Filipino celebrities expressed their dismay in the wake of the controversies surrounding the viral resort built on the foot of the tourist attraction Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
A video of a private resort, Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, showcasing its amenities, including a swimming pool, slides, and cottages with drone shots, revealed its questionable location in the middle of one of the Philippines’ famous tourist spots and caused a stir on social media.
Showbiz personalities took to social media to share their opinions on the much-talked-about issue.
It’s Showtime host Anne Curtis-Smith was among the artists to react to the viral video of Captain’s Peak Gardens and Resort, where she expressed her sadness and questioned how such an establishment was built on one of the country’s natural wonders.
“Is this true kaya? Sad naman if they are allowing this so close to the beautiful natural wonders of our country ?”, the celebrity mom wrote in her X post.
In Anne’s separate post, the actress-host pegged her support for Senator Nancy Binay’s statement condemning the construction of the man-made resort.
It can be recalled that Anne had also called the public’s attention to the alleged drilling operations that threatened the conservation area of Masungi Georeserve in Tanay, Rizal.
Comedian-actor Janno Gibbs called out the private resort and its alleged destruction of the iconic hills’ natural beauty on his Instagram page.
“At binab[o]y na ang Chocolate Hills. ?,” he wrote, accompanied by a single photo of Captain’s Peak resort showing its exact location on the foot of the hills.
In the comment section of Janno’s IG post, GMA News broadcaster Arnold Clavio slammed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as he expressed his disbelief on how the establishment was allowed to fully erect the resort on the protected area.
“Langhiya ! Hugas kamay ang DENR !!! Sana man lang kung isang poste pa lang ang naitatayo . Eh kumpleto na ng pasilidad ! Wow !!!”, the Kapuso newscaster wrote.
Similarly, FM radio host DJ Chacha also called out those responsible for the construction of the resort in her X post.
“Ayan na, simula na naman ng turuan kung sino ang may kasalanan sa pagpapatayo ng resort sa paanan ng Chocolate Hills. Sisihan pa more!,” she wrote.
Boholana-Belgian beauty queen Pauline Amelinckx penned her love for the province currently being hounded with controversies, in an Instagram post accompanied by photos of her connecting with nature.
“The Chocolate Hills are part of every Bol-anon ? It’s part of the land we call home, part of the soul of our island,” Pauline described the tourist site.
She called on the public to help preserve and protect the country’s natural landscapes, saying, “Now more than ever, we face the challenge of balancing progress with the protection and preservation of our natural landmarks. We all must play a part, big or small, to regenerate our earth, so it may regenerate us too.”
“May we never forget about the beautiful land given by God. “Hatag ni Bathala”,” Amelinckx concluded her message.
Self-proclaimed “Sawsawera Queen” RR Enriquez also took the opportunity to share her opinion in a lengthy post on her Instagram page.
The former Wowowee host initially didn’t find “anything wrong” with the private resort as she considered that it would “help the country’s tourism”. She also compared it to “famous tourist attractions” located in the heart of Switzerland’s famous Mt. Tilis.
“To be honest ok sana yung idea na ito.. Kaso bakit po hindi man lang ginandahan? Hindi man lang instagramable? Paano po tayo makaka attract kung wala pong nakaka attract CHERET?,” RR commented on the resort’s failure to attract local visitors and tourists.
She went on to make a suggestion to the people behind the resort, saying, “I love the idea po but failed po sa execution ? Please maglaan kayo ng magadang budget for that❤️”
Meanwhile, the manager of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, Juliet Sablas, had previously spoken up to address the public’s concern in an interview where she openly admitted their failure to get an Environmental Compliance Certificate.
The DENR has officially declared in a statement that the resort had been issued with a closure order since September 2023 for “operating without an environmental compliance certificate”.
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.
