Resorts also found in protected areas of Apo – Tulfo

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from the controversies surrounding the construction of a resort at the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, several business establishments have reportedly sprouted in the protected area of Mt. Apo in Davao, according to Sen. Raffy Tulfo.

Tulfo raised the issue concerning Mt. Apo during a privilege speech delivered on Monday night, or a few days after the existence of the Captain’s Peak Resort at the Chocolate Hills went viral on social media.

He said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed the existence of commercial establishments, which were reportedly given two years to operate, around Mt. Apo.

As this developed, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has started investigating circumstances surrounding the construction of the Captain’s Peak Resort.

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said a six-man team of the Bohol Task Force was deployed in Sagbayan town to determine the liability of local government officials over the matter.

Tulfo said he received information about the construction of several resorts at the Mt. Apo National Reserve, including the Twin Mountain View Resort, Monte Frio Resort and Villa Recurso.

“These are outside the buffer zone, if we base it on what we saw on Google Earth and compare it with the map of Mount Apo,” Tulfo said.

He expressed concern about the environment, especially since President Marcos last year ordered the preservation of Mt. Apo while the government is working to include the site in the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage Sites.

“This statement of President Marcos was made sometime in October 2023 and because of this, some people in the PAMB or Protected Area Management Board of Mount Apo seemed to have panicked,” he said.

“In November 2023, they called for a meeting to act against illegal structures at the multiple use zones of Mt. Apo and look into the decline in the forest cover. How come these illegal structures were allowed to operate?” Tulfo asked.

Abalos said the Bohol task force would also look into other structures built around the Chocolate Hills.

“I have spoken to the team members and told them to make a list of these structures. I told them to check the surrounding areas and identify if more violations were committed so we can take collective actions,” he said.

Abalos said the team would examine pertinent documents that allowed the construction of the resort despite apparent violations of the law.

“How was this allowed? Was this allowed or not? Most of all, who should be held liable for this?” he asked.

Tulfo enumerated other problems surrounding Mt. Apo, such as land conversion for settlement, water pollution, introduction of foreign exotic species, presence of large communities, increasing population, destructive and inappropriate livelihood and poverty.

“What is the real use of the PAMB? Why it seems to be a mere display in the country’s protected areas?” Tulfo said.

The Bohol task force will also look into the possible liability and accountability of local government officials and recommend filing of cases against those involved. — Romina Cabrera