PUNTA BALUARTE A rest and recreation haven in Batangas

What's with Punta Baluarte? Why do visitors feel so relaxed here?

They're even willing to skip a day full of leisure activities and settle

for the most luxurious past-time that city workaholics often can't

easily afford even at home - sleep.

Life’s struggles can drive you nuts! Since filling your pockets and

bank accounts with savings is as important as nourishing your body

and spiritual self, you deserve a good break – especially from a

nerve-wracking work at break-neck speed.

And what a wonderful time to be with your family in a secluded place

like Punta Baluarte – a not-so-far-away natural setting transformed

by an architectural genius into an ideal hide-away.

Located in Balitoc, Calatagan, Batangas, Punta Baluarte is tucked

away from the main road through a two-kilometer stretch of

calachuchi and bougainvilla-studded driveway, sandwiched on both

sides by an expanse of fenced rolling greens dotted with tall hard

wood trees.

Property keepers say that wild deer and other small forest animals

are being spotted in both areas. Not surprising, since the property

used to be a dense forest teeming with a variety of flora and fauna.

Punta Baluarte can be

reached by driving about

three hours non-stop from

Manila. Developed by

business mogul Don Enrique

Zobel in the ‘70s, the place

was conceptualized purely as

a rest-and-rest area, not

really as a rest and recreation

area.

Levi P. Layug, a seasoned

hotelier and resort general

manager, said the naturally

blessed area was later beefed

up with amenities that raised the property’s standard to a “AAA”

resort, the highest category given to properties of such caliber.

As PB’s general manager for more than five years now, Layug brings

with him an impressive management and administrative portfolio

culled from his years of experience in various posts here and

abroad.

With his stints in many deluxe hotels in Metro Manila, Layug, no

doubt, is a primary asset to Punta Baluarte. He was able to hone his

expertise in Guillin, China, where he served as the general manager

of Guillin Park Hotel. Prior to this post, he also served as food and

beverage director of The Palace Hotel in Beijing.

However, his skills in the hospitality industry was buffed in Manila

Hotel where he served as a cost controller early on, until he became

the hotel’s food and beverage director. After which he went hopping

from one first-class hotel and resort to another until he settled in

Punta Baluarte.

“Punta Baluarte used to have only a few cottages without televisions

or telephones. It was originally intended as a get-away place from

the city. Soon enough, the attracted a clientele that made the

property development a necessity. And it became the first “AAA”

resort here in Batangas,” beamed Layug.

Nestled among the hilly curves are various types of air-conditioned

rooms that guests may choose from: native and exotic types of nipa

bungalows, cabañas, beach houses, sunrise or hilltop rooms.

Each room is equipped with a television set and mini bar. Most of

the rooms have verandahs where guests can dine or relax anytime

of the day. What’s really neat about the whole set-up is that no

matter how many guests the resort has, you’ll never bump into a

crowd unless you go to the coffee shop for breakfast, lunch or

dinner.

The 104-room resort seems to be thoughtfully designed to avoid

crowd spilling in a particular area at any given time.

From the reception area, guests are taken to their rooms and

around the resort via a jeepney. Thus, the “roller coaster” jeepney

ride along the resort’s winding road offers an exhilarating backdrop

of a great panorama set against the expanse of the serene Balayan

Bay.

The 25-hectare resort, catering to both corporate and leisure groups,

is more popular with locals, particularly week-enders, with a

sprinkling of foreign guests and expats.

Value-for-money packages are also being offered for locals,

students, families, honeymooners and golfers, as PB has all the

facilities and amenities to host such groups.

Though it went through the good, rough and tough business times,

the property survived all the ups and downs. Like any well-grounded

business, it’s starting to pick-up again.