Completion: Santa Fe: Hotel fully permits completed
In the heart of Santa Fe, Cebu, a building project named "The Stria" has sparked controversy due to alleged violations of environmental regulations and easement zones.
The Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for The Stria Project, located on F. Duarte St., Barangay Poblacion, was amended on December 15, 2022. The initial ECC, issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region VII on October 18, 2022, did not impose any conditions or limitations on the height of the building. However, concerns have been raised about the project's compliance with environmental laws.
Key concerns include violations of height and story limits, infractions in protected areas, and potential impacts on the coastal ecology and biodiversity of Bantayan Island. The Stria, an 11-story building, was constructed despite the ECC allowing only a 3-story structure. This violation also contravened the 10-meter height restriction for buildings in protected zones as mandated by DENR regulations.
Moreover, The Stria was built in a zone declared protected under Proclamation 2151 (1981), which requires strict adherence to environmental safeguards to preserve biodiversity and prevent habitat destruction. The developer is also accused of ignoring at least three DENR notices of violations, leading to official cease and refrain orders and an indefinite suspension of their ECC in 2025.
Environmentalists argue that unchecked construction like this threatens the biodiversity of Bantayan Island, a wildlife reserve with many ecologically significant species that require preservation of their habitats. The controversy has led to suspension orders for construction from both DENR and the local government, reflecting serious breaches of environmental laws.
In a bid to address these issues, Municipal Ordinance No. 14-2023 was enacted on February 28, 2023, requiring The Stria to comply with all environmental laws and ordinances, including easements. The Stria has since completed all requirements and obtained an amended ECC (ECC-OL-R07-2022-0417).
Meanwhile, the Building permit for the Fifth Avenue Property Development Corporation's Building on Fifth Avenue, Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, was submitted on September 7, 2023. The total gross floor area of The Stria project is 22,781 square meters.
As the situation unfolds, it is crucial for developers to adhere strictly to environmental regulations and easement zones to ensure the preservation of our natural resources and biodiversity.
- Despite concerns about height and story limits, protected area infractions, and potential impacts on Bantayan Island's coastal ecology and biodiversity, The Stria in Cebu was constructed as an 11-story building, contrary to the initial ECC allowing only a 3-story structure and a 10-meter height restriction in protected zones.
- Environmentalists in Cebu have argued that violations like those committed by The Stria project threaten the biodiversity of Bantayan Island, a wildlife reserve with several ecologically significant species, and have led to suspension orders for construction from both DENR and the local government.
- In response to these issues, the Municipal Ordinance No. 14-2023 was enacted in Cebu, requiring The Stria to comply with all environmental laws and ordinances, including easements, to ensure the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity. However, the situation remains critical as the Building permit for another development on Bantayan Island has been submitted, emphasizing the need for strict adherence to environmental regulations.
