DENR: Chocolate Hills resort ordered shut for lack of environmental clearance
MANILA, Philippines (Updated, 6:02) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Wednesday that it had issued a closure order and a notice of violation to the administrator of a resort within the vicinity of Chocolate Hills in Bohol for operating without an environmental compliance certificate.
A temporary closure order was issued to the project proponent of the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resorts in September 2023, and a notice of violation followed in January 2024.
The DENR issued the statement after social media users raised concerns about the impact of the resort’s operations on Chocolate Hills, a protected area.
The public criticism also prompted the agency to conduct an inspection at Captain’s Peak for its compliance with the temporary closure order.
“The DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will continue to monitor,” it said.
Protected landscape
The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation consisting of conical and nearly identical mounds. During the dry season, the grass-covered hills turn chocolate brown, hence the name.
Former President Fidel Ramos declared the Chocolate Hills a natural monument in July 1997 through Proclamation 1037 to protect and maintain the landscape’s natural beauty.
“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 DENR said.
Under Proclamation 1037, “no activity of any kind including quarrying, which will alter, mutilate, deface or destroy the hills shall be conducted” regardless of the existence of prior private rights.
It further restricts the conversion of public and private lands within and around the hills for purposes conflicting with the objectives of the proclamation.
In a statement, the DENR said that if a land was titled prior to the issuance of Proclamation 1037, “the rights and interests of the landowner will generally be recognized and respected.”
“However, the declaration of the area as a protected area may impose certain restrictions or regulations on land use and development within the protected area, even for privately-owned lands,” the agency said.
It noted that these restrictions will be detailed in the project’s environmental impact statement (EIS) before any ECC is issued.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) clarified that Captain's Peak Resort is not an accredited tourism establishment and has no pending application for accreditation.
Since August 2023, the DOT has been coordinating with the Bohol government to express its concern over the matter, recognizing the need to preserve the area's integrity.
“While development is essential for growth and progress, it must be conducted in harmony with environmental and cultural preservation,” the DOT said.
Following procedures
Philstar.com has reached out to Captain’s Peak Garden and Resorts for comment, but the resort’s management has not yet responded.
According to a special report published by The Freeman in 2023, Julieta Sablas, the resort’s administrator, said they followed the proper procedures, even resubmitting a proposal to the DENR’s Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) after the originally approved plan underwent some changes concerning the location of the cottages and the pool.
Sablas acknowledged that some parts of the hills were extracted, but she said the excavation was only minimal and within the permitted limits.
The administrator also told The Freeman that the property was a titled lot when their family acquired it in 2005. The family initially tried farming in the property, but they could not grow crops as the area is reportedly “acidic.”
So their family decided to convert the area into a tourist spot.
The Bohol Chronicle reported that the PAMB issued a resolution “favorably endorsing” the development of Captain’s Peak Resort.
“We want the DENR, PAMB, Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office (BEMO), PENRO and the local government units to explain as to why even with Chocolate Hills’ protected status, construction permits continue to be granted,” Sen. Nancy Binay said in a statement.
“It is infuriating and heartbreaking to see resorts built at the foot of the Chocolate Hills,” she added.
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