CEBU, Philippines – Concerned netizens on Wednesday, March 13, expressed their outrage over a controversial resort built within the protected zone of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol province.
The story of the resort went viral after netizens shared content creator Ren The Adventurer’s social media post which showed an aerial view video of the property.
Gerard Jamora, a resident of Bohol, said in a social media post, “Giguba raman ninyo nang Chocolate Hills (You’re just destroying the Chocolate Hills).”
Another netizen from Cebu, Jerome Chavez, said that the resort was an “eyesore” and tagged the Department of Tourism on the viral video.
Julieta Sablas, the administrator of The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, told Rappler in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon that the property is located in Sagbayan town in Bohol province.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) website, the hills are found throughout the Bohol towns of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan.
Sablas’ brother, Edgar Button, bought the property – around 5 hectares of land – in 2005 before starting development around 2018.
The administrator said they started seeking permits from the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) of the DENR and authorization from local government officials.
About 2 hectares of the lot were made into a resort with a swimming pool and a space for cottages.
“Wala gyud mi nanghibalot sa Chocolate hills. Naa mi sukod sa patag nga naa sa regulation,” Sablas said.
(We did not touch the Chocolate Hills. We have a measurement of the plane that is within regulation.)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in a statement sent to Rappler, Wednesday, said it issued a Notice of Violation to the project proponent on January 22, 2024 for operating without an ECC.
This followed a Temporary Closure Order issued against Captain’s Peak Resort on September 6, 2023.
According the DENR central office, DENR Centrral Visayas director Paquito Melicor issued a memorandum directing PENRO Bohol Ariel Rica to create a team to inspect Captain’s Peak’s compliance with the temporary closure order.
Rappler has tried to reach environment officials Rica and Melicor but both have yet to respond as of this writing. We will update this story as soon as they give their comments.
The DENR, in the same statement, maintained that Chocolate Hills in Bohol were declared a protected area on July 1, 1997 through Proclamation No. 1037 issued by then President Fidel V. Ramos.
“This proclamation also designated the Chocolate Hills as a National Geological Monument and a Protected Landscape, recognizing the unique geological formations and the importance of covering this natural wonder for future generations,” it said.
The DENR said the declaration aimed “to preserve the iconic landscape of the Chocolate Hills and promote sustainable tourism while protecting the biodiversity and environmental integrity of the area.”
The agency said if a land was titled before the Proclamation 1037 declaring an area as protected area, the rights and interests of the landowner will generally be recognized and respected.
However, the declaration as a protected area may impose certain restriction or regulations on land use and development within the zone, even for privately-owned lands, the agency said.
“These restrictions and regulations are to be detailed in the Environmental Impact Statement prior to the issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the project,” it said.
Resort’s response
According to Sablas, they already received the TCO and have appealed for reconsideration.
The administrator confirmed that they were still in the process of acquiring an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
“Kung imung ianhi sa personal, kung naay muingon nga gihilabtan, dili gyud namo buhaton kay mahal pud namo ang Chocolate Hills,” Sablas said.
(If you came here personally, if there are those that say we are defacing it, we can honestly say that we did not because we love the Chocolate Hills.)
As of this writing, the resort is still operating and plans to build a function hall.
In a statement, Senator Nancy Binay called out the resort and the government agencies that allowed its development in the protected zone.
“Sa unang tingin pa lamang, alam na nating may mali (At first glance, we already know there’s something wrong,” Binay said.
According to the senator, she had discovered that the PAMB in 2022 and 2023 approved the proposal of the development and issued a resolution that endorsed its construction within the Chocolate Hills protected zone.
“We want the DENR, PAMB, BEMO, PENRO and the LGUs to explain as to why even with Chocolate Hills’ protected status, construction permits continue to be granted,” Binay said. – Rappler.com
Wenilyn Sabalo is a community journalist currently affiliated with SunStar Cebu and is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.