Matugas luxury resort in Siargao reclaimed land in a protected area

Matugas-owned Siargao Bleu Resort and Spa, located in a protected area, has undertaken reclamation expanding the resort property in the past decade as seen from satellite images spanning the years 2012 to 2022.

Siargao Bleu Resort and Spa is located in Barangay Catangnan, General Luna, and is regarded as one of the top luxury resorts in the island. General Luna is part of the Siargao Islands Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS).

“From the satellite data examined, there is extensive development in the area,” Roel dela Cruz, engineer at the Philippine Space Agency, told Rappler. “Portions formerly showing water surfaces are now covered with land and vegetation.”

Dela Cruz said it is “advisable” to consult with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regarding the reclamation detected “as this definitely requires permission.”

Reclamation is generally not allowed in protected areas, though not explicitly stated in the law. What does the DENR say in this regard? “In no case shall protected areas be subjected to reclamation,” 2018 guidelines from the department say. The DENR defines protected areas as “identified portions of land and water set aside under the NIPAS system (National Integrated Protected Areas System) that are closed to reclamation.”

The protected area management office (PAMO) of SIPLAS has identified reclamation as one of the threats to the island’s mangrove cover. PAMO observed that coastal development in the protected island is undertaken either by local governments or private individuals who own land. 

“In Siargao, in spite of [it] being a protected area, embankment in [the] seagrass area can still be observed, undertaken mostly by local government units,” PAMO noted in its management plan. “Others were facilitated by individuals being the owner or claimant of the adjacent area.”

Linked to Matugas clan

Siargao Bleu is owned by Emmylou “Melot” Matugas-Abejo, the daughter of Elizabeth Matugas, the mayor of Dapa, Surigao del Norte. The resort operates under Emaland Leisure, Parks, and Resorts Inc. Emaland was formed in 2009, according to the resort’s website, and construction started 2011. They opened in 2015.

Elizabeth Matugas herself served as corporate secretary of Emaland, according to the company’s general information sheet (GIS) submitted in July 2025 to the Securities and Exchange Commission. A certain Lani Jean Matugas is also listed as one of its directors.

The company amended its GIS in November 2025, with Elizabeth Matugas no longer listed as its corporate secretary. The amendment comes a month after a Rappler report found that contractor Boometrix Development Corporation, a firm which Elizabeth Matugas used to be an incorporator and a shareholder of, secured P10 billion worth of infrastructure contracts in Surigao del Norte in the past decade.

Siargao is the Matugas dynasty’s stronghold. Elizabeth is the sister of Surigao del Norte 1st District Representative Francisco “Lalo” Matugas who was recently indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman for diverting P60 million in calamity funds. Siargao Bleu proprietor Emmylou Matugas-Abejo ran as General Luna mayor in the 2025 elections but lost to Johnson Sajulga, reportedly backed by the Barbers family, rival political dynasty of the Matugas clan.

Melot has used Siargao Bleu as a base for campaign-related activities. The resort was one of the pit stops for a fun run (“Team Melot: Run for the Future”) promoted with Melot and her vice mayor on the poster. A medical outreach program in January organized by “Team Melot” was held in the resort.

The resort management prides itself as being key to the transformation of Siargao into the booming tourist hub it is today. “This has been the company’s honor as we have contributed to the beautiful changes in Siargao Island as the biggest high-end resort to this date 2023,” the company says in its website.

Bingo Matugas, son of Lalo Matugas, said the resort area doesn’t need to be reclaimed because the resort already has a rocky beachfront.

“Bakit sinusulat ‘nyo ‘yung reclamation?” Matugas told Rappler in a phone call. “Kasi ang alam ko – diyan ako lumaki – ano ‘yang lugar na ‘yan eh, bato ‘yan eh. Hindi siya kailangang i-reclaim. Kasi if you look at the Google Maps, lahat ng katabing resort niyan puro bato ‘yung beachfront. Hindi siya sandy.”

(Why are you writing about reclamation? What I know — because I grew up there — that area is rocky. It does not need to be reclaimed. Because if you look at the Google Maps, all the resorts beside it have rocky beachfronts. It’s not sandy.)

Bingo Matugas clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of the resort but in his own personal capacity.

According to geoscientist Narod Eco, however, the shoreline’s characteristic — whether it is sandy or rocky — is beside the point.“ Looking at the satellite imagery, the resort appears to have encroached and expanded into the nearby body of water,” Eco told Rappler in a message. “That’s reclamation, even by government definition.”

The government defines reclamation as “a deliberate process of converting foreshore land, submerged areas or bodies of water into land by filling or other means using dredge fill and other suitable materials for specific purposes.”

We called the resort’s landline on Friday, December 19, but were told that the manager was busy at the time and that they would call us back. Our second call the same day was not received. We called again on Monday, December 22, but were told the person in charge was in a meeting.

Is there a violation?

Regulations could be hazy. While guidelines from the DENR would say otherwise, reclamation is permitted if allowed by the concerned protected area management office, according to the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

“In the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, the PAMB [protected area management board] does not allow reclamation activities within the protected area,” Joseph Literal, assistant general manager at the PRA, told Rappler, citing an example.

But if allowed by the protected area management office, the proponent should first secure a letter of no objection (LONO) or endorsement, said Literal. “[A]ny reclamation within the SIPLAS shall have a LONO or endorsement from the SIPLAS PAMB.”

“The rule is limited development in accordance with the eNIPAs,” Literal said. “The requirement applies to all developments within the protected area.”

The endorsement from the Protected Area Management Board is a distinct requirement from the general process of applications to reclaim. Each protected area has a PAMB and the board has oversight powers over the protected area.

This is how the application process for reclamation usually goes: the applicant (or proponent of the reclamation project) submits a letter of intent to the PRA. If they pass the PRA’s pre-qualification assessment, they enter a memorandum of understanding with the PRA. The applicant applies for an area clearance from the DENR, which entails submitting an impact study to the environment management bureau. Once the applicant fulfills all other requirements and the PRA board approves, they’re given notice to proceed. Actual reclamation works can start.

We contacted the DENR regional office and the SIPLAS PAMO through email last December 17 and followed up December 22, but we’ve yet to receive a response.

As a precedent in SIPLAS, another resort in Siargao that was reported to have reclaimed land is being investigated for possible forfeiture. The government can forfeit illegally reclaimed land without need of judicial action.

According to Literal, the PRA does site inspections quarterly and monitors alleged illegal reclamation through satellite imagery. They receive referrals from the regional offices of the environment department, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and local government units.

Environmental lawyer Liza Eisma-Osorio said reclamation in protected areas shows “usual failure of regulatory bodies.”

“Even if that’s only a department order, that can be enforced,” Osorio told Rappler, referring to the 2018 guidelines.

“They can choose not to issue an environmental compliance certificate. The PRA should be bound by that and not give a permit to proceed with the reclamation. My assumption is that the resort doesn’t have a permit at all. That’s what usually happens, right? They don’t have a permit, it’s illegal reclamation. It becomes subject to government forfeiture.”

According to the PRA, the concerned management board is the one that imposes a separate penalty for illegal reclamation within the protected area, with fines ranging from P5,000 to P500,000. – Rappler.com