Bohol, the only island in the Philippines acclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a global geopark, faces scrutiny as a small resort protrudes from its green pastures. It stands between three of the Chocolate Hills, Bohol’s main attraction and arguably the most iconic tourist spot of the Philippines. 

Bohol and the Chocolate Hills are a unique, extraordinary geological landscape formed over the course of hundreds of millions of years. When content creator Ren the Adventurer brought Captain’s Peak Resort into the limelight, netizens immediately slammed the local government unit and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and for good reason. Not only does it graffiti the serene ambience that Chocolate Hills offer, it’s an indication of government ignorance and complacency. 

Captain’s Peak was opened to the public in January 2019, but was operating without the vital Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) for all these years. Even with the rest of the requirements, the absence of an ECC makes its business operations illegal. Despite knowing this, Sagbayan’s LGU turned a blind eye and allowed owners to operate as they pleased. As a consequence, the resort was forced to close last March, much to the contempt of employees. 

The public is right to blame local authorities and government agencies. As a global geopark and national treasure, the hills are a protected site and must be treated as such. The complacency of authorities is deviant of these standards. The resort has stood for five years now, and the only way the government noticed was through a Facebook reel. 

As a consequence, one of our landmarks is vandalized and numerous people are now unemployed. Even if they demolish Captain’s Peak and rebuild it elsewhere, that would take resources and cause further environmental degradation. The damage was dealt as soon as construction was permitted without the necessary documents. 

The way smaller government units operate is reflective of how the national government operates. The Chocolate Hills fiasco raises bright red flags about current management in the Philippines. Charter Change, the Marcos-Duterte rivalry, the unresponsiveness to El Niño, shotgun solutions offered by power hungry politicians, and many events as of late have made it clear that our system is failing. This creates a chain reaction where local authorities are either ignorant or insouciant, because the upper echelon can’t be taken seriously. The Chocolate Hills now serve not only as an attraction, but a reminder that rules and regulations must be scrutinized and upheld by both local governments and agencies.