Our roots, our people, our lake
A place to come home to.
Some places begin with a business plan. Balai began with a connection to home. Here on the shores of Taal Lake, a family’s return to Talisay grew into a place for other families to gather, celebrate and find a little room to breathe.
Photo: Club Balai Isabel, Talisay Fiesta Regatta 2024 gallery by Marboy Sayno, Marwin Mendoza and Rabin CanuzoA shared home.The landscape that brings us together.
01The beginnings
From family roots to open doors.
A return to familiar shores. A residential idea. And a welcome that grew into something more.
In a 2009 account, Cecille Terrible recalled that the property had belonged to Nelson Terrible’s family in the 1950s and 1960s. When it was offered to them again in 2005, the idea was a residential community. Visitors soon began asking to stay, and the project found a new purpose.
Club Balai Isabel opened in April 2007. Developed by Techno-Asia Construction & Development, it grew from Nelson’s roots in Talisay and a wish to bring more visitors to his hometown. Homes, shared spaces and a lakeside setting became the beginnings of a resort.
Source: High on Club Balai Isabel · The Philippine Star, 200902The people behind the welcome
Hospitality is personal.
The family behind Balai, in their own words. A closer look at the attention and everyday involvement behind the welcome.
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In a 2025 BusinessWorldTV interview, Cecille and Nelson described a family closely involved in everyday resort life: knowing employees by name, paying attention to details and offering personal service. That hands-on welcome gives the story its human center.
Source: Club Balai Isabel’s secret to success · BusinessWorldTV, June 6, 2025A message from the president
In his own words.
Mr. Nelson M. Terrible delivered this keynote for the Tourism Month celebration. Watch the reel shared by Tourism and Cultural Affairs – Talisay, Batangas.
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03Along the way
A story that keeps growing.
A few defining chapters in a story shaped by family, resilience and community.
- 2005
A return to familiar shores
The family reacquired the property, according to Cecille’s account published in 2009. A residential idea began evolving into a place to welcome guests.
Source: High on Club Balai Isabel · The Philippine Star, 2009 - April 2007
The welcome begins
Club Balai Isabel opened its doors on the shores of Taal Lake.
Source: Our Story · Club Balai Isabel - 2020
Community through adversity
The Taal eruption became a defining chapter. In a later BusinessWorld interview, Nelson and Cecille credited employees, friends and volunteers with helping the resort recover.
Source: Rising from the ashes of Taal Volcano’s 2020 eruption · BusinessWorld, 2025 - 2020 onward
Care beyond the shoreline
Reporting traces the Sagip Taal Lake movement to August 2020, linking conservation with education, community participation and volunteer action.
Source: Concerted efforts to save Taal Lake · The Philippine Star, 2022
04What we care for
The welcome goes beyond our doors.
Nature, our hometown and the lake connect the resort to a much wider story.
Room for nature
Trees, gardens and the lake help give Balai its sense of place. In a 2022 interview, Nelson described a development approach that left much of the property to nature. Earlier reporting also described efforts to avoid unnecessary tree cutting.
Source: Sagip Taal Lake (SaTaLa) is conserving Taal Lake through education, awareness, community empowerment, and volunteerism · agriculture.com.ph, October 6, 2022
A lake worth caring for
Club Balai Isabel helped establish Sagip Taal Lake, also known as SaTaLa. Its reported work brings people together around waste segregation, environmental education, and care for the lake’s shores and tributaries through Ampon Baybay Lawa at Ilog.
Source: Concerted efforts to save Taal Lake · The Philippine Star, 2022
A connection to the community
The resort’s story extends into its hometown. Reporting in 2025 describes support for local ingredients and livelihoods, alongside SaTaLa initiatives involving women, families and students. The guiding idea is participation: people taking an active part in caring for the place they share.
Source: Sagip Taal Lake (SaTaLa) is conserving Taal Lake through education, awareness, community empowerment, and volunteerism · agriculture.com.ph, October 6, 2022
A different approach to pool care
The resort’s own journal describes Terraza Infinity Pool and Kumintang Big Pool as salt-filtered pools. This is the resort’s published description of its treatment approach; it is not a promise of chlorine-free water or a medical benefit.
Source: Salt-filtered pools · Club Balai Isabel, 2023; updated 2024See the place behind the story
A little closer to Balai.
A lakeside setting, shared tables and time together. Take a look around through the resort’s film.
Find your kind of stayPlaying loads YouTube, which processes viewing data. Internet required. Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab).