Chocolate Hills Natural Monument
PhilippinesDepartment of Environment and Natural resources (DENR) - Protected Areas and Wildfife Bureau
Towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, Bohol
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Description
Chocolate Hills and its immediate environs are relatively flat to rolling topography with elevation ranges from 100 m to 500 m above sea level. It has been declared the country's 3rd National Geological Monument on June 18, 1988 in recognition of its scientific value and geomorphic uniqueness.
Similar to the formations found in Java, the conical and almost symmetrical and same-sized hills known as the "Chocolate Hills", are more aesthetically extensive. These were the uplift of coral deposits and the result of the action of rainwater and erosion. The hills are located throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan and consist of about 1,776 mounds of the same general shape. During the dry season when precipitation in inadequate, the grass-covered hills turn chocolate brown, hence the name in reference to a branded confection.
Statements of authenticity and/or integrity
It has been declared the country's 3rd National Geological Monument on June 18, 1988.
The hills are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines.
Comparison with other similar properties
The only other known set of hills of similar configuration is that found in the island of Java in Indonesia. However, the hills found in Java are more irregular in shape and sizes, although these were in the generic conical forms.