DAVAO CITY (March 14) — The filing of criminal charges against a resort operating inside Mt. Apo Natural Park has spotlighted growing concerns that tourism expansion is encroaching on environmentally sensitive areas in the Davao Region.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the region confirmed it filed a complaint before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Digos City against an inland resort in Barangay Coronon, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur for allegedly constructing facilities within the boundaries of the protected park.
Authorities said the development violated provisions of Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System law, which prohibits the construction or maintenance of structures inside protected areas without clearance from the Protected Area Management Board and the DENR.
The agency also cited a separate violation involving permanent structures built within the 40-meter easement zone from the high-water mark of the Langan River, a buffer area intended to safeguard waterways and surrounding ecosystems.
“Through due process, the agency assures that violators will be held accountable and that environmental justice will be served,” the DENR regional office said.
The case was prepared in coordination with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office of Davao del Sur and the Mt. Apo Natural Park–Protected Area Management Office.
Officials said the charges were filed after resort operators allegedly ignored notices of violation and cease-and-desist orders issued since 2024, failing to dismantle structures built within the protected area.
The enforcement move could expand further, with authorities warning that six additional resorts operating in the same area may also face similar charges.
The case has drawn attention to the growing tension between tourism development and environmental protection around Mount Apo, the country’s highest peak and a key biodiversity sanctuary within Mt. Apo Natural Park.
Protected areas such as the park are meant to preserve fragile ecosystems, including old-growth forests, watersheds, and habitats for endemic wildlife. But officials say the rising popularity of mountain resorts, eco-lodges, and inland tourism facilities has increased development pressure on these landscapes.
Environmental advocates warn that even small-scale tourism projects—when built without proper regulation—can lead to forest clearing, riverbank encroachment, waste management problems, and disruption of wildlife habitats.
The DENR said enforcement actions are meant to reinforce the legal protections granted under the country’s protected area law and to send a signal that commercial development inside conservation zones will not be tolerated.
“Mt. Apo Natural Park is a protected heritage that must be preserved,” the agency stressed, adding that stronger enforcement is necessary to prevent the gradual conversion of conservation areas into tourism enclaves.
Officials said the ongoing cases could set an important precedent as the government seeks to balance tourism growth with the ecological integrity of protected landscapes.
