It is administered as part of the municipality of Polillo of Quezon province.

Climate

The 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. The island is periodically subject to severe tropical storms.

History

During 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.Balesin Island was once owned by businessman Baby Ysmael. The island was later acquired by Edgardo “Ed” Tordesillas from Ysmael, who began to develop it with basic facilities for tourism. Early customers were predominantly Japanese. Today Balesin Island is a property of Alphaland Corporation, a private company majority owned by its Chairman Roberto Ongpin, a prominent Filipino businessman.

Balesin Island Club

Around 10% of the island has been developed to create a luxury resort, Balesin Island Club, with membership fees reportedly in the range ₱2.4-4 million.The resort was master-planned by EcoPlan of Miami, Florida 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.

Transportation

The island is served by the E.L. Tordesillas Airport, also known as Balesin Airport which has a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) runway.

Content is taken from Wikipedia