The local government of Sagbayan, Bohol on Thursday admitted there’s an ongoing construction of structures in the resort located within the Chocolate Hills protected area.

In a television interview, Felito Pon, executive secretary of the Office of the Sagbayan Mayor, said they have just recently received the order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the temporary closure of the Captain's Peak Garden and Resort. 

“Meron ongoing construction pa… tapos kahapon lang namin nalaman na meron pa lang temporary closure order ang DENR (There is ongoing construction… and we just found out yesterday that the DENR has a temporary closure order),” Pon said. 

“Kahapon lang namin nalaman kasi walang binibigay sa amin na furnished copy ng temporary closure order (We just learned about it yesterday because no one gave us a copy of the temporary closure order),” he added. 

Pon said the Sagbayan government could have revoked the renewal of the resort’s application should they have been informed about the DENR closure order.

“Kung alam namin 'yung temporary closure order ay sa application for renewal ay hindi na po mare-renew (If we knew about the temporary closure order, the resort’s application for renewal would not be approved),” he stressed. 

Despite being declared a protected area, Pon admitted some lands in the vicinity of Chocolate Hills were privately owned. 

The Proclamation 1037 on 1 July 1997, issued by former President Fidel V. Ramos, designated the Chocolate Hills, and the surrounding areas, a National Geological Monument and Protected Landscape, in recognition of its "unique geological formations and the importance of covering this wonder for future generations.”

Since then, the land titling in Bohol’s protected areas has been canceled.

Records show that the owner of Captain's Peak Garden and Resort got their land title in 2005.

Pon said original landowners might have sold their lands in the area. 

“Meron na talagang original title inaward dun sa original na owner tapos ibebenta nila sa iba… at hindi namin saklaw ‘yun (There’s an original title awarded to original owner then they tend to sell it to others.. and it’s beyond our control),” Pon said. 

He said some applications in connection with the resort reached the local government in 2018 and these were referred to the DENR’s Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).

Pon noted the business permit of the resort would be revoked if violations were committed.

“Sa amin naman sa LGU, mare-revoke nila 'yung business permit nila… kapag mayroong batas na nilabag, may kapangyarihan po 'yung local chief executive natin na bawiin, ikansela 'yung business permit nila (In our part in the LGU, the resort's business permit will be revoked... if there is a law that has been violated, our local chief executive has the power to revoke or cancel their business permit),” he said.