Sen. Raffy Tulfo on March 18 raised concern over the structures built in the vicinity of Mount Apo, the country’s highest mountain, since President Marcos Jr. ordered last year its preservation as it vies for inclusion in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of World Heritage Sites.
After discussing the construction of several structures in the vicinity of Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Tulfo said he got a call from a mountaineering group.
In his privilege speech, Tulfo said he was informed that just like Chocolate Hills, Mount Apo — also a protected area as declared by law — was not spared by illegal structures.
Tulfo noted several structures, including resorts at the Mt. Apo National Reserve in the Digos side, identifying them as Twin Mountain View Resort, MonteFrio Resort and Villa Recurso.
“These are outside the buffer zone if we will base them on what we saw on Google Earth and comparing it with the map of Mount Apo. (But) when it comes to the environment and our natural resources, we have to remember that we cannot turn back time. If it happened, it already happened. It’s difficult to restore what was destroyed in our nature,” he said.
“Where am I coming from? Last week, we were all shocked to see photos and videos of a resort in the middle of the Chocolate Hills Nature Park in Bohol.
Captain’s Peak Resort had multiple pools, villas, and slides embedded on the hill.
If you’ve been to Bohol and have seen the untouched beauty of the Chocolate Hills, you will really be mad,” he said.
The senator questioned how these illegal structures were built.
He said the Department of Natural Resources — Protected Area Management Board (DENR-PAMB) of Mount Apo was mandated to protect the area and that this should also be investigated.
“Ano ba talaga silbi ng PAMB? Bakit parang display lang sila sa mga
protected areas natin?”
Meanwhile, despite the Congress break, Sen. Cynthia Villar vowed to conduct a Senate hearing on the construction of structures within the Chocolate Hills, a protected area (PA) under the expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) law.
The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment noted that as a PA, Chocolate Hills should be safeguarded by the DENR-PAMB.
Villar is set to file a resolution to determine how DENR through PAMB allowed Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort to build cottages and a swimming pool at the foothills of Sagbayan town without an environment compliance certificate.
She said DENR has full knowledge because the owners reportedly got clearance from PAMB to build the structures including swimming pools, slides, and cottages under Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan town and Bud Agta in Carmen town.
The structures were too close to the foot hills.
“The resort should not have been allowed to build structures there in the first place because the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument is a protected area,” she said in an interview over dWIZ.
With Congress on break from March 23 until April 29, Sen. Nancy Binay wants to get rid of all structures at the Chocolate Hills.
Earlier, Binay filed Senate Resolution number 967 which sought an inquiry on the illegal construction.
Binay’s resolution mentioned that the DENR- PAMB failed to fully explain why it allowed the resort to use at least 20 percent of the Chocolate Hills.
“This is really wrong because Bohol was awarded a UNESCO Global Geo Park,” said Binay in a separate interview over dWIZ.
“The whole Bohol Island was recognized by UNESCO. So, it’s really surprising how a resort was built there,” she added.
“We will look into the master plan and comprehensive land use of the area given reports that there are other establishments in the Chocolate Hills aside from the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort.”
She said they will also inquire in the Senate investigation if the owners have titles to the properties.
“If (the site) belongs to the government, how come (private individuals) were able to secure titles?”
Binay cited the case of Marikina watershed which is also a declared protected area. But before declaration there were titled properties in the area.
Villar and Binay will conduct an ocular inspection in Bohol. Last March 14, the DENR issued a cease and desist order against the controversial establishment. The order put the resort under close monitoring to make sure it won’t open for business.
