MANILA, March 16 (Xinhua) — A government probe is underway into a private resort suspected to be illegally built within the famed Chocolate Hills, a protected national geological monument in the central Philippines.
The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Bohol province, which had been operating since 2019, shut down on Thursday after the government revoked its business permit.
Videos and images of the resort amenities, including swimming pools and slides surrounded by the Chocolate Hills, went viral on social media, as a growing number of Filipino netizens questioned how a resort was allowed to be built in such a protected area.
The cone-shaped Chocolate Hills, with elevation ranging from 100 meters to 500 meters above sea level, is a worldwide-known tourist attraction in the Philippines.
During the dry season, the grass-covered hills turn chocolate brown, hence the name which refers to a branded confection.
The UNESCO World Heritage Foundation said on its website that “the conical, almost symmetrical, and same-sized hills known as the ‘Chocolate Hills’ are more esthetically extensive.”
In 1997, the Chocolate Hills was designated as a national geological monument and a protected landscape.
Lawmakers and officials in the Philippines have vowed to investigate to identify those who shall be taken accountable after the resort hit headlines in the past week in the Southeast Asian country.
According to local reports, a building permit was issued to the owner in 2018 by an agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
However, the DENR said this week in a statement that the resort was operating without an environmental compliance certificate.
Benjamin Abalos, secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, said he vowed to take legal action if officials were negligent or involved in the irregularities, stressing any activity that disturbs or damages protected areas, without proper authorization, is prohibited by law.
“We will look into the accountability of the local government units concerned. We will not hesitate to pursue appropriate legal actions,” Abalos said.
Senator Nancy Binay said the temporary closure does not remedy anything or reverse damages done to the environment.
“The extent of environmental degradation is simply unacceptable. Somebody must be accountable,” Binay said, adding that the existence of the resort is “infuriating and heartbreaking.”
