THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region (DENR-Davao) has filed a complaint against an inland resort operating within the Mount Apo Natural Park for allegedly violating the Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act.
The complaint was filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Digos City against the operator of a resort located in Barangay Coronon, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur.
According to DENR-Davao, the resort allegedly violated Section 18(o) of the Expanded NIPAS Act, which prohibits the construction, erection, or maintenance of any structure within a protected area without clearance from the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) and a permit from the DENR.
The agency also cited a violation of Section 18(v) of the same law for the alleged construction of permanent structures within the 40-meter easement from the high-water mark of the Langan River, which runs within the protected area.
The case was prepared in coordination with the Mt. Apo Natural Park Protected Area Management Office (MANP-PAMO) and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) of Davao del Sur.
Six more resorts to face complaints
DENR-Davao said the complaint is only the first of several legal actions against establishments operating within the protected zone of Mt. Apo Natural Park.
The agency disclosed that six more inland resorts in the same area are expected to face similar complaints, with the cases currently being finalized for submission before the prosecutor’s office.
Authorities said the legal action followed the continued non-compliance of resort operators who allegedly ignored Notices of Violation and Cease and Desist Orders (CDOs) issued as early as 2024.
“Despite these directives, the operators reportedly continued their operations and failed to voluntarily dismantle their illegal structures,” the agency said in the press release on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
Protected area enforcement
The Mount Apo Natural Park, which surrounds Mount Apo, is a legislated protected area covering parts of Davao City and the provinces of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.
Under the Expanded NIPAS Act, construction and other development activities within protected areas require approval from the PAMB and permits from the DENR to ensure that ecosystems and natural resources are preserved.
Authorities have long maintained strict rules against unregulated tourism facilities around Mt. Apo to prevent environmental degradation, particularly along rivers and forested areas that serve as key habitats and watershed zones.
In previous years, environmental authorities have also issued closure orders and dismantling directives against unauthorized tourism structures and campsites within the Mt. Apo Natural Park after inspections found them operating without permits or encroaching on environmentally critical zones.
DENR-Davao emphasized that enforcement actions are meant to uphold the law and protect the ecological integrity of the country’s highest peak and surrounding forests.
The agency said it will continue working with prosecutors and other government offices to ensure that violators are held accountable while safeguarding the protected landscape for future generations. RGL