THE Cebu Provincial Government will investigate The Stria, an 11-story building in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, after officials learned its permit allows only three stories and questioned its compliance with rules for protected areas.
At issue is whether the project, which rises within the Bantayan Island protected landscape, defied its three-story environmental clearance and a 10-meter height limit for structures in protected zones.
The Santa Fe Municipal Government, for its part, has defended issuing a permit for the project.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said documents shown to her indicate a three-story limit.
“Based on their information, which was backed up by a document they showed us, the permit was for three stories,” she said in an interview during the Capitol’s service caravan in Bantayan town on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
The mayors of Bantayan and Madridejos towns attended the caravan of services on Bantayan Island. Santa Fe Mayor Ithamar Espinosa arrived during the officials’ speeches and was not present for the photo opportunity.
It was Baricuatro’s first on-site activity on Bantayan Island since photos of the high-rise circulated online. Earlier, after seeing the structure on social media, the governor said it looked “out of place.”
Baricuatro said the legal department will review the documents starting Monday, Aug. 18.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 7 met with Baricuatro on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and confirmed the project’s environmental compliance certificate (ECC) allowed only three stories.
The agency also said the building exceeds the 10-meter height limit for protected areas under DENR rules and issued cease-and-refrain orders against the developer.
Santa Fe’s defense
Santa Fe’s local government defended its actions in a statement Friday, Aug. 15. It said the municipality granted a building permit to Fifth Avenue Property Development Corp. on Sept. 7, 2023, after the company completed requirements and secured an ECC.
According to the town, the ECC issued by DENR 7 “does not place any restriction or limitation on the building height.”
“The ECC’s conditions and restrictions, which the project proponent must comply with, do not place any restriction or limitation on the building height,” the statement said.
The town also cited a 2022 inspection by a coordinator of the Bantayan Island Wilderness Area that placed the site “outside the 20-meter easement zone and… within the multiple use zone.”
“The Local Government Unit of Santa Fe is committed to ensuring that all projects within Santa Fe, recognized as a protected area, strictly comply with environmental safeguards, zoning provisions and safety standards to promote sustainable growth while preserving the municipality’s natural resources and protecting the welfare of the community,” read a portion of Santa Fe’s statement.
Residents and longtime visitors questioned the tower’s scale near Kota Beach, raised wastewater and shoreline setbacks as risks, and asked why the project progressed beyond three stories.
Environmental lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos warned Thursday, Aug. 14, that unchecked construction in protected landscapes threatens Bantayan Island’s biodiversity and violates environmental laws. Her remarks followed the DENR-EMB 7 finding that The Stria exceeded its ECC’s three-story limit and the height cap for protected zones.
Next steps hinge on the provincial legal review and the developer’s response to the DENR-EMB 7 cease-and-refrain orders.
Baricuatro said the Capitol will act after its legal department completes its document check. / CDF