The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has conducted an inspection of two sites amid concerns over environmental compliance.
The Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, led by Jammie Aumentado-Villamor and Committee Member Board Member Nathaniel Binlod, visited the Albur Whale Watching site and a recently closed ice plant in Loay.
The areas fall within the Alburquerque-Loay-Loboc Protected Landscape and Seascape, as stipulated by the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 and its 2018 amendment.
The VicTour’s Recreation Hub, located near the beach resort, was reportedly shut down due to the lack of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for its facilities within the protected area.
A flood control project, under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), is also under scrutiny for potential ECC violations.
Despite orders from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to cease operations, the VicTour’s Recreation Hub continues to operate, reports said.
The council members also inspected an ice plant in Poblacion Loay, which was recently closed due to alleged ECC violations.
The plant had reportedly encroached an additional 8 square meters due to an extension at the back of the facility, necessitating an ECC and a Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA).
The operators issued with violation notices, including VicTour’s Recreation Hub, are expected to meet with the Provincial Council members for a committee meeting.