The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Tuesday said it issued cease and desist orders against 28 establishments in Mt. Apo.
Sen. Cynthia Villar, DENR’s budget sponsor, said during the agency’s budget hearing that it also issued show-cause orders to 76 establishments in April this year.
“They issued cease and desist orders, all are confirmed close, endorsed to NBI for case buildup and the next step is case build-up, filing of cases in position of penalties. They are all coordinating with the LGU,” Villar said.
“They have regular monitoring and they will submit you the report,” she added.
But Sen. Raffy Tulfo said that his camp was able to book reservations in three establishments which were not in the buffer or neutral zone of Mt. Apo.
Villar said the three establishments that Tulfo was referring to were not in the list of establishments that have cease and desist orders from DENR.
“Wala sa listahan nila. So they’re legal. They are legal because they have PAMB clearance and ECC,” said Villar.
“Nandoon sila sa multiple use zones, yung tatlo na yun. But they have the list of 28 na may cease and desist order,” she added.
Tulfo said the DENR should look into the three establishments’ locations in Mt. Apo and asked the agency for a report containing the map and details on the matter.
The 64,000-hectare Mount Apo Natural Park is located in south-central Mindanao and spans the provinces of North Cotabato in Region 12, and Davao del Sur and Davao City in Region 11.
With an altitude of 2,954 meters above sea level, it is the highest mountain and one of the most popular nature-based tourism sites in the country.
Mt. Apo was declared a protected area and a component of the National Protected Areas System under a 2003 law.
