A resort in the protected area of the Chocolate Hills in the Philippines has been forced to close because it operated in a protected area without a necessary environmental certificate. The failure in the environmental protection system was exposed after a video posted by a travel influencer.
On Wednesday, March 6th, an online vlogger posted a video of a resort in the middle of the Chocolate Hills in the Sabayan municipality of the Bohol province. The footage, showing a swimming pool, a slide, and cabins, has 17 million views and caused an uproar on social media as it exposed an encroachment of the national treasure.
Rather than generating positive publicity for the resort, the video prompted an investigation into its operations. The inquiry concluded that the resort had been operating for months without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and conducting illegal water extraction.
The construction of the resort at the foot of the Chocolate Hills raises questions about the protection of natural resources.
After visiting the protected area last Thursday, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga told news media that the violation of regulations could impact Bohol Island’s status as the country’s first UNESCO Global Geopark.
She added that these structures may be demolished to properly reverse the damage and rehabilitate the Chocolate Hills natural area.
The future of the Captain’s Peak and Garden Resort in limbo
The Captain’s Peak and Garden Resort had been granted a business license by the Sabayan local government in 2018 which was renewed in January 2024, revealing a lack of oversight that put the national treasure at risk.
The accidental exposure of the resort’s exploitation of the protected area led the Sabayan local government to cancel the business permit on March 14th and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to issue a cease-and-desist order on March 19th.
The Captain’s Peak and Garden Resort was forced to announce temporary closure on social media. Additionally, it may face a fine of up to 5 million Philippine pesos (90,000 dollars).
But the controversy is not yet resolved: Public Senator Nancy Binay filed Resolution no. 967 calling for an inquiry on the structures within the vicinity of the Chocolate Hills.
She demanded the DENR, Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), Bohol Environmental Management Office (BEMO), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), and local government units explain why construction permits were given out in a protected area. A local investigation has now been launched to determine the culpability of local government officials in the matter.
A not-so-protected national treasure?
The Philippines has an abundance of natural wonders that attract tourists. Spanning over 7,000 islands, it is considered to be one of the megadiverse countries hosting high numbers of endemic species. It has more than 200 protected areas, three of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Attracting more than one million tourists per year, the Chocolate Hills are one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Philippines. They are a geological formation in the Bohol province consisting of over 1,200 hills spread over an area of over 50 square kilometers (19 square miles). The lush green vegetation that covers them turns into a chocolate-brown color during the dry season, hence the name.
The iconic hills were declared a National Geological Monument and Protected Landscape in 1997, meaning that authorities are required by law to “protect and maintain its natural beauty and to provide restraining mechanisms for inappropriate exploitation.” They are also listed on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage sites.
Nevertheless, the revelation of a resort operating without the requisite permit underscores a glaring lack of oversight that permitted a violation of these protections.
The investigation unearthed that the resort was conducting illegal deep-well water extractions without applying for the right to do so.
In a joint statement, the DENR, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Tourism (DOT) emphasized their goal of preserving natural heritage and ensuring responsible tourism by “strengthening regulations and monitoring mechanisms” as well as “enforcing evidence-informed environmental protection.”
Thus, a major operational review will most likely occur to ensure a practice of sustainable tourism and responsible development. DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos also visited the site and suggested that the organizational structure of PAMB be examined for “check and balance.”
This board, meant to manage the protection of the environment, allowed the resort to use “at least a 20 percent portion of the hills.”
