AN ENVIRONMENTAL lawyer has warned that the biodiversity of Bantayan Island is at risk due to alleged violations by an 11-story resort project in Santa Fe, Cebu, which she said breached environmental laws and limits for protected areas.
Speaking on SunStar Cebu’s online news and commentary program “Beyond the Headlines” on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, Gloria Estenzo Ramos called the Philippines an “ecological superpower” for its diverse wildlife but said that unchecked construction could cause future generations to lose the country’s unique flora and fauna.
“During the time of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. he issued a declaration that Bantayan Island is a wildlife reserve…Those places which are deemed to be ecologically, biologically significant should be given the protection that is essential to preserve the animals including the fisheries that are there,” said Ramos, co-founder of Philippine Earth Justice Center.
Estenzo’s comments follow the confirmed violation of an environmental permit by The Stria, an 11-story resort of Fifth Avenue Property Development Corp. in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island.
The Stria reportedly exceeded the three-story limit allowed by its environmental compliance certificate and violated the 10-meter height restriction in protected zones.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 7 confirmed the violations and said the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office has issued “cease and refrain” orders against the developer.
Ramos stressed that Santa Fe is covered by the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System Act as Bantayan Island is part of the protected Tañon Strait. She said the law requires a Protected Management Board, chaired by the DENR and co-chaired by the governor, as well as public consultations before any permits are issued.
She added that the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System Act, enacted during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., mandates a thorough environmental impact assessment (EIA) for ecologically critical projects.
Ramos urged the DENR to release the resort’s EIA, environmental compliance certificate and proof of public hearings. She also cited a 2022 memorandum from the Department of the Interior and Local Government reiterating local government units’ duty to ensure legal safeguards before issuing an ECC. / CDF
