We have been busy with a number of projects in Balesin since the end of the holidays, and I am pleased to update you about them herewith.

Dennis O. Valdes – President

Earlier this month, on February 1, Dennis O. Valdes “returned to the fold” as President of Alphaland Corporation. My daughter Anna was happy to “kick herself upstairs” as Vice Chairman of Alphaland, to make way for Dennis.

As you may know, Dennis was President of PhilWeb Corporation for some 13 years. You will remember that I had to sell out of PhilWeb three years ago. To his credit, Dennis decided to stay with PhilWeb for three more years, to make sure that it stayed afloat. Now that he has successfully achieved that task, I am delighted to welcome him back to Alphaland Corporation (he has always been a Director of Alphaland since inception).

Dennis is an accomplished management executive. He is a CPA and has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University). I am delighted to have Dennis back at my side as we continue to grow Alphaland.

Revised Rule for Guests of Members

For the past several years, (actually from the time we started selling memberships at Balesin Island Club), many members have been clamoring for the relaxation of the rule that their guests must be accompanied by the member when they visit Balesin. Many members, in fact, would fly in in the morning with their guests, and return the same day to Manila, just to comply with this rule. Thus, you will be pleased to know that we will now allow guests of our members to visit Balesin without the member being physically with their guest, but of course, with the member’s endorsement. However, as is the rule, members cannot assign their Free Villa Nights to their guests. The implementing rules will be sent to you shortly.

“Balesin’s Underwater World Lives Again”

At long last, we have now published our book entitled “Balesin’s Underwater World Lives Again” by Jay Server. Each member will be entitled to a copy either by picking it up when next you go to Balesin, or sending us an email with an address where we can deliver it to you. I hope you will enjoy it.

Balesin Summer Sports Camps

Just a reminder that our annual Balesin Summer Sports Camp will kick off on April 15. In addition to training the youngsters to improve their sports abilities, it is also a great deal for parents. Attached is the flyer for the sports camp. As you can see, it is headed by an all-star coaching team. We are fortunate to have Scott Cooper, the Head Coach of the world-famous Azkals Philippine National Team to lead the Soccer Sports Camp.

Scott has also suggested that we upgrade the grass turf at our present soccer pitch to FIFA-approved artificial turf. Scott believes that this will attract worldwide interest in a training camp at Balesin, where families can enjoy our resort facilities as well as world-famous training coaches. Additionally, he believes that European football teams would like to have a proper training camp-cum-resort facility, especially when it is winter in Europe. We are now studying the feasibility of converting our soccer field surface into FIFA-approved artificial turf.

Apsaras Chinese Villa Restaurant

Last Sunday was the soft opening of the Apsaras Chinese Villa Restaurant. As you know, this is owned by a group from the Shenzhen Yacht Club and the restaurant is operated by them. I had dinner there last Sunday night, and I must say that it was not bad at all.

Rico’s Hideaway

As you know, we opened Rico’s Hideaway some five years ago where we serve Mongolian barbecue on weekends. Since you could only reach the restaurant by walking a few hundred meters, it was not very popular. We have now created a golf cart entry and exit where you can park your golf cart right in front of the restaurant, and we expect patronage to pick up.

Electric Scooters

We now have a total of 14 new electric scooters at Balesin. Our members and guests seem to like these scooters to do island tours. They are available for rent at the Sports Center.

Additional Vans

One of the most common complaints of our members is the length of time it takes to get transportation from the villages to the Clubhouse, and vice versa. We have now addressed this problem by adding 10 more vans and jeepneys. We have also stationed a van and a jeepney at each villa, so that they are readily available when our guests need them.

We have also acquired three 28-seater coasters which are perfect for touring guests around the island.

We are also working on acquiring more golf carts for the use of our members and guests. We hope to double the number of golf carts by midyear which, I am sure, will be good news for everyone.

As you can see, we have been busy trying to improve Balesin for you. Hope to see you sometime this coming summer.