“IT should be demolished and the construction site should be restored, with costs borne by the owners of that resort. But before these can happen, we have to follow due process,” Congw. Kristine Alexie B. Tutor said in her official statement relative to the Captain’s Peak Resort’s controversy in barangay Canmano, Sagbayan town.
The rejoinder to the hullabaloo generated by the said resort came after a vlogger posted in his Facebook account his aerial shots of the resort, without knowing it has been investigated in August last year and the consequences it caused.
The congresswoman’s statement came after the resort’s management decided to halt its operations starting March 14, 2024.
She stressed that she’s not in favor of the action against the Chocolate Hills because it is now a global geopark.
“I am against any decision or action that goes against the status of the Chocolate Hills as a UNESCO Geopark. The Chocolate Hills is also protected by a Presidential Proclamation.
That Captain’s Peak Resort should not have been allowed to be built there in the first place.
She said that she strongly supports of the provincial government and the DENR’s move to find ways and remedies, including intervention of Environment Sec. Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga in what could be a face-saving measures.
She said, “We hope the DENR Secretary will hold in abeyance the decision on the operation of Captain’s Peak Resort.”
Tutor warns, “If the administrative process does not work, those with proper legal standing can go to court to stop the Captain’s Peak Resort and also hold liable the government officials who permitted the construction and operation of that eyesore of a resort for their wrong actions on this matter.”
“The controversial Captain’s Peak Resort has temporarily shut down its operations,” says resort manager Julieta Sablas, older sister of the resort owner Capt. Edgar Buton.
This came following the viral post in social media by a vlogger showing the negative the resort got from netizens. This was also the talk of the town sometime in August last year after the FREEMAN headlined the story of Chocolate Hills having a resort in the middle with amenities, like the swimming pool, cottages and others.
Sablas told media interview that she started to close shop yesterday upon the order of the mayor but has not received it for unknown reason.
She admitted that the resort she’s running has no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) yet since it is very difficult to comply. But they’re complying and it’s about 75% complete since August last year that they began to conform, she said.
Sablas admitted that they have been given permit by the Sagbayan officials to do business since they started to operate in 2019. Only the pandemic set in in 2020 and 2021 bothered its operations.
She lamented that it seems that there was what she called “miscommunication” since they were not aware that without ECC a resort cannot proceed to operate.
But she vowed to find remedies of these controversy. “Di ‘mi mo-surrender until nay remedy ani,” she added. (We won’t surrender until there are remedies for these).
Another kink is the land conversion. Sablas said that the conversion of agricultural land where the resort is located to tourism site or commercial has not yet been approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of this town, but they’re working on it.
She said that aside or before the mayor’s permit was given, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) for Chocolate Hills area has given them the go-signal to proceed and operate.
“The hills should not be altered nor defaced and extraction is strictly prohibited.” This was one of the provisions of Resolution No. 01, series of 2018, executed by PAMB.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan joint Committees of Environment and Tourism chaired by board member Atty. Jamie Villamor and Tita V. Baja, respectively, initially conducted last year an ocular inspection of the resort as part of their investigation in aid of legislation following the privilege speech of Board Member Nathaniel Binlod. (ricobedencio@yahoo.com)
