DENR: Chocolate Hills resort ordered shut for lack of environmental clearance

MANILA, Philippines (Updated, 6:02) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Wednesday that it had issued a closure order and a notice of violation to the administrator of a resort within the vicinity of Chocolate Hills in Bohol for operating without an environmental compliance certificate.

A temporary closure order was issued to the project proponent of the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resorts in September 2023, and a notice of violation followed in January 2024. 

The DENR issued the statement after social media users raised concerns about the impact of the resort’s operations on Chocolate Hills, a protected area. 

The public criticism also prompted the agency to conduct an inspection at Captain’s Peak for its compliance with the temporary closure order. 

“The DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will continue to monitor,” it said. 

The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation consisting of conical and nearly identical mounds. During the dry season, the grass-covered hills turn chocolate brown, hence the name. 

Former President Fidel Ramos declared the Chocolate Hills a natural monument in July 1997 through Proclamation 1037 to protect and maintain the landscape’s natural beauty. 

“The declaration aimed to preserve the iconic landscape of the Chocolate Hills and promote sustainable tourism while protecting the biodiversity and environmental integrity of the area,” the DENR said. 

Under Proclamation 1037, “no activity of any kind including quarrying, which will alter, mutilate, deface or destroy the hills shall be conducted” regardless of the existence of prior private rights. 

It further restricts the conversion of public and private lands within and around the hills for purposes conflicting with the objectives of the proclamation. 

In a statement, the DENR said that if a land was titled prior to the issuance of Proclamation 1037, “the rights and interests of the landowner will generally be recognized and respected.” 

“However, the declaration of the area as a protected area may impose certain restrictions or regulations on land use and development within the protected area, even for privately-owned lands,” the agency said.

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