House resolution filed on probe into Chocolate Hills resort

Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan, Bohol, shown in this August 2023 photo, has trended on social media after netizens called out the government and
its owners for allowing its construction and operation within the Chocolate Hills. (LEO UDTOHAN / INQUIRER)

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives has filed a resolution seeking to investigate the construction and operation of a private resort in the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.

House Resolution (HR) No. 1652 filed on Monday by ACT-CIS party-list Reps. Erwin Tulfo, Jocelyn Tulfo, Edvic Yap, Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo, and Benguet Rep. Eric Yap asks the committee on natural resources to start an investigation in aid of legislation regarding the issue.

The authors believe the issue must be investigated because the owner of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort claims that they were able to secure proper permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government unit of Sagbayan town.

“According to the administrator of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, the construction thereof underwent the proper processes and even the approval and favorable endorsement from the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) of the [DENR],” HR No. 1652 stated.

“A business permit was likewise secured from the Sagbayan Municipal Hall without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), which was even renewed as recent as 09 January of this year, under the presumption that the resort had all the proper accreditation,” it added.

According to the lawmakers, the construction of the resort within the famed tourist destination “raises serious concerns on possible avenues for the circumvention of laws and issuances on building, business, and environmental permits, certifications, or licenses in the guise of tourism or economic development.”

“Securing permits required by law, rules, and regulations is essential to validating the propriety of the location, business purpose, and environmental considerations of establishments and should be verified by appropriate government bodies with scrutiny and not through mere presumptions,” the authors said in the resolution.

“There is an utmost need to ensure that Natural Monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines are preserved, maintained, and protected at all times as against any and all private interests,” they added.

Last March 14, Rep. Erwin Tulfo already announced he had spoken with Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez about the issue, noting that the House would be investigating the issue involving the controversial resort.

Earlier, he said that somebody must be held accountable for the construction of the resort facility.

A viral aerial video showing Captain’s Peak Resort located between different portions of the Chocolate Hills sparked discussions about why the government allowed such construction.

Eventually, the DENR announced that it had already issued a temporary closure order and a notice of violation against the resort. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism said that the resort had not applied for accreditation.