CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has reaffirmed her opposition to The Stria development in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, citing environmental concerns.
On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Baricuatro reiterated the Provincial Government’s stance to stop the project while awaiting the final ruling of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“Absolutely,” Baricuatro said when asked if the Office of the Governor continue to uphold their position to stop the project’s operations.
The Province earlier submitted a report to the DENR Central Office in December 2025 claiming that The Stria was illegally constructed.
“We have already submitted the report and the pertinent documents to the DENR Central Office,” she said.
“We are awaiting their response,” the governor added.
Baricuatro said the report submitted by the Office of the Governor included documents related to reports that construction at the Stria project site remains ongoing.
The Stria, a condominium project along the shores of Santa Fe in Bantayan Island, is being built in an area declared a protected zone under Presidential Proclamation 2151 issued on Dec. 29, 1981.
Although its environmental compliance certificate allows only three floors, the building has reportedly risen to 11 floors.
Timeline
Concerns over The Stria have been building for nearly two years, with multiple government notices and orders issued over alleged environmental violations.
The issue first surfaced on July 31, 2024, when the DENR–Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) issued its first notice of violation to the project developer over environmental compliance concerns.
When the developer allegedly failed to address the issues, Cenro released a second notice of violation on Sept. 17, 2024.
By Dec. 18, 2024, a third notice of violation was issued after authorities said the concerns remained unresolved.
Despite the repeated warnings, construction reportedly continued, prompting Cenro to order a halt to the project on May 14, 2025 after the developer allegedly failed to comply with earlier directives.
The issue escalated further on Aug. 18, 2025, when both the DENR Central Office and Baricuatro ordered work on The Stria to stop.
Authorities cited several alleged violations, including exceeding the 10-meter building height limit and possible encroachment into the 20-meter coastal easement.
The DENR also suspended the project’s ECC, although the agency did not specify how long the suspension would last.
In December 2025, the Provincial Government submitted reports to the DENR Central Office detailing the alleged illegal construction. / CDF