DILG task force digs into how Chocolate Hills resort was built

This aerial shot of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan town in Bohol, which shows a large swimming pool between the Chocolate Hills, has been posted on the resort’s Facebook page. But the page was deactivated on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, after the photo went viral. PHOTO BY LEO UDTOHAN

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said its task force is now in Bohol trying to unearth how the controversial Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort was able to build within Chocolate Hills.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the team consists of six members who arrived in the province on Monday, March 18. The members are from DILG’s legal and technical offices, he added.

“There are six members who are in Bohol right now to investigate. They are there to investigate and search for pertinent documents related to its construction,” Abalos said in a statement.

“How is this allowed? Or if this was allowed or not? And who are the people responsible for this?” he then asked.

READ: Bohol execs meet to pinpoint culprits behind illegal Chocolate Hills structures

The DILG chief likewise said that in addition to investigating how the resort was constructed in the protected area, the task force would recommend filing cases against people involved in its development.

Abalos said he has instructed the local government units concerned to cooperate with the DILG task force.

While he did not impose a timeline for completing the task force’s investigation, Abalos promised that government officials and personnel accountable for Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort construction within Chocolate Hills would be charged before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort became viral online after a video of the vacation spot was posted on social media on March 6. Its operation within the scenic Chocolate Hills earned uproar among netizens, who questioned how the resort could do business in a protected area. Some believe it ruined the picturesque world-famous tourism destination in Bohol.

Last week, Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort was “temporarily closed until further notice.”

On March 14, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against the resort.

DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Juan Miguel Cuna said the CDO placed Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort under close monitoring of the agency to ensure it won’t open for business.

Before this, the DENR said it issued a Temporary Closure Order (TCO) on Sept. 6, 2023, and a Notice of Violation on Jan. 22, 2024, against the vacation place. The DENR said Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort operated without an Environment Compliance Certificate.

The Department of Tourism likewise disclosed earlier that Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort did not apply for accreditation to operate as a tourism spot.

According to the UNESCO website, Chocolate Hills was declared the Philippines’ third National Geological Monument on June 18, 1988, “in recognition of its scientific value and geomorphic uniqueness.”