SILAY City Mayor Mark Andrew Golez said Tuesday, October 27, that 36 resorts, coffee shops and lodging houses along Barangay Patag to Barangay Guimbala-on are still closed and that their re-opening may take some time.
These structures, which are considered illegal, are located within the Protected Area of the North Negros Natural Park and have been known as tourist destinations in the city.
They were closed August 10 after the cease and desist order were issued against them by the City Government of Silay for several violations, especially lacking the necessary permits.
Golez said Tuesday, October 27, that the owners of the illegal structures have already submitted to the City Government their respective Letter of Intent for their application for a Special Use Agreement in the Protected Area of NNNP.
Golez said he required the owners of the establishments to submit their respective Development Plan that includes the structural design, drainage plan and other similar plans and designs, Comprehensive Development and Management Plan and location map and vicinity map.
"Once they comply with these requirements, I will convene the Patag-Guimbalaon Devt. Plan and we will pass a resolution and submit to Pamb," Golez said.
He said that once Pamb issues a favorable action through a resolution to be given back to PGDA, the necessary permits will be processed.
Golez said the Protected Area Management Board (Pamb) has already approved the creation of the Patag-Guimbalaon Development Authority, which will assist Pamb on the regulation of the illegal structures at the NNNP.
A cease and desist order was issued by the City Government of Silay on August 10 against 36 resorts, establishments and lodging houses in Patag, Lantawan and Guimbala-on after notices of violations were issued against their owners and operators.
Some of the resorts that have been drawing several local and foreign tourists since 2004 while others from 2016 to 2018, Golez said.
Golez said the resort and establishment owners constructed the structures without the building permit, occupancy permit, discharge permit, business permit and that they also do not pay any taxes to the national government or the Republic of the Philippines so they cannot issue an official receipt for their respective customers.
"They are tourist attractions but they have violations and if we tolerate them this will set a bad precedent to other businesses," Golez said.
The mayor said most of the operators and owners have not registered any resistance to the action taken by the City Government and in fact most of them wanted their operation to be legal and are asking guidance on how they would be able to do it.
"We have that apprehension that if we don't regulate them now, the area could be the next Boracay as their waste discharge and garbage disposal would not be regulated," Golez said.