THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the temporary closure of the now viral resort in Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
The resort is situated in Sagbayan town, Bohol between haycock hills, referred to as Chocolate Hills.
The vlog drew flak on March 6, 2024 which went viral as netizens pointed out that the construction of the resort in the area in 2023 was already met with criticism. Netizens pointed out that the commercial development is done within a protected area, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and a declared geological park (geopark).
While most of the 1,776 haycock hills are found in Carmen town where the UNESCO marker is also mounted, the hills are spread out in neighboring towns such as Sagbayan and Batuan.
The DENR, in an official statement released on March 13, 2024, said it already issued a Temporary Closure Order last September 6, 2023, and a Notice of Violation to the project proponent last January 22, 2024 for operating without an Environment Compliance Certificate for the project.
Also on March 13, 2024, Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor issued a Memorandum directing the Bohol Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Ariel Rica to create a team to conduct inspection at the resort for its compliance with the temporary closure order.
The Chocolate Hills were declared as a national geological monument in the country on June 18, 1988.
On July 1, 1997 it was declared a protected area through Proclamation No. 1037 issued by then president Fidel Ramos.
The attraction was declared a protected area in 1997 and designated a National Geological Monument and Protected Landscape.
The DENR explains that “the rights and interests of landowners will generally be recognized and respected” if their land was titled prior the hills’ declaration as a protected area through Proclamation 1037.
The agency says it has issued the resort, identified as Captain’s Peak Resort, a temporary closure order in 2023 and a notice of violation in January this year, for operating without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
