Water regulator directs Bohol resort to stop using deep wells without permit
THE NATIONAL Water Resources Board (NWRB) has ordered the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, which lies in the middle of the Chocolate Hills of Bohol in central Philippines, to stop using deep wells without a permit.
“Based on our records, they don’t have water rights... so that’s an illegal utilization or extraction of water,” NWRB Executive Director Ricky A. Arzadon told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday. “So I have to immediately issue a ceaseand-desist order.”
Resort management did not immediately reply to separate text and Facebook Messenger chat messages and a phone call.
The resort has 15 days to answer. “Based on this explanation, then we will assess if there is a need to file a criminal case against them,” Mr. Arzadon said.
The Water Code bars well drilling without permission from the water regulator.
The Environment department this month said it had ordered the closure of the resort within Chocolate Hills in September for operating without an environmental compliance certificate.
In a statement on March 13, the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort said it would undergo “maintenance and environmental preservation efforts while it’s temporary closed.
“During this closure, we will be implementing various eco-friendly initiatives to further enhance the sustainability of our resort,” it said.
Senator Cynthia A. Villar called on Tuesday filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate land use agreements involving the country’s protected areas amid reports of resorts being built within the Chocolate Hills and Mount Apo Natural Park in central Mindanao.
Ms. Villar asked the Senate to probe in aid of legislation the management practices, status of land use agreements and protection mechanisms within these areas.
She also cited the need to probe reports of illegal logging and quarrying in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, which she said could worsen flooding in Rizal and Marikina.
The Philippines has submitted the Chocolate Hills and Mount Apo for inclusion in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage sites. Both are protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act of 1992.
A video of the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort went viral on social media last week, drawing flak from environmental groups.
On Monday, Senator Rafael T. Tulfo told the Senate plenary that mountaineering groups had reported several resorts operating within the Mount Apo Natural Park, citing the need to investigate why these were being allowed.
“It is deemed essential to examine the management practices... the adequacy or absence of protection mechanisms provided to each of the country’s protected areas,” Ms. Villar said in the resolution.
“[This is] to ensure that the original intentions and wise foresight in their establishment are not undermined, thereby securing a sustainable future for the present and future generations.” —