About a week ago, photos of the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort circulated online like wildfire. In the two decades I have spent living in Bohol, never have I come across this establishment until recently. Since the majority of my friends on Facebook are from the province where the resort is located, I didn’t pay that much attention to their shared posts. In my head, it was probably just another business that recently opened.
It honestly took a few posts, maybe five, before I decided to give it some of my attention. I was surprised at how big the news got, reaching those outside the province.
Whenever I tell people I’m from the province of Bohol, the first thing that pops into their heads is the Chocolate Hills (sometimes Tarsiers). Understandable really. I have always been proud of the fact that there is something significant enough about the place I grew up in that allows those outside the area to recognize it.
But hearing that one of the very few things that makes my province unique and distinguishable has been put in danger obviously filled me with concern.
I thought people were only debating whether the owners were at fault, but realizing that people are going as far to defend the establishment—justifying their actions and saying they did nothing wrong—really disappointed me.
One of the arguments made was regarding the Chocolate Hills Complex, a spot where tourists can have a panoramic view of the hills. They said that if this is allowed, they don’t see why the Captain’s Peak shouldn’t be. It’s important to note that the Chocolate Hills Complex is the only establishment in the protected area allowed by the government to give tourists and locals an opportunity to see the attraction at a better angle. Even if you own a portion of the land around the Chocolate Hills, if it’s within the protected area, you have no right to touch the land.
One is enough. What people need to understand is that if another establishment will be allowed to utilize the area, more will surely follow. If this happens, it will become much more difficult to contain the damages these establishments will cause the environment. Apart from land destruction, there is also the human trail to consider. When people start visiting places often, garbage can be expected which will likely result in pollution. For this reason, it’s imperative that something be done while it’s still early.
Ignorance of the law excuses no one. Despite the absence of an Environment Compliance Certificate, the resort was still allowed to operate, which in itself is already problematic. While the resort’s owners did try to go through the proper process, they should have known better than to even attempt such an act. As for the Sagbayan local government who gave them business permits, you should have done better.
Growing up, I learned the importance of taking accountability. When the resort’s manager was interviewed, she refused to acknowledge that keeping their establishment will eventually jeopardize the Chocolate Hills in the long run. “Hindi po kami talaga papayag ‘pag totally close. Kasi ang laki na na-invest ng kapatid ko,” she expressed.
(We will not allow it to be totally closed. Because my sibling already invested a lot.)
Though they had their reasons, it does not take away the fact that what they’re doing is unethical and that it violates Proclamation 1037, which designated the Chocolate Hills and surrounding areas as a National Geological Monument and Protected Landscape. But now that it’s built, instead of arguing on whether or not it was right to build the resort, why not discuss an alternative with the government? Money can be negotiated and returned; it is replaceable, but nature is not.
Still, in this case, I don’t think the main focus should be on who needs to be put behind bars. Focusing on that will only cause us to lose sight of the real reason why this became an issue to begin with. It will cause us to stray away from what truly matters—healing the environment.
In an interview with Inquirer, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said that “…if Bohol wants to keep its geopark status, it needs to have certain standards in terms of its development moving forward.” Although what she said was right, I disagree that this “status” should be our reason for taking action. Instead, we must look at it as preserving the environment and making sure it lasts longer. By focusing on this, our efforts become much more fulfilling and the satisfaction we get becomes permanent. However, if this status they speak of is what it’s going to take for people to take this seriously, then I’m willing to be that shallow.
While the attention the Chocolate Hills is getting may be for a different reason than what I had hoped for, I have to admit that seeing how much people care for the environment, even those in remote areas like Bohol, fills me with much hope that there is still a beautiful world that awaits the future generations.
