By Helen Castaño | 09:17 PM March 14, 2024
The controversial Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in the heart of the Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan town, Bohol has temporarily shut down its facility on Thursday, March 14.
Julieta Sablas, the manager of Captain’s Peak, confirmed that their business permit was revoked by the municipal government.
“Captain’s Peak is already closed,” said Sablas.
However, Sablas said that she did not accept the order from the office of Sagbayan Mayor Restituto Suarez III but she voluntarily closed the facility.
She also admitted that the resort did not have an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) because their application at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is still pending.
“Mao nay walay problema namo wala mi ECC. Lisud ning ignorante kaayo kanang magkuwan bah og business,” said Sablas.
“Mao na lesson to learn. So, wala na mahimo ato na pangkamutan nga i-comply,” said Sablas, adding that it’s about 75 percent complete since August last year.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the resort said that Captain’s Peak “will be temporarily closed for maintenance and environmental preservation efforts.”
During the closure, it said it “will be implementing various eco-friendly initiatives 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,”it said.
There were at least 16 employees who were affected of the closure.
Captain’s Peak is owned by Sablas’
younger brother Capt. Edgar Button. His property is inside the Chocolate Hills protected area.
It was opened in 2019. It has a rectangular swimming pool attached with slides, and a few umbrellas providing shade for visitors. Cemented steps and other decorations are also installed in the area.
However, the structure did not sit well with netizens who saw the video uploaded by a vlogger.
DENR on Wednesday said it had already issued a temporary closure order and a notice of violation against the resort.
According to the DENR, the closure order against Captain’s Peak Resort was issued on September 6, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Notice of Violation to the project proponent was sent to the resort on January 22, 2024, for operating without an environmental compliance certificate.
The DENR also said it has already created a team to inspect the resort’s compliance with the closure order.
