2 resorts near Chocolate Hills still closed

NOW QUIET: It’s quiet on Thursday at Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, built in the middle of the Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan, Bohol, after its management chose to suspend operation following criticisms on social media. The local government has revoked the resort’s business permit. — Photo by Leo Udtohan / Inquirer Visayas

TAGBILARAN CITY — Two mountain resorts built within the protected area of Bohol’s famous Chocolate Hills have remained closed to the public for over a year now.

The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort as well as the Sagbayan Peak, both located in Sagbayan town, ceased operations when the local government ordered its closure in March last year to protect the Chocolate Hills, the tourism signature of Bohol province and the country’s first geopark declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

Captain’s Peak was left in a state of deterioration and disarray when the Inquirer visited the place on April 16.

The resort’s slides and cottages were dismantled while grasses and plants overshadowed the large swimming pool filled with rainwater.

“We were supposed to spend our vacation here, but it’s closed,” said Niña, a resident of Cebu who begged off from revealing her family name, in an interview.

She and her companions thought the resort had already reopened.

But Niña said the resort, which was once swarmed by tourists especially during summer, looked horrible and creepy.

“Literally, it is abandoned, so we hurriedly left. No one is in there,” she said.

READ: DILG task force digs into how Chocolate Hills resort was built

Another recreation center in the town, the Sagbayan Peak, also remained closed.

A tarp placed at the entrance read “Sagbayan Peak Resort is closed to all commercial activities due to non-compliance [with] requirements. Until further notice.”

Bud Agta, another tourist destination located in Carmen town, is still open to the public. However, it was limited only to an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride.

The staircase made of scaffolding and wood to get to the viewing deck at the top of the hill was demolished last year.

Board Member Jamie Aumentado Villamor, chairman of the committee on tourism and environment of the Provincial Board, reiterated the need to protect the Chocolate Hills.

“More than taking pride as a prime tourist destination, the provincial government of Bohol is committed to protect the Chocolate Hills to ensure the preservation of biodiversity, prevention of environmental degradation, and sustaining the livelihoods that depend on tourism,” she told the Inquirer via Messenger.

Villamor said the Chocolate Hills are not only a geological treasure but a cultural icon and a vital driver of sustainable tourism, where the local economy also depends.

“With that, we are fully dedicated to strengthening the enforcement of environmental regulations, eco-friendly tourism practices, and investing in community education on conservation,” she said.

Villamor said the provincial government will also collaborate with scientists and local stakeholders for sustainable development, without forgetting the needs and interests of the Boholanos for livelihood and opportunities.

Bohol recorded 1.3 million visitors last year, with the Chocolate Hills as the province’s most popular tourist destination. Given its popularity, large crowds are expected, especially during the dry season.

A geological wonder, the 1,776 hills look like chocolates during summer.

These hills spread over the towns of Sagbayan, Batuan, Carmen, Bilar, Sierra Bullones, Catigbian and Valencia.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the hills were named and protected under the Expanded National Integrated Areas Protected System Act or Republic Act 7586, as amended by Republic Act No. 11038.

The Chocolate Hills were declared a national geological monument in the country on June 18, 1988.

Declared as a protected area in 1997 by then president Fidel Ramos, the Chocolate Hills natural monument is considered one of the World Heritage Sites by Unesco.

It is also the first and only Unesco geopark in the Philippines.

Several establishments were earlier constructed at the protected area to accommodate tourists who would like to see the thousand hills.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a total of 558 establishments within the Chocolate Hills, most of which were sari-sari stores, were operating without the proper permits.

Captain’s Peak’s operations were closed because it was built within a protected area and for operating without an environmental compliance certificate.

The resort was granted a business, building, and locational permit by the mayor for the years 2020 to 2024 despite repeated failures in obtaining permits and clearances from the DENR.

The resort was closed on March 14, 2024, after its business permit was revoked by the local government. This action was taken due to concerns about its operation within a protected area and for violating environmental regulations.

At the height of the controversies, the local government of Sagbayan also closed the Sagbayan Peak last year.

Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado and 68 other officials were earlier ordered suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman for six months due to the illegal construction of Captain’s Peak.

But Aumentado’s suspension was cut short to two months after the anti-graft office found out that the governor was unaware of the development of Captain’s Peak.

Aumentado said the resort’s development commenced in 2018 when he was still a congressman representing Bohol’s second district.