Senate probes resort construction in protected Chocolate Hills, Mt. Apo

The Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change began its investigation on the construction of a resort within the protected Chocolate Hills in Bohol and the Mt. Apo National Reserve in Davao Region.

“The committee's hearing today is prompted by the public uproar over the viral image of resort facilities, including cottages, slides, and what appears to be an Olympic-sized swimming pool, built at the foot of three of our cherished Chocolate Hills in Bohol Province,” Senator Cynthia Villar, the panel chairperson, said during her opening statement as she presided the committee hearing on Wednesday.

Villar previously mentioned the need to require the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) accountable for permitting the construction of Captain’s Peak, the now-viral resort in the Chocolate Hills.

Despite the government’s establishment of a robust framework of policies, laws, and regulations for the country’s protected areas, Villar lamented it appears to be implementation is deficient.

Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay said there’s a need to determine the gaps and the gray areas in the implementation of laws and ordinances regarding the protected areas.

“Our Chocolate Hills are more than just a tourist destination. It is a UNESCO heritage site and a protected area. It deserves to be taken care of because they play a crucial role in our conservation efforts, utilization, and management of our natural genetic resources,” Binay stressed.

The investigation came after separate resolutions were filed by Senators Villar, Binay, Joel Villanueva, and Loren Legarda as well as the previous privileged speech delivered by Senator Raffy Tulfo.

Tulfo previously lambasted the PAMB for allowing the construction of the establishments in the area “instead of coming up with measures to protect Mt. Apo.”