“Turning 40 can be an exciting and meaningful moment if you can look back with appreciation for all the experiences that have colored your life.”

Turning 40 can be an exciting and meaningful moment if you can look back with appreciation for all the experiences that have colored your life. After all, we have to view life as a whole and move forward with the mindset that middle age can be an exciting journey, if we know what to do with it.

That’s how we feel about Matabungkay Beach Hotel turning 40 this month. And what a packed 40 years it has been! Since we opened our doors in 1982, the resort has gone from being an exclusive beach club to a private but open to the public vacation spot. Over the years, Matabungkay has been home to several film and tv shoots, weddings, family moments, and parties. More importantly, Matabungkay has been a place of refuge for guests in need of quiet time and relaxation.

Matabungkay Beach Hotel has many stories to tell, experiences to learn from, and more years to look forward to. And you, dear guest, have been instrumental to Matabungkay’s growth and story.

We’ll be taking a trip down memory lane with our online scrapbook, reliving some awesome parties and events that you’ve been a part of. We’ll also be hosting events this year along with promos that you and your family can enjoy. Join us as we celebrate 40 years of making memories and endless sunsets! I hope to see you at Matabungkay!

Sincerely,

Charley Antonio

President

Meet the MBH Family

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, it is only right to recognize the people whose loyalty and service have carried us through the decades. Meet MBH’s three loyal staff who have been with the resort the longest. They have helped shape MBH into what it is today from its roots as a members-only club to an open-to-all resort. Together with the rest of the Matabungkay Beach Hotel (MBH) team, they keep the resort in good shape, ready to receive guests in need of a relaxing time at the beach and send them back home with Matabungkay memories.

From the Ground Up: Yolanda

No one knows the ins and outs of Matabungkay Beach Hotel like Yolanda Javier. As the Housekeeping Manager of MBH, she has been with the resort for over 37 years, starting in 1981 when she was just 18 years old. “MBH gave me my first experience working in the hotel industry,” recounts Yolanda. “I was given the opportunity to work and finish college at the same time.”

Yolanda got her start in the F&B department, but has, over the years, moved from accounting, to cashiering, to becoming a Front Office supervisor, until being promoted to her current position of Housekeeping Manager.

Yolanda also found something else in MBH: the love of her life. “I met my husband here at MBH,” she fondly remembers. “We had our wedding here at the resort and even our honeymoon! That was in October of 1983.”

All four of Yolanda’s children are involved with MBH. “My eldest, second, and youngest are all working here at the hotel for the summer while they are on break from school. And my third child is currently working here as an Assistant HR/Sales executive.”

Yolanda is excited about MBH’s 40th anniversary, “My second family here at Matabungkay Beach Hotel is very important to me, especially now that we’re 40 years old! Thanks to MBH, many of us were able to raise families and some even became employees. I sincerely hope that MBH will be around forever. Thanks to the trust given to me by my employers, I was able to survive and thrive for this long.”

Consistency Equals Success

Juvy Javier joined MBH in March 1989 and has stayed with the resort 33 years and counting. Starting out in the Front Office, she moved to Sales to become one of our top-performing sales executives. Through her consistent hard work and sales commissions, she has been able to build what she calls her “little dream house,” which she is proud of. The secret to success, someone said, is finding a purpose and applying consistency in your pursuit of it. Juvy Javier lives up to that mantra.

Juvy still recalls, “My earliest memory at MBH was when the company sent me to a computer school for the basics… that helped me a lot.” Juvy also shares that “They treat us like family here. And this is where I have grown as a person, too.”

Worth It: Greg Pineda

Greg Pineda, MBH’s in-house garment maker has been with Matabungkay Beach Hotel for 38 years and going strong. he helps keep the curtains, linens, and all things related in good shape. His work is invaluable in maintaining the appearance of the resort and contributing to the guests’ experience. “I’m really happy when I see guests appreciate the work I’ve done at the resort, like for weddings, parties, and other events,” he says.

As Matabungkay Beach Hotel turns 40, Greg wishes that the resort many more years to come and looks forward to more moments with his co-workers, whom he sees as his second family.

“Sometimes the work becomes really tough, but there are many happy moments,” he shares, “when we all get together, especially when there’s an occasion, it’s all worth it.”

MATABUNGKAY MILESTONES

10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT MATABUNGKAY BEACH HOTEL

Matabungkay Beach and Matabungkay Beach Resort and Hotel have been the backdrop of quite a few movies and TV shows.

P. S. I Love You was shot in Matabungkay in the 1980s, starring the Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion, the biggest love team of the time. More recently, I Can See You: Truly. Madly. Deadly. that was featured on Netflix was also shot at the hotel. It starred Dennis Trillo, Jennylyn Mercado, and Rhian Ramos in 2020.

Balsa festivals
were big in the 60s.

In the 1960s, the Matabungkay shoreline would be the site of the Balsa Festival. For a while, it disappeared, but Matabungkay Beach Hotel sought to revive it in 2002. From 2002 to 2013, Matabungkay Beach Hotel would host the festival in May where bamboo rafts, or balsas, would be decked out to the nines and the most beautifully decorated one would win a prize. There were also balsa races and beach parties. Photo credit: Benjie Layug – B.L.A.S.T Adventures of a Savvy Traveler

Cafe Caballero was
named after a tree.

We named our cafe after the Caballero tree – or the fire tree – that throws out bright orange flowers in the months of April and May, the height of summer. It is also known as the provincial tree of Batangas.

Tapang Taal is a pork
dish, not beef.

While tapa is usually made of beef or carabao meat, Tapang Taal is made out of pork. Its history is unclear, only that it originated in Taal and is now widely available in the area. Savory and slightly tangy, it is seasoned with garlic, pepper, kalamansi, soy sauce, and a bit of Worcestershire sauce – some recipes contain a bit of sugar, too.

Matabungkay is a
great place to SUP.

Because the waters at Matabungkay are mostly calm, it is a great place to SUP, especially for beginners. Matabungkay Beach Hotel has hosted a few SUP races and events in the past. SUP or Stand Up Paddleboarding is said to have originated in Hawaii. One stands up on a platform – now, more like a surfboard – and uses a paddle to push one’s self forward. SUPping is a new way to enjoy the water and the scenery. Ask the resort staff for lessons and SUP board rentals!

The Tour of Matabungkay is coming
back this October 2022!

Matabungkay Beach Hotel is a regular hotel partner of this much-anticipated amateur cycling event, the Tour of Matabungkay. It’s happening October 14-16, 2022 and will likely involve some challenging uphills and downhills for the racers. Around 300 cyclists join the competition. Stay tuned to our pages for updates on this sports event!

Matabungkay Beach Hotel regularly hosts the
Batangas Food Festival.

The Batangas Food Festival is an event initiated and organized in 2012 by Matabungkay Beach Hotel’s president Ms. Charley Antonio, with the idea of celebrating and promoting local Batangas food culture.Over the years, the festival has also featured chefs such as Chef Nancy Reyes Lumen and Chef Jaja Andal who have shared interesting ways of preparing adobo, lomi, paella, pinais, and other Batangas dishes. One festival even included a visit to the wet market, a patisan (fish sauce facility), and bibingka-maker. There is so much to appreciate about different Filipino local cuisines, including that of Batangas!

Our newest pool is called a beach entry pool because of its design.

A beach entry pool gradually slopes to emulate the way that one enters a beach. It’s a new design that we chose for our newest pool. Other than it being a new experience, it also makes it easier for the elderly, people with disabilities, or children to enter the pool – gently and safely.

Fortune Island is just a 60-minute boat ride away!

If you are a snorkeler or diver, Matabungkay Beach Hotel can be your launch pad. The hotel houses a dive shop and from here, you can make arrangements to explore Fortune Island for the day and come back to Matabungkay. Guests can visit Fortune Island for a day tour since it’s only a one hour boat ride from Matabungkay. (Photo Credit: Oliver Mercader “A Path To Greece”)

Matabungkay has one of the best sunsets in the Philippines.

Are you a photography enthusiast? The clear horizon of Matabungkay offers a great view of the sunset. Get your camera ready before 6pm and capture the sun as it throws oranges, reds, and pinks into the sky. It happens quicker than you might think, so be ready!