A now-viral video of a private resort in the vicinity of Chocolate Hills in Bohol, one of the Philippines’ famous tourist spots, is causing a stir on social media.
The video was posted by travel vlogger Ren The Adventurer on his Facebook page, showcasing the resort’s amenities, including a swimming pool, slides, and cottages, with clips shot in an aerial view, revealing its location at the heart of the iconic hills.
The content garnered over four million views and exceeded 120,000 reactions on Facebook, as of writing.
As news of the resort’s construction broke, social media platforms were flooded with criticisms from concerned citizens, questioning the environmental impact and the potential disturbance to the area’s natural beauty.
The Chocolate Hills, a world-renowned tourist destination, is celebrated for its unique cone-shaped hills that create a breathtaking landscape.
It is considered a national treasure and declared as the “first global geo-park in the country by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), according to The Freeman’s past report.
Netizens have raised their concern, demanding accountability and transparency regarding the ownership of the resort and its regulatory approval process.
The famous tourist spot even trended on X as Pinoy netizens expressed their concern over the issue.
Chocolate Hills is a National Geological Monument and being proposed to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. Who gave the permission to build a resort there? ?
— 최효인 (@choi_hyo_in) March 13, 2024
? Ren The Adventurer pic.twitter.com/Nts0bxaEaX
The trending issue also caught the attention of Kapamilya host-actress Anne Curtis-Smith who reacted to the viral clip on her X page.
Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno also shared his two cents on the viral Bohol resort in an X post.
Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay expressed her dismay in an official statement over the placement of the resort, as reported by ABS-CBN News.
“Nakakagalit at nakakadurog ng puso ang nakita nating mga nakatayo nang resorts sa mga paanan mismo ng Chocolate Hills,” her statement began.
The politician questioned how the people behind the man-made resort were able to have it built under the foot of the hills which she described as a “classified natural monument”.
Binay also mentioned that in 2022 and 2023, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) allegedly approved a proposal and issued a resolution “favorably endorsing the development” of the resort in Bohol.
The lack of information regarding the resort’s compliance with environmental regulations has fueled speculations about the potential negative consequences for the natural habitat of the Chocolate Hills.
Both the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government unit (LGU) faced mounting complaints to intervene and protect the tourist site, supposedly under threat due to the construction of a resort.
The DENR went on to clarify the issue with an official statement released on Wednesday afternoon, stating that the resort, Captain’s Peak, has been issued with a closure order since September 2023 for “operating without an environmental compliance certificate”.
“In the case of the Captain’s Peak Resort, the DEN issued a Temporary Closure Order last September 6, 2023, and a Notice of Violation to the project proponent last January 22, 2024 for operating without an ECC,” the DENR explained.
They further added, that as of today, March 13, DENR regional executive director Paquito D. Melicor had already issued a Memorandum directing Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Bohol Ariel Rica to create a team to conduct inspection on the resort’s compliance with the Temporary Closure Order.
The DENR concluded its statement by assuring the public that they will continue to monitor the case.
