Right along the southernmost tip of the province of Palawan in the Philippines you can find Balabac, a small island cluster and home to some of the richest ecosystems you can find anywhere. The marine life in this area is truly amazing, and there are lots of coral reef systems you can explore, and is truly a must-see for diving enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a quiet place with a laid-back atmosphere, you’ve come to the right tropical paradise. Balabac is a sleepy municipality, and you can really get away from the bustling city life that got you yearning for another place.

A Small Island Population

Only twenty-six thousand people are residents of Balabac Island. They’re staying under the administration of just twenty Barangay systems, which is basically a sub-division of the municipality into smaller clusters for easier monitoring and administration duties. Balabac is classified as being a third-class municipality, which mean’s its far from urbanized cities like Makati City in the Greater Manila Area. The pace of life here goes slowly, with the people mainly engaging in small-time businesses like farming, fishing, and the like. It’s a nice place to go if you don’t want urban congestion ruining your day.

Geography of Balabac

The island of Balabac is located at the very southwestern area of the country, south of even Palawan, which is pretty far itself. It’s around thirty kilometers away from the tip of Palawan, and less than sixty kilometers away one could already reach the shores of Borneo. Maximum elevation in the island would amount to almost six hundred meters, and coral reefs are the main draws for visitors in the area, just off the coast of Balabac.

Touring the Island Of Balabac

Going to the island of Balabac would be a real getaway, seeing as there are no airports servicing the area, and the only method of getting into the island is by boat, which takes around four days if you’re coming in from Puerto Princesa. That applies for optimal weather conditions, but should adverse weather conditions come, that four day journey could get delayed by as much as two weeks. To the traveler, this means that you should go to Balabac only if you’re not in any tearing hurry to get out of the place like you’re on a tight schedule. If you have access to a speedboat however, it would just take two hours to go around the island to the southwestern side, with the coral reefs being in that area.

One could see the coasts of Borneo Island from Balabac, and the Melville lighthouse, an iconic structure in the island, but has already been replaced in usage by a new, better structure which operates on solar energy for its power needs. Touring around the island is best accomplished by motorcycle, as the mobility provided by two wheels versus four allows motorcycles to go much farther out than would be possible with cars. Bringing in vehicles to the island is done by ferry boat, and costs three hundred pesos per person, and the same amount to bring in a motorcycle with you.

Curious Things and Trivia about Balabac

The island of Balabac has a mysterious aura to it, and this island is actually a back entrance into the country, and with this government agents expend a lot of effort to monitor this area to prevent unwanted entries into the country. The terrain of Balabac is also more on the mountain type of land area, compared to other nearby islands which are mostly flat. The local variant of deer that is native to the island is also one of the locals’ favorite delicacies, and is cooked in a number of ways. One other curious fact about the island is that most residents here are conversant in Malay, owing to the close proximity to Borneo. It’s a nice place to spend time in as the local culture is unique, having a mix of Philippine and Malaysian influences.

Investing in Balabac Properties

If you’re putting up your money in with properties located in Balabac, you’ll probably be better off investing with the local dominant developer in Balabac, Eton Properties Philippines. It’s owned by magnate Lucio Tan, who, among others, owns the top airline company in the Philippines. The company of Eton Properties is engaged in real estate development in the area, and residential properties are one of their offered projects for investors. Aside from that, they also have projects in the pipeline for housing units, condominiums and leisure properties, giving emphasis on the touring aspect of the island.

You’ll get better returns on your investments here in Balabac coming in from rental of your properties by transient residents. There are lots of people coming in to tour around the island and of course, they’ll need somewhere to stay in. The average rate of acquiring residential properties in Balabac is low, with mostly the tourism industry doing the lifting in the economy, and rental for hotel rooms per night in the area would be much lower than the rest of the country, with modest offerings going for as low as two hundred pesos per night, quite a steal there and anywhere else for that matter. For housing units you could charge a premium over the basic price. It’s a nice investment that you can use for yourself when you’re on vacation, and rent it out while you’re away.

Investing in a property located in Balabac is a good way to go if you want to gain profits from tourism markets, and you can cash in with the many properties being developed in the area, and your revenues earned from your property could fuel the capital needed to acquire bigger projects in the area. With the development of the island catering more to the tourists coming in, your best bet would also be to stay in the residential and hospitality markets, as this is where the most lucrative offerings in Balabac are.