THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Wednesday, March 13, instructed its regional office in Bohol province to check on the compliance of a private resort located at the Chocolate Hills, which has been issued a temporary closure order.

In a statement to The Manila Times, the DENR said Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor issued on the same day a memorandum order to Ariel Rica, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer.

Rica was instructed to create a team to conduct an inspection at Captain's Peak Resort for its compliance.

Records showed that the management of the resort was issued the temporary closure order on Sept. 6, 2023, and at the same time a notice of violation to the project proponent on January 22.

The DENR explained that the Chocolate Hills were declared a protected area on July 1, 1997, through Proclamation 1037 issued by then-president Fidel Ramos that designated this nature as a National Geological Monument and Protected Landscape.

"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 agency said.

It said further that the rights and interests of any landowner would be generally recognized and respected if his land was titled prior to the issuance of the proclamation that declared Chocolate Hills as protected area.

However, the declaration of the Chocolate Hills as a protected area may impose certain restrictions or regulations on land use and development within the protected area even for privately owned lands.

These regulations and restrictions are to be detailed in the environmental impact statement prior to the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate for the project, the DENR said.

Netizens were one in lambasting the construction of the private resort in question, describing it as a degradation which diminishes the allure of the iconic tourist spot.