‘Ang sakit sa bangs’

The Senate ocular inspection and investigation of the controversial resort built at the foot of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol will be conducted, most likely after the Holy Week, Senator Nancy Binay said.

“It’s really an eyesore,” Binay described the resort, adding in the vernacular: “Ang sakit sa bangs ng itsura kaya sa tingin ko dapat siya tanggalin (it should be removed).”

“Maybe it would be good if we could have an ocular inspection. Let’s see, but at the moment, for me, it should be demolished,” Binay said in a radio interview on Sunday.

She emphasized it should be established by the Senate Environment Committee headed by Sen. Cynthia Villar how the structures were built in the declared protected area without the appropriate permits.

The Senate is set to be on break from 23 March to 28 April.

Binay also prodded the government to allot funds to buy the titled lands in the country’s declared protected areas nationwide so their natural beauty could be preserved.

She cited the importance of having a comprehensive land use plan for local government units concerning the conservation or protected areas.

The plan, she added, should include designated areas for hiking, camping, and the building of structures for nature viewing.

Lands inside protected areas being titled privately are a common occurrence as in the case of the land on which the resort was built within the Chocolate Hills area, Binay said.

Senate Resolution 967 filed last week directs the appropriate committees to investigate, in aid of legislation, the reported construction of the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort within the Chocolate Hills.

The resort featured swimming pools, slides, and cottages.