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A bird's eye view of Chocolate Hills of Bohol island in central Philippines, 13 January 2005.  Rising amidst rice fields and coconut grooves in six towns in the interior of the central island of Bohol, the grassy hills were once coral reefs that erupted from the sea in a massive geologic shift. wind and water put on the finishing touches over hundreds of thousands of years.  This draws hundreds of thousands of awed visitors.  
Jay Directo, AFP

A bird's eye view of Chocolate Hills of Bohol island in central Philippines, 13 January 2005.  Rising amidst rice fields and coconut grooves in six towns in the interior of the central island of Bohol, the grassy hills were once coral reefs that erupted from the sea in a massive geologic shift. wind and water put on the finishing touches over hundreds of thousands of years. The grass dies and crisps to a light brown in the dry season, causing the hills to resemble giant chocolate drops. This draws hundreds of thousands of awed visitors.  AFP PHOTO JAY DIRECTO (Photo by JAY DIRECTO / AFP)

Article (news)

PHILIPPINES-TOURISM-CHOCOLATE HILLS

ABS-CBN News

Annie Perez

The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort Bohol is temporarily closed in compliance with the directives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for &quot;maintenance and environmental preservation efforts.&quot;In an advisory released Wednesday night, the resort said the closure will give them time to implement “various eco-friendly initiative to further enhance the sustainability of our resort.”“We are committed to upholding the highest standards of environmental stewardship and ensuring the preservation of the natural beauty that surrounds us,” wrote their advisory.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/13/manager-admits-controversial-chocolate-hills-resort-has-no-environment-certificate-722" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Manager of controversial Chocolate Hills resort admits not being able to acquire environment certificate; workers prepare for jobless days ahead</a></div>Resort management earlier said they protected the tourist site, which is a designated UNESCO Geopark, despite their construction of a swimming pool at the foot of one of the hills. The resort said it sought approval from various agencies including the Protected Area Management Board which is regulated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.Video of the resort went viral for constructing a pool in the middle of the Chocolate Hills.<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2986130"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script>For his part, Governor Aris Aumentado said the problem was already there before he assumed as governor.He said the provincial government made its investigations and recommendations after the issue came to light last September.Now that the issue has resurfaced, Aumentado said his office is coordinating once again with the DENR and the local government.“Nakita ni DENR RD nga way ECC mo issue sila og cease and desist order. Private titled iyang property,” said Aumentado in an interview with Cebu Media.(DENR Regional Director saw that it has no ECC so they will issue a cease and desist order. The property is privately titled.)He noted <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">the local government of Sagbayan gave the approval for the construction since such requests from private lot owners do not reach his office.“Matod sa LGU, ga tuo sila nga okay na. Giadto na, okay na,” added Aumentado.(According to the LGU, they thought it was already okay. They went and it was already okay.)Aumentado said they are mulling to create an ordinance for “safety nets” towards PAMB’s approval whenever lot owners go to their office.“Magpataka man gud sila og approve pero dili familiar sa environment issue,” Aumentado further said.(They will just approve but are not familiar with the environment issue.)They will also create a group that will review all requests approved by PAMB.The governor said the construction at the foot of the Chocolate Hills is an &quot;isolated case&quot; and invited tourists to visit other attractions in their province.

The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort Bohol is temporarily closed in compliance with the directives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for "maintenance and environmental preservation efforts."

The Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort Bohol is temporarily closed in compliance with the directives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for "maintenance and environmental preservation efforts."

Chocolate Hills resort temporarily closed for 'maintenance, environmental preservation'

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Chocolate Hills resort temporarily closed for 'maintenance, environmental preservation'

ABS-CBN News,

Annie Perez

Published Mar 14, 2024 10:10 AM PHT

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