Why Did a Government Agency Approve the Construction of the Chocolate Hills Resort?
An attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources approved the construction of the resort within the foothills of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
According to Senator Nancy Binay, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism, the Protected Area Management Board “favorable endorsed” the proposal to develop the Captain’s Peak Resort in Canmano, Sagbayan, Bohol in 2022 and 2023.
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But the senator says she wants the government agencies to explain why this was allowed to happen.
“We want the DENR, PAMB (Protected Area Management Board), BEMO (Bohol Environmental Management Office), PENRO (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources) and the LGUs (local government units) to explain why even with Chocolate Hills’ protected status, construction permits continue to be granted,” said the lawmaker.
Ironically, it was the DENR which submitted Chocolate Hills for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Nakakagalit at nakakadurog ng puso ang nakita nating mga nakatayo nang resorts sa mga paanan mismo ng Chocolate Hills,” Binay said. “Sa unang tingin pa lamang, alam na nating may mali.”
On Wednesday (March 13), Binay filed PS Resolution No. 967 directing the proper Senate Committees to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the reported construction of the structures within the vicinity of the major tourism destination, which is on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The DENR already issued a statement on Wednesday saying Captain’s Peak Resort should have been temporarily closed last September after it was found operating without an environmental clearance certificate (ECC). The agency said it issued a Temporary Closure Order last on September 6, 2023, and a Notice of Violation to the project proponent [of the resort] last January 22, 2024 for operating without an ECC.”
Videos of the controversial resort went viral after a vlogger toured the site. The video shows a massive swimming pool surrounded by cottages and slides nestled within the famed Chocolate Hills.
The vlogger, Ren the Adventurer, said entrance fee to the resort was P110 for adults for use of the pool, and an overnight stay was P2,000 for an air conditioned room.
The Chocolate Hills was declared a National Cultural Monument on June 18, 1988, and is also recognized by Unesco as the Philippines’ first global geopark.
The DENR also explained that if land has already been titled before the declaration of a protected area, “the rights and interests of the landowner will generally be respected. However, the declaration of the area as a protected area may impose certain restriction or regulations on land use and development within the protected area, even for privately owned lands. These restrictions and regulations are to be detailed in the Environmental Impact Statement prior to the issuance of an ECC for the project.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said in a news statement that Captain’s Peak Resort “is not an accredited tourism establishment…and there is no pending application for accreditation for the same.”
The agency, through its regional office in Central Visayas, has been coordinating with the Bohol provincial government “since August 2023 to express its concerns regarding this matter, especially recognizing the necessity of preserving the integrity of this natural resource.”
The DOT added it supported the preservation and protection of Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, which is “a source of national pride for the Philippines.”
