A resort nestled in the middle of Chocolate Hills in Bohol — one of the country's National Geological Monuments — drew flak from netizens after it went viral on social media on Wednesday, March 13.
The three-minute viral video, uploaded by video creator Ren The Adventurer on his Facebook page last March 6, showed a landscape view of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort located in Sagbayan, Bohol. The resort requires an entrance fee of PHP 110 for adults and PHP 75 for kids and also offers a cottage to its guests.
A swimming pool as well as different kinds of water slides can also be seen in the video.
This did not sit well with netizens, who called out the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DENR) and the national government for allowing the establishment to be built in the area. Here are some of their tweets on X (formerly Twitter):
sINCE WHEN DID THE DENR PERMIT A LITERAL RESORT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHOCOLATE HILLS pic.twitter.com/BO8IhosjAl
— chaeyeon 🇵🇭🍉🏳️⚧️ is recreating old manila (@chaeyeonieearts) March 12, 2024
Paano pinayagan magpatayo ng isang resort sa gitna ng Chocolate Hills sa Bohol? Hindi ba ma-didisturb ang ecosystem ng paligid? Pwedeng magkaroon ng mga soil erosion and baka masira ang mga hill formations within the vicinity of the resort? 🤔
— @pauloinmanila and 99 others (@pauloMDtweets) March 13, 2024
©️ ren the adventurer (fb) pic.twitter.com/ACFniLUKyM
Gumawa ng resort sa Chocolate Hills, ang pangit naman pic.twitter.com/CKPDiuYRDx
— Frank Oh (@prraangko) March 12, 2024
PLEASE TAG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON THIS RESORT SA CHOCOLATE HILLS! We need explanation paano nakapag pa tayo ng resort dito!! pic.twitter.com/AzYJNbldHS
— Raf 🤩 (@Rafaelcarlooooo) March 13, 2024
Mga Kababayan. Itong ilegal na istruktura na may kasama pang resort sa paligid ng Sagbayan-side ng Chocolate Hills ay hindi kaayang-aya at tila'y pambababoy at pambabastos sa mga Boholano. Ito'y ikasisira ng imahe ng mga burol bilang world-class na Pinoy tourist destination. pic.twitter.com/mVzQoENXzz
— Ian Joshua Alvarez Arcelo #TheLeniRobredoPodcast (@arcelo_ian) March 13, 2024
Chocolate Hills is a National Geological Monument and being proposed to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. Who gave the permission to build a resort there? 🤨
— 최효인 (@choi_hyo_in) March 13, 2024
📸 Ren The Adventurer pic.twitter.com/Nts0bxaEaX
Back in August 2023, The Freeman published a report stating that Boholanos were alarmed following the construction of Captain’s Peak in Barangay Canmano in the municipality of Sagbayan.
The report stated that the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Maximo Lomosbog said that the development around the protected area had clearance from the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB). And while the Chocolate Hills is a protected area, it is mostly privately owned.
"Nakakagalit at nakakadurog ng puso"
Senator Nancy Binay also slammed the construction of the resort at the foot of Chocolate Hills.
“Nakakagalit at nakakadurog ng puso ang nakita nating mga nakatayo nang resorts sa mga paanan mismo ng Chocolate Hills. Sa unang tingin pa lamang, alam na nating may mali,” Binay said.
She then called out DENR, Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO), Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office (PENRO), and other local government units (LGUs) to explain why they granted permit on the construction of the resort.
"We understand the importance of development, but there should be boundaries. If the DENR continues to issue ECCs in the guise of “tourism development”, I believe they have misunderstood what ecotourism is all about, and they have become complicit in defacing a natural monument they’re supposed to oppose," the senator said.
"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."
