ABS-CBN waits for mayor’s notification on filming ‘Forevermore’ in Benguet

MANILA, Philippines – ABS-CBN is awaiting a formal communication from Benguet officials following a Court of Appeals order barring certain activities, including filming, in Sitio Pungayan in Tuba, Benguet, the site of a fictional community in its hit drama series.

Asked to comment on the CA ruling, Kane Choa, ABS CBN Corporate Communication head, said, “We have not yet received any formal communication from the office of the mayor.”

Sitio Pungayan is the area where scenes from the fictional community of La Presa in the teleserye Forevermore are shot.  

According to a report from the Inquirer, the Court of Appeals has issued a Writ of Kalikasan ordering Tuba mayor Florencio Bentrez to stop people from “settling, farming, mining and even filming” at the Mt. Sto.Tomas  forest reservation which is located in the area. The order was made after the discovery of an illegal excavation in Mt. Cabuyao last year.

The same report also said that Bentrez will stop the development plans at the reservation and cancel business permits. 

Forevermore, which stars Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano tells the story of Xander who falls for Agnes, a strawberry farmer.  The show’s location in Baguio and Benguet has helped in attracting tourists to the area. (IN PHOTOS: Visiting Baguio’s ‘Forevermore’ locations)

Forevermore is scheduled to air the final episode on May 22. – Rappler.com