Bohol provincial gov’t looking into 2 other tourist attractions built on Chocolate Hills

BOHOL, Philippines – After the closure of Captain’s Peak Resort, the provincial government of Bohol said it would also look into other questionable structures built on Chocolate Hills, starting with Bud Agta in Carmen town.

Bohol Provincial Board Member Jamie Villamor, chairman of the committee on tourism and environmental protection, told Rappler on Friday, March 15, that Bud Agta was part of the discussions during an August 2023 inquiry into the controversial Captain’s Peak in Sagbayan town.

Bud Agta is a camping ground with wooden stairs built from the foot of a Chocolate Hill to its peak.

“We discovered that in Bud Agta, there are measurements that exceeded the allowable limit of the Protected Areas Management Board,” Villamor said

Bud Agta is the second site mentioned in Senator Nancy Binay’s proposed resolution seeking an investigation into structures built on protected areas of the Chocolate Hills.

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Besides Bud Agta, concerned locals have also pointed out that the Sagbayan Peak viewing deck in Sagbayan town also had a cemented structure built on another Chocolate Hill. Villamor said that she was made aware of this through social media posts.

Villamor confirmed that the provincial government would now be looking into these structures as well.

“We requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to look into the Bud Agta,” the board member said, adding that they have yet to receive a copy of the results of the August 2023 investigation.

Rappler visited Sagbayan Peak on Thursday, March 14, and Friday afternoon to ask its management for comment. The staff told Rappler that the owner did not wish to give any statement on the issue.

Sagbayan Peak’s staff showed Rappler their ECC, while Bud Agta’s ECC was made visible to the public via a poster near the tourism attraction’s entrance.

Meanwhile, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado said they would take the initiative to ensure no more resorts would build structures that deface the hills. (READ: How messy governance, paperwork allowed a resort in Chocolate Hills)

“We will correct what is the cause of this mess and for us, para hindi ito maulit (so that this won’t happen again), we are going to create an ordinance which has clearer policies and guidelines,” Aumentado said.

The governor added that they would revive the province’s review and development committee to review documents and applications of geoparks and development sites in protected areas.

“Kung ano ‘yung pagbabago diyan, dapat hindi maka-alter ng view sa original na lugar (If there would be changes made there, it should not change the original view of the place),” Aumentado said. – Rappler.com