Chocolate Hills | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 120 m (390 ft) |
Coordinates | 9°55′N124°10′E / 9.917°N 124.167°E |
Naming | |
Native name | Mga Bungtod sa Tsokolate (Cebuano) |
Geography | |
Settlement | |
Geology | |
Rock age | Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene |
Mountain type | Conical karst hill range |
The Chocolate Hills (Cebuano : Mga Bungtod sa Tsokolate, Filipino : Mga Tsokolateng Burol or Mga Burol na Tsokolate) are a geological formation in the Bohol province of the Philippines. [1] There are at least 1,260 hills, but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers (20 sq mi). [2] They are covered in green grass that turns into a chocolate-like brown during the dry season, hence the name.
They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province. [3] They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines; [4] they have been declared the country's third National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. [4]
The Chocolate Hills form a rolling terrain of haycock-shaped hills—mounds of a generally conical and almost symmetrical shape. [5] With an estimated 1,268 to 1,776 individual mounds, these cone-shaped or dome-shaped hills are actually made of grass-covered limestone. The domes vary in size from 30 to 50 metres (98 to 164 ft) high with the largest being 120 metres (390 ft) in height. [6] One of Bohol's best known tourist attractions, these unique mound-shaped hills are scattered by the hundreds throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan. [7]
During the dry season, the grass-covered hills dry up and turn chocolate brown. [4] The vegetation is dominated by grass species such as Imperata cylindrica and Saccharum spontaneum. Several Compositae and ferns also grow on them. In between the hills, the flat lands are cultivated with rice and other cash crops. However, the natural vegetation on the Chocolate Hills is now threatened by quarrying activities. [8]
The Chocolate Hills are conical karst hills. These hills consist of Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene, thin to medium bedded, sandy to rubbly marine limestone. These limestones contain the abundant fossils of shallow marine foraminifera, coral, mollusks, and algae. [9] [10] These conical hills are geomorphological features called cockpit karst, which were created by a combination of the dissolution of limestone by rainfall, surface water, and groundwater, and their subaerial erosion by streams after they had been uplifted above sea level and fractured by tectonic processes. These hills are separated by well developed flat plains and contain numerous caves and springs. The Chocolate Hills are considered to be a remarkable example of conical karst topography. [11] [12] [13]
The origin for the conical karst of the Chocolate Hills is described in popular terms on the bronze plaque at the viewing deck in Carmen, Bohol. This plaque states that they are eroded formations of a type of marine limestone that sits on top of hardened clay. [14] [15]
Self-published, popular web pages present a variety of fanciful and less credible explanations about how these hills formed. They include sub-oceanic volcanism; limestone covered blocks created by the destruction of an active volcano in a cataclysmic eruption; [16] and tidal movements. [17] The lack of any exposed or associated volcanic rocks in the Chocolate Hills refutes the popular theories involving volcanic eruptions. The theories involving either a sudden, massive geologic shift, coral reefs being erupted from the sea, or tidal movements lack any corroborating evidence and support among geologists. [9] [10]
Two of the hills have been developed into tourist resorts. [18] [19] The main viewing point of the Chocolate Hills is the government-owned Chocolate Hills Complex in Carmen, about 55 km (34 miles) from the capital Tagbilaran. [20] The other main point to view the Chocolate Hills is at Sagbayan Peak, in Sagbayan, 18 km (11 miles) away from the Complex in neighboring Carmen. [19]
The National Committee on Geological Sciences declared the Chocolate Hills of Bohol a National Geological Monument on June 18, 1988, in recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness, and high scenic value. [4] As such, this included the Chocolate Hills among the country's protected areas. More protection was provided by Proclamation No. 1037 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on July 1, 1997, which established the Chocolate Hills and the areas within, around, and surrounding them located in the municipalities of Carmen, Batuan, Sagbayan, Bilar, Valencia and Sierra Bullones as a natural monument to protect and maintain its natural beauty and to provide restraining mechanisms for inappropriate exploitation. [21] As such, they are covered under the National Integrated Protected Areas System with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the lead implementing agency for its protection. [22]
Land-use conflict prompted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign an amendment to Proclamation 468 dated September 26, 1994, declaring the land around or in between Chocolate Hills as no longer part of the national monument during the Sandugo celebration on July 17, 2002. This amendment allowed the tracts of land surrounding and within the famous tourist spot to be developed by the provincial government and other entities that have control over the area. Further, the amended proclamation ensures that the areas that have to be preserved are preserved, while those that could be developed would be excluded from the national monument area and classified as alienable and disposable by the government. The president initially decided on the issue during the joint meeting of the Regional Development Council-Regional Peace and Order Council of Region VII which was conducted at the Bohol Tropics Resort. [23]
Bills have been filed aiming to strengthen protection of the hills. On July 6, 2004, the Philippine House of Representatives introduced House Bill No. 01147 entitled "an act declaring the Chocolate Hills as national patrimony and geological monuments, penalizing their plunder, destruction or defacement, and for other purposes." The house bill was authored by Congressman Eladio "Boy" Jala and co-authored by Congressman Roilo Golez and Edgar Chatto. [22] Though this has not been passed into law.
On May 16, 2006, the DENR submitted the Chocolate Hills to the UNESCO World Heritage for inclusion in the list of Natural Monuments because of its outstanding universal value: [4] [24]
Chocolate Hills was declared a national park under Republic Act No. 11038 (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2018. [25]
Balancing their protection, resource utilization and tourism are the challenges faced by the Chocolate Hills. Before they were designated national geological monuments, some of the hills (about 310,455 ha (1,200 sq miles)) were classified as alienable and disposable [26] or private lands such that they were titled to some locals. The declaration consequently caused some social unrest, resulting in almost simultaneous civil uprising, led by the long-established New People's Army (generally described as Maoist guerrillas) establishing a new front, known as the Chocolate Hills Command. [12] To some farmers, the proclamation is a government scheme which suppresses their right to own lands. As such, conflicts between the New People's Army group and government military forces escalated, culminating in two major engagements. [12]
Being alienable and disposable lands, the Chocolate Hills are seen as quarrying assets and source of income for small-scale miners, as well as quarry materials for the province's construction projects. The challenge is how the national and local officials can harmonize the current needs of small-scale miners, the construction sector and the tourism sector with the preservation of the Chocolate Hills. [27] Even with their protected status, mining permits continue to be granted by DENR and local government units. [24] Hence, mining and quarrying are still taking place. Because of this, the provincial government of Bohol has requested jurisdiction over the Chocolate Hills from the DENR. [12] Meanwhile, the provincial government has suggested that the legislation defining the Natural Monument should be changed, which will require that the proclamation be redrafted and ratified by both the Philippine House and Senate. This is a cumbersome and costly process, on which no progress has been made to date. [12] Future development and investment challenges within the Chocolate Hills area include: obtaining the national government's sanction for the project; persuading landowners to sell; convincing the Protected Areas Management Board, which has jurisdiction over the hills, not to use its veto power over any investment requiring physical facilities. [28]
A resort was seen built between the Chocolate Hills, sparking controversy in March 2024. [29] In response, Congress launched inquiries which led to the resort being built despite the hills' protected status and the subsequent six-month suspension of 68 local officials including Bohol governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado. [30]
One of the largest earthquakes to hit Bohol struck the island at 8:12 a.m. (PHT) on October 15, 2013. [31] The center of the M7.2 earthquake was near Sagbayan, Bohol. [32] Due to the earthquake, a portion of one of the hills gave way and the Chocolate Hills' viewing deck was destroyed. [33]
In October 2018, the Provincial Development Council’s (PDC) Executive Committee proposed ₱200 million in funding for the repair work, and restored the viewing deck and the surrounding facilities, including the pathways, parking space, water features, trellis, stairs, ramps, food court, museum, activity center, lamp posts, signages and landscaping works. [34]
On April 30, 2024, two of the hills were burned in a grassfire in Carmen after Bohol's heat index reached 41 °C (106 °F). [35]
The Chocolate Hills inspired many geomyths, most of which revolve around their formation and figures of giants. [36]
There were once two giants, each dwelling in the northern and southern edges of the island. During a rainy day when the ground became muddy, a hostile encounter between them prompted the worried people to vacate to other parts of the island, and the giant from the north instigated a mud throwing fight. After a while, the battle climaxed into a fist-fight between the giants and ended with both knocking each other to the ground, and both died. What was left of the mud thrown that fell on the ground became the hills. [37]
This legend may also have been a local derivation of the larger precolonial Visayan creation myth of the Philippine islands.
A young and powerful giant named Arogo once fell in love with a human named Aloya, and lived together for sometime until Aloya became ill and died. Arogo mourned, and his tears fell to the ground culminating into mounds that would later become the hills. [38]
The flatlands of Carmen were once a playground for giant children. One day they initiated a contest on who can bake the most mud cakes, gathering mud and "baking" them under coconut half shells flat on the ground. Before the contest could end, however, the children were called home. After a while, they returned to the area to witness their finished creations, and left them undisturbed out of admiration - the baked cakes thus became the hills. [39]
Outside of Bohol, similar karst hill ranges are found elsewhere throughout the Philippines in the interiors of Siquijor and Cebu, southestern[ clarification needed ] Leyte, along the western coast of Guimaras, the northwestern tip of Masbate, and in the Bicol region comprising southern Albay and western Sorsogon.
Bohol, officially the Province of Bohol, is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran, the largest city of the province. With a land area of 4,821 km2 (1,861 sq mi) and a coastline 261 km (162 mi) long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines.
The Philippine tarsier, known locally as mawumag in Cebuano and other Visayan languages, and magô in Waray, is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte. It is a member of the approximately 45-million-year-old family Tarsiidae, whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. Formerly a member of the genus Tarsius, it is now listed as the only member of the genus Carlito, a new genus named after the conservationist Carlito Pizarras.
The Hundred Islands National Park is the first Philippine national park and a protected area located in Alaminos, Pangasinan. The islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulf covering an area of 16.76 square kilometres (6.47 sq mi). Only four of them had been developed for tourism: Quezon Island, Governor Island, Children's Island, and Pilgrimage Island.
Taal Lake, formerly known as Bombón Lake, is a fresh water caldera lake in the province of Batangas, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The lake fills Taal Volcano, a large volcanic caldera formed by very large eruptions between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago.
Batuan, officially the Municipality of Batuan, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,845 people.
Carmen, officially the Municipality of Carmen, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,191 people.
Clarin, officially the Municipality of Clarin, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,158 people.
Jagna, officially the Municipality of Jagna, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,832 people.
Sagbayan, officially the Municipality of Sagbayan, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,335 people.
Tubigon, officially the Municipality of Tubigon, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 47,886 people.
Callao Cave is one of 300 limestone caves located in the Barangays of Magdalo and Quibal in the municipality of Peñablanca, about 24 km (15 mi) northeast of Tuguegarao City, the capital of Cagayan province within the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape in the western foothills of the Northern Sierra Madre Mountains on Luzon island in the Philippines. The town Peñablanca's name refers to the predominance of white limestone rock formations in the area. First excavated in 1980 by Maharlika Cuevas, the seven-chamber show cave is the best known natural tourist attraction of the Cagayan province and in February 2020 has officially been recognized as an important cultural property of the Philippines.
Panglao is an island in the north Bohol Sea, located in the Central Visayas region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines.
Mount Hibok-Hibok is a stratovolcano on Camiguin Island in the Philippines. One of the active volcanoes in the country, it is part of the Pacific ring of fire.
The Legazpi-Sikatuna Blood Compact or Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, chieftain of Bohol, on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship following tribal tradition. This is considered the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and Filipinos. "Sandugo" is a Visayan word which means "one blood".
Apo Reef is a coral reef system in the Philippines situated in the western waters of Occidental Mindoro province in the Mindoro Strait. Encompassing 34 km2 (13 sq mi), it is considered the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system, and is the largest in the country. The reef and its surrounding waters are protected areas administered as the Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP). It is one of the best known and most popular diving regions in the country, and is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The 2013 Bohol earthquake occurred on October 15 at 8:12:31 PST in Bohol, an island province located in Central Visayas, Philippines. The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at Mw 7.2, with epicenter 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) S 24° W of Sagbayan, and its depth of focus was 12 kilometres (7.5 mi). It affected the whole Central Visayas region, particularly Bohol and Cebu. The earthquake was felt in the whole Visayas area and as far as Masbate island in the north and Cotabato provinces in southern Mindanao.
The Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape is a protected landscape area of forested limestone hills, grasslands and natural springs in the island province of Bohol in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It is the largest remaining tract of natural forest in Bohol and one of the Philippines' top birdwatching sites. The park was initially gazetted a national park in 1987 covering approximately 9,023 hectares. In 2000, it was reestablished as a protected landscape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System covering its present area of 10,452.6 hectares. The park is one of the island's major tourist attractions located just south of the famous Chocolate Hills. It was named after the Bohol chieftain who entered into a blood-compact with Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi on the island in 1565.
The Loay Interior Road is a 78.92-kilometer (49.04 mi), two lane national secondary road that connects the municipality of Loay to the municipality of Trinidad in Bohol, Philippines. This highway serves as one of the principal gateways to Carmen, which is known for being the main location and tourist spot of the Chocolate Hills.
A controversy arose in March 2024 when a resort built in the middle of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines, came to wider public attention. The geological formations are a protected area.
National Geological Monuments (NGM) is a declaration bestowed on landforms and features within Philippines possessing geological significance and uniqueness, as evaluated by the National Committee on Geological Sciences.