Gov't dumps Taal volcano resort project

MANILA (AFP) - A proposed spa resort near the crater of one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes has been vetoed by authorities after a public outcry, regulators said Tuesday.

The government cancelled a permit to build the spa resort atop Taal volcano south of Manila and ordered the South Korean developer to restore excavated areas at its own expense.

"Failure to undertake rehabilitation will mean that any application of the firm for any new project in any part of the country will not be entertained and processed," said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes in a statement.

The government said developer Jung Ang Interventure Corp had cleared land, cut trees and dug up an area to build an access road to the crater of the scenic volcano. The company also built a wharf on the crater lake.

It revoked the permit after Jung Ang failed to get clearances from several government agencies, including the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which had opposed the project on safety grounds.

The 72 million-peso (1.57 million-dollar) spa-resort project was launched on a six-hectare (15-acre) area in November last year with the backing of the local government.

Taal has erupted 33 times in the last 400 years, most recently in 1977.