NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.

NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.

It seems that all hell broke loose in the Chocolate Hills (CH) fiasco as another development attempt within the Chocolate Hills site in Carmen town is in question.

This time it’s the “Bud Agta,” a sort of a resort located in barrio Tamboan and owned by a certain Lily Dalagan, whose family roots come from Camayaan, Loboc, but now residing in Tagbilaran City.

Bud Agta’s three viewing decks and a wooden spiral staircase “were constructed beyond 20%. Hence, there is a violation,” Provincial Board Member Atty. Jamie A. Villamor, the environment committee chairperson of the Sanggniang Panlalawigan, said.

DENR andPAMB is expected “to deal and act on the violations committed by operators of Bood Agta, pursuant to its mandate,” Villamor said.

Villamor’s statement appeared to be based on DENR and PAMB’s findings during the meeting she presided held recently.

This came despite a claim of the resort owner that PAMB and DENR have given the resort the go-signal.

The 20% policy is being set by PAMB authorized to give the go-signal on development around the Chocolate Hills area. It means that 20% of the land mass of a hill considered one of the Chocolate Hills may be used or developed in a titled lot that includes the hill, the said committee learned.

This came after her committee meeting on September 8 with representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) over the review of policy for the development of the CH.

However, the controversial Captain’s Peak resort in barangay Canmano, Sagbayan town, on the other hand, seemed to be cleared by DENR.

“There was no violation by Captain’s Peak Resort on the conditions set forth in the clearance that developments or structures be made within 20% from the baseline to the tip of the hill. PAMB and DENR surveyed and measured the area with BEMO,” Villamor quoted DENR and PAMB as having said.

Earlier, Villamor and the joint committee members including the tourism committee were dumbfounded after learning that DENR could not provide data or insights on how they measure the 20% allotted for development at the Captain’s Peak resort. “Mora’g bana-bana lang,” she said.

Villamor said that she required PAMB and the Provincial Technical Working Group (TWG) to submit to the committee its detailed recommendation as a result of the review and amendments of its guidelines and policies.

The PAB’s recommendation “will be incorporated in the proposed ordinance conserving the declared protected areas of Bohol.”

The municipal government of Carmen may be considering reviewing, if not revoking, the permit it issued if found that Bud Agta violates the law, Provincial Board Member Nathaniel Binlod hinted.

Dalagan said that the resort which she started to build in 2021 is titled and sits in a 2.9 hectares lot that her daughters owned but they agreed to develop the place in barangay Tamboan. Her daughters who are all nurses by profession are already in New Zealand, Australia and Germany.

She said she applied for the permit from PAMB and from the municipality that gave her the green light and DENR approved the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).

She said that the only violation may be that she failed to inform the PAMB to change the spiral staircase to Mahogany slabs from bamboo, she said, would not last long. But there was a need for an immediate change of the deteriorating bamboo stairs for the safety of her visitors.

“Wa pa nakabawi sa capital, nagabok na,” she said.

She said that she thought of somehow utilizing the lot to provide jobs for her workers. The workers are providing services to mostly walk-in customers, who are interested to climb uphill to viewing deck via a wooden spiral staircase.

The area is considered part of the track and field of the All-terrain-vehicle (ATV) rented by tourists from nearby ATV providers.

The resort’s name comes from the only hill within her property which is already named “Bud Agta” before it was developed. (rvo)