Cynthia Villar Says Captain’s Peak Resort Should Be Demolished
CAPTAIN’S PEAK RESORT – Senator Cynthia Villar said Captain’s Peak Resort at Chocolate Hills in Bohol should be demolished.
The Captain’s Peak Resort which is located at the world famous Chocolate Hills area temporarily shut down its operations in March. Juliet Sablas, the sibling of resort proprietor Captain Edgar Button, acknowledged that the resort ceased operations “upon the order of the mayor.” She confirmed that the resort remains without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
Senator Cynthia Villar suggests that the Captain’s Peak Resort located at Chocolate Hills in Bohol should be demolished.
“It is not possible that there is a resort there. If the development was agriculture, it’s still possible. There is harmony there, but a resort is not possible,” Villar said.
According to the senator, the construction of a resort in that area is implausible, whereas agricultural development might have been feasible. She emphasized the importance of maintaining harmony within the environment and stated that the barangay and environment officials who permitted the resort’s construction should provide compensation to its owner.
Cynthia Villar proposed restructuring the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) to include more non-government organizations (NGOs), as she believes the current composition, mostly comprising local officials from the barangay level, is inadequate. Senator Nancy Binay also advocated for the resort’s demolition to prevent further commercialization of protected areas.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) anticipates demolishing all structures at Chocolate Hills to restore its status as a protected area.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda expressed the Senate’s commitment to investigating environmental degradation in protected areas, asserting its oversight role to ensure the enforcement of environmental laws and policies. Legarda emphasized the reciprocal relationship between protecting nature and safeguarding human interests.
“If nature is protected, nature protects us,” she said.
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