View source for Chocolate Hills

{{Short description|Geological formation in Bohol, Philippines}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name          = Chocolate Hills
| native_name   = {{native name|ceb|Mga Bungtod sa Tsokolate}}
| photo         = Chocolate Hills Bohol.JPG
| photo_caption = Aerial view of the Chocolate Hills
| map           = Visayas#Philippines
| map_relief    = yes
| coordinates   = {{coord|9|55|N|124|10|E|region:PH_type:mountain|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m   = 120
| type          = Range of [[karst]] [[conical hill]]s
| age           = Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene
| settlement    = {{hlist|[[Sagbayan, Bohol|Sagbayan]]|[[Batuan, Bohol|Batuan]]|[[Carmen, Bohol|Carmen]]|[[Bilar, Bohol|Bilar]]|[[Sierra Bullones, Bohol|Sierra Bullones]]|[[Valencia, Bohol|Valencia]]}}
}}

The '''Chocolate Hills''' ({{langx|ceb|Mga Bungtod sa Tsokolate}}, {{langx|fil|Mga Tsokolateng Burol}}, or {{lang|fil|Mga Burol na Tsokolate}}) are a geological formation in the Philippine province of [[Bohol]].<ref name="eye">[http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_autumn2001/eyeon/land.html Eye on the Philippines] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208033227/http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_autumn2001/eyeon/land.html |date=December 8, 2006 }} Global Eye Retrieved December 22, 2006.</ref> There is a minimum of 1,260 hills and possibly up to 1,776, spread over an area of more than {{convert|50|km2|sqmi|sigfig=1|sp=us}}.<ref name=wonders>[http://sevennaturalwonders.org/asia/chocolate-hills Chocolate Hills] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409055629/http://sevennaturalwonders.org/asia/chocolate-hills |date=April 9, 2015 }} Seven Natural Wonders. Retrieved December 10, 2011.</ref> They are covered in green grass that turns a chocolate-brown during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are featured on the [[Flag of Bohol|provincial flag]] and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province.<ref>[http://www.bohol.gov.ph/pseal.html The Bohol Flag and Seal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408042959/http://www.bohol.gov.ph/pseal.html |date=April 8, 2007 }} www.bohol.gov.ph Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref> The site is on the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines,<ref name="unesco"/> and it has been declared the country's third [[National Geological Monuments of the Philippines|national geological monument]], as well as being proposed for inclusion in [[UNESCO]]'s [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage]] List.<ref name="unesco">[https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5024/ Chocolate Hills Natural Monument] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210112746/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5024/ |date=February 10, 2021 }} UNESCO World Heritage Centre  Retrieved November 14, 2006.</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Bohol chocolate hills.png|thumb|left|Locator map of the Chocolate Hills. The greatest concentrations of hills (dark brown) are in [[Sagbayan, Bohol|Sagbayan]], [[Batuan, Bohol|Batuan]], and [[Carmen, Bohol|Carmen]], while lower concentrations (light brown) are in [[Bilar, Bohol|Bilar]], [[Sierra Bullones, Bohol|Sierra Bullones]], and [[Valencia, Bohol|Valencia]].]]

The Chocolate Hills form a rolling terrain of [[Hay#Stacking|haycock]]-shaped hills—mounds of a generally conical and almost symmetrical shape.<ref>[http://www.bohol.net/bohol2.htm Bohol: The Jewel Paradise of the Philippine Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512163452/http://www.bohol.net/bohol2.htm |date=May 12, 2006 }} www.bohol.net Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref> With an estimated 1,268 to 1,776 individual mounds, these dome-shaped hills are actually made of grass-covered [[limestone]]. The domes vary in size from {{convert|30|to|50|meters}} high, with the largest being {{convert|120|meters|ft}} in height.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chocolate Hills of Bohol: A Natural Wonder of the Philippines |url=https://suroy.ph/chocholate-hills-bohol/ |website=suroy.ph|date=July 15, 2024 }}</ref> One of Bohol's best-known tourist attractions, these unique hills are scattered by the hundreds throughout the towns of [[Carmen, Bohol|Carmen]], [[Batuan, Bohol|Batuan]], and [[Sagbayan]].<ref>[http://www.dotpcvc.gov.ph/Destinations/bohol.htm Bohol] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117074917/http://www.dotpcvc.gov.ph/Destinations/bohol.htm |date=November 17, 2006 }} www.dotpcvc.gov.ph Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref>

===Vegetation===
[[File:Bohol Hills 3, Carmen, Philippines.jpg|thumb|Vegetation on the hills]]

During the [[dry season]], the grass-covered hills dry up and turn chocolate-brown.<ref name="unesco" /> The vegetation is dominated by grass species such as ''[[Imperata cylindrica]]'' and ''[[Saccharum]] spontaneum''. Several ''[[Asteraceae|Compositae]]'' and [[fern]]s also grow on them. In between the hills, the flatlands are cultivated with rice and other [[cash crop]]s. However, the natural vegetation on the Chocolate Hills is [[Threatened species|threatened]] by [[quarry]]ing activities.<ref name="herbarium">[http://www.pnh.com.ph/category/5-Critical-Plant-Sites/12-Bohol-Island-page-1.html Bohol Island Herbarium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508003909/http://www.pnh.com.ph/category/5-Critical-Plant-Sites/12-Bohol-Island-page-1.html |date=May 8, 2006 }} www.pnh.com.ph. Retrieved November 14, 2006.</ref>{{clear left}}

===Origin===
[[File:Chocolate Hills historical marker.jpg|thumb|Historical marker explaining the geologic evolution of the area]]
[[File:Philippine Island - Bohol - NARA - 68156390.jpg|thumb|Chocolate Hills, 1938]]

The Chocolate Hills are conical [[karst]] that consist of Late [[Pliocene]] to Early [[Pleistocene]], thin to medium-bedded, sandy to rubbly marine [[limestone]]. They contain abundant fossils of shallow marine [[foraminifera]], [[coral]], [[Mollusca|mollusks]], and [[algae]].<ref name="Hillmer1987">Hillmer, G., 1987, ''Zur geologie und morphologie der straandterrassen von Cebu und Bohol Philippinen.'' Berliner geographische Studien. v. 25, p. 363–376.</ref><ref name="Travaglia1987a">Travaglia, C., R. Peebles, E. Bate, and A. Ferrer, 1987, ''Reconnaissance groundwater appraisal of Bohol Island, Philippines, by satellite data analysis.'' RSC Series no. 38. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.</ref> These [[conical hill]]s 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 [[Tectonic uplift|uplifted]] above sea level and fractured by [[Tectonics|tectonic]] processes. The hills are separated by flat plains and contain numerous caves and springs.<ref name="RestificarOthers2006">Restificar, S. D. F., M. J. Day, and P. B. Urlich, 2006, [http://www.dlib.si/v2/StreamFile.aspx?URN=URN:NBN:SI:doc-N7Q7B28J&id=2e66316a-ae23-485a-9fb1-d81fa0d8578c&type=PDF ''Protection of Karst in the Philippines (Varstvo Krasa na Filipinih).''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428011133/https://cdn.userway.org/widget.js |date=April 28, 2021 }}, 788 KB PDF version. Acta Carsologica. v. 35, no. 2, p. 121-130.</ref><ref name="UrlichOthers2001a">Urlich, P. B., M. J. Day, and F. Lynagh, 2001, [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3060575 ''Policy and practice in karst landscape protection: Bohol, the Philippines.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311105225/http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060575 |date=March 11, 2016 }} The Geographical Journal. v. 167, no. 4, pp. 305-323.</ref><ref name="LemanOthers2008">Leman, S. L., A, Reedman, and C. S. Pei, 2008, [http://www.ccop.or.th/download/pub/CCOP-geoheritage-book.pdf Geoheritage of East and Southeast Asia.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719070854/http://www.ccop.or.th/download/pub/CCOP-geoheritage-book.pdf |date=July 19, 2011 }}, 5.7 MB PDF version.  The CCOP-Institute for Environment and Development, Universiti Kebangsaan, Bangi Selangor, Malaysia.</ref>

The origin of the conical karst of the Chocolate Hills is described on the bronze plaque at the viewing deck in Carmen. This plaque states that they are eroded formations of a type of marine limestone that sits on top of hardened clay.<ref name="vacation">[http://www.philippinesvacation.org/bohol/chocolate-hills/ Chocolate Hills: Philippines Vacation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107175005/http://www.philippinesvacation.org/bohol/chocolate-hills/ |date=January 7, 2007 }} www.philippinesvacation.org Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/bohol1.htm Bohol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070115160541/http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/bohol1.htm |date=January 15, 2007 }} www.philippines.hvu.nl. Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref>

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;<ref>[http://www.tambuli.com/boholactivities.htm Bohol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306131636/http://www.tambuli.com/boholactivities.htm |date=March 6, 2007 }} www.tambuli.com. Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref> and tidal movements.<ref name="boracay">{{cite news |title=Move over Boracay: Panglao Island beckons |work=inq7.net |access-date=October 14, 2008|url=http://www.inq7.net/reg/2003/nov/05/text/reg_5-1-p.htm | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20041217173401/http://www.inq7.net/reg/2003/nov/05/text/reg_5-1-p.htm | archive-date=December 17, 2004}}</ref> The lack of any exposed or associated volcanic rocks in the Chocolate Hills refutes the popular theories involving volcanic eruptions, however. The theories involving either a sudden, massive geologic shift, coral reefs being erupted from the sea, or tidal movements lack any corroborating evidence or support among geologists.<ref name="Hillmer1987"/><ref name="Travaglia1987a"/>

==Tourism==
{{multiple image|direction=vertical
 |image1=Chocolate Hills and tourists.jpg|caption1=Tourists at the Carmen viewing deck
 |image2=Chocolate Hills from Sagbayan Peak.jpg|caption2=Chocolate Hills viewed from Sagbayan Peak
}}

Two of the hills have been developed into tourist resorts.<ref>[http://library.thinkquest.org/28616/top8/bohol.htm Bohol God's little Paradise] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061221213211/http://library.thinkquest.org/28616/top8/bohol.htm |date=December 21, 2006 }} library.thinkquest.org.  Retrieved December 22, 2006</ref><ref name="peak">{{cite web | author=Chito A. Fuentes | title=Sagbayan Peak: A View from the Top | url=http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_phe/2003/aug/27-01.htm | publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer | access-date=October 14, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051110043744/http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_phe/2003/aug/27-01.htm | archive-date=November 10, 2005 }}</ref> The main viewing point of the Chocolate Hills is the government-owned Chocolate Hills Complex in [[Carmen, Bohol|Carmen]], about {{convert|55|km|mi|abbr=in}} from the capital of [[Tagbilaran]].<ref>[http://www.hoteltravel.com/philippines/bohol_island/guides/sightseeing.htm Bohol Island Sightseeing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903114727/http://www.hoteltravel.com/philippines/bohol_island/guides/sightseeing.htm |date=September 3, 2006 }} Bohol Island Hotels Travel Guide.  Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref> The other main point to view the Chocolate Hills is at Sagbayan Peak, in [[Sagbayan]], {{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=in}} away from the complex, also in Carmen.<ref name="peak" />

==Protection==
===Legislation===
The National Committee on Geological Sciences declared the Chocolate Hills of Bohol a National Geological Monument on June&nbsp;18, 1988, in recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness, and high scenic value.<ref name="unesco" /> As such, this added the Chocolate Hills to 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, Bohol|Bilar]], [[Valencia, Bohol|Valencia]], and [[Sierra Bullones]] as a natural monument to protect and maintain its natural beauty and to provide restraining mechanisms for inappropriate exploitation.<ref name="GovPH-Proc1037">{{cite web |title=Proclamation No. 1037, s. 1997 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1997/07/01/proclamation-no-1037-s-1997/ |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines |access-date=May 4, 2020 |location=Manila, Philippines |date=July 1, 1997 |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428011129/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1997/07/01/proclamation-no-1037-s-1997/ |url-status=live }} {{PD-notice}}</ref> They are thus 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.<ref name="hbchoco"/>

[[Land-use conflict]] prompted President [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] to sign an amendment to "Proclamation 468" on September&nbsp;26, 1994, declaring the land around or in between the Chocolate Hills as no longer part of the national monument during the [[Sandugo Festival|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 ensured 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 [[wikt:alienable|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.<ref name="GovPH-GMA">{{cite news |title=GMA seeks development of parts of Chocolate Hills |url=http://www.gov.ph/news/printerfriendly.asp?i=1656 |work=The Official Government Portal of the Republic of the Philippines |access-date=May 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222538/http://www.gov.ph/news/printerfriendly.asp?i=1656 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |date=July 17, 2002}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

Bills have been filed aiming to strengthen protection of the hills. On July&nbsp;6, 2004, the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|Philippine House of Representatives]] introduced "House Bill No. 01147", subtitled "an act declaring the Chocolate Hills as national patrimony and geological monuments, penalizing their plunder, destruction or defacement, and for other purposes". The bill was authored by Congressman Eladio "Boy" Jala and co-authored by congressmen [[Roilo Golez]] and [[Edgar Chatto]].<ref name="hbchoco">{{cite web |title=History of Bill; NO. HB01147 |url=http://www.congress.gov.ph/bis/print_history.php?save=1&journal=&switch=0&bill_no=HB01147 |website=House of Representatives of the Philippines |access-date=May 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060328083131/http://www.congress.gov.ph/bis/print_history.php?save=1&journal=&switch=0&bill_no=HB01147 |archive-date=March 28, 2006 |date=March 23, 2006}}</ref> The bill has not been passed into law.

On May 16, 2006, the DENR submitted the Chocolate Hills to [[UNESCO]] for inclusion as a [[World Heritage Site]] on the list of natural monuments, because of its outstanding universal value.<ref name="unesco"/><ref name="guvbans">{{cite web |title=The Official Website of The Bohol Chronicle |url=http://www.boholchronicle.com/jun06/11/front3.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207073740/http://www.boholchronicle.com/jun06/11/front3.htm |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |access-date=October 13, 2008 |publisher=Boholchronicle.com}}</ref>

The Chocolate Hills was declared a [[List of national parks of the Philippines|national park]] under "Republic Act No. 11038 (Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018)", signed by President [[Rodrigo Duterte]] in July 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aurelio |first1=Julie M. |title=Expanded Nipas law creates 94 more nat'l parks across PH |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1007859/expanded-nipas-law-creates-94-more-natl-parks-across-ph |access-date=October 21, 2024 |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |date=July 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241021053739/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1007859/expanded-nipas-law-creates-94-more-natl-parks-across-ph#selection-1165.6-1165.108 |archive-date=October 21, 2024 }}</ref>

===Issues===
{{see also|Chocolate Hills resort controversy}}

Balancing 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 {{convert|310455|ha|sqmi|abbr=values|disp=x| ha (| sq miles)|-1}}) were classified as alienable and disposable<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bohol.ws/bohol_philippines.htm |title=Bohol Philippines – Splendour Underwater And Over Hills |year=2000 |publisher=TravelOnline Inc. |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070331100306/http://www.bohol.ws/bohol_philippines.htm |archive-date=March 31, 2007 }}</ref> or as private lands, such that they were titled to local residents. The declaration consequently caused some social unrest, resulting in almost simultaneous civil uprising, led by the [[New People's Army]] (generally described as Maoist guerrillas) establishing a new [[Front (military)|front]], known as the Chocolate Hills Command.<ref name="UrlichOthers2001a"/> To some farmers, the proclamation is a government scheme that 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.<ref name="UrlichOthers2001a"/>

Being alienable and disposable lands, the Chocolate Hills are seen as quarrying assets and a source of income for small-scale miners as well as quarry materials for the province's construction projects. The challenge has been how national and local officials can harmonize the current needs of small-scale miners, the construction sector, and the tourism industry with the preservation of the Chocolate Hills.<ref>[http://www.neda7.net.ph/RA21/CV%20Context%20of%20PA21.htm#bohol CV gh Context of PA 21] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226175302/http://www.neda7.net.ph/RA21/CV%20Context%20of%20PA21.htm#bohol |date=February 26, 2007 }} www.neda7.net.ph.  Retrieved November 17, 2006.</ref> Even with their protected status, mining permits continue to be granted by DENR and local government units.<ref name="guvbans" /> 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.<ref name="UrlichOthers2001a" /> Meanwhile, the provincial government has suggested that the legislation defining the [[Natural Monument]] should be changed, which would require that the proclamation be redrafted and ratified by both the Philippine House and [[Senate of the Philippines|Senate]]. This is a cumbersome and costly process, on which no progress has been made to date.<ref name="UrlichOthers2001a" /> 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.<ref name="toontown">[http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl101622.htm Toontown comes to Bohol's Nature Park] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201745/http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl101622.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }} www.newsflash.org. Retrieved November 14, 2006.</ref>

A resort was built between the Chocolate Hills, [[Chocolate Hills resort controversy|sparking controversy in March 2024]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Adriatico |first1=Abigail |last2=Villanueva |first2=Angelica |date=March 13, 2024 |title=Bohol resort draws flak due to its proximity to Unesco Heritage Geopark Chocolate Hills |url=https://manilastandard.net/lifestyle/314425509/bohol-resort-draws-flak-due-to-its-proximity-to-unesco-heritage-geopark-chocolate-hills.html |access-date=March 13, 2024 |website=Manila Standard }}</ref> In response, Congress launched inquiries, which led to the resort being built despite the hills' protected status and a subsequent six-month suspension of 68 local officials, including Bohol governor [[Erico Aristotle Aumentado]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marcelo |first1=Elizabeth |title=Suspension lifted vs Bohol execs in Chocolate Hills case |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/10/02/2389515/suspension-lifted-vs-bohol-execs-chocolate-hills-case |access-date=October 21, 2024 |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |date=October 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241002025059/https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/10/02/2389515/suspension-lifted-vs-bohol-execs-chocolate-hills-case |archive-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>

==Disasters==
===2013 Bohol earthquake===
{{Main|2013 Bohol earthquake}}

One of the [[2013 Bohol earthquake|largest earthquakes to hit Bohol]] struck the island at 8:12 a.m. ([[Philippine Standard Time|PHT]]) on October 15, 2013.<ref>[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000kdb4#summary "M7.1 – 2km NE of Catigbian, Philippines"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217151913/http://comcat.cr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000kdb4 |date=February 17, 2014 }}. USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Retrieved October 15, 2013</ref> The center of the [[Moment magnitude scale|M]]7.2 earthquake was near [[Sagbayan, Bohol]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NDRRMC Situation Report on the effects of the Earthquake in Bohol, October 30, 2013 (6:00 a.m.) |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/10/30/ndrrmc-situation-report-on-the-effects-of-the-earthquake-in-bohol-october-30-2013-600-a-m/ |access-date=February 18, 2023 |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines }}</ref> Due to the earthquake, a portion of one of the hills gave way, and the Chocolate Hills' viewing deck was destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Angel |first=Dark |date=October 17, 2013 |title=Chocolate Hills Destroyed by 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake |url=https://philnews.ph/2013/10/17/chocolate-hills-destroyed-by-7-2-magnitude-earthquake/ |access-date=February 18, 2023 |website=Philippine News }}</ref>

In October 2018, the Provincial Development Council's Executive Committee proposed {{Philippine peso|200 million|link=yes}} in funding for the repair work and restored the viewing deck and surrounding facilities, including pathways, parking space, water features, trellis, stairs, ramps, food court, museum, activity center, lamp posts, signage, and landscaping.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Valencia |first1=Angeline |title=Bohol needs P198-M for Choco Hills view deck, facilities rehab |date=October 8, 2018 |work=[[Philippine News Agency]] |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1050343 |access-date=February 18, 2023}}</ref>

===Grass fires===
On April 30, 2024, two of the hills were burned in a grass fire in Carmen after Bohol's [[heat index]] reached {{convert|41|C}}.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Perez |first1=Annie |title=Grass fire razes portion of Chocolate Hills|date=May 1, 2024 |work=[[ABS-CBN]] |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/5/1/grass-fire-razes-portion-of-chocolate-hills-917 |access-date=May 1, 2024}}</ref>

==Formation myths==
The Chocolate Hills have inspired many [[Geomythology|geomyths]], most of which revolve around their formation and figures of giants.<ref>[http://www.bohol.ph/article6.html The Chocolate Hills] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206095106/http://www.bohol.ph/article6.html |date=December 6, 2006 }} www.bohol.ph. Retrieved November 14, 2006</ref>

===Battle between two giants===
There were once two giants, dwelling in the northern and southern edges of the island, respectively. During a rainy day, when the ground became muddy, a hostile encounter between them prompted 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 fistfight between the giants and ended with both knocking each other to the ground and dying. What was left of the thrown mud that landed on the ground became the hills.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Athena Mae |date=April 17, 2018 |title=The Myth of Famous Bohol Chocolate Hills |url=https://steemit.com/story/@athenamae/the-myth-of-famous-bohol-chocolate-hills |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=Steemit}}</ref>

===Romance of Arogo and Aloya===
A young and powerful giant named Arogo once fell in love with a human named Aloya, and they lived together for some time, until Aloya became ill and died. Arogo mourned, and his tears fell to the ground, forming mounds that would later become the hills.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chocolate Hills Legends |url=https://www.bohol-philippines.com/chocolate-hills-legends.html |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=bohol-philippines.com}}</ref>

===Mud cakes===
The flatlands of Carmen were once a playground for giant children. One day, they initiated a contest on who could bake the most mud cakes, gathering mud and "baking" them under coconut half-shells laid 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chocolate Hills Legends |url=https://www.bohol-philippines.com/chocolate-hills-legends.html |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=bohol-philippines.com}}</ref>

==Karst hill ranges outside of Bohol==
{{See also|List of karst areas}}

Outside of Bohol, similar karst hill ranges are found throughout the Philippines, such as in the interiors of [[Siquijor]] and [[Cebu]], southestern{{clarify|Is this supposed to be southeastern or southwestern?|date=August 2023}} [[Leyte]], along the western coast of [[Guimaras]], the northwestern tip of [[Masbate]], and in the [[Bicol Region|Bicol region]], comprising southern [[Albay]] and western [[Sorsogon]].

==See also==
* [[List of protected areas of the Philippines]]
* [[Kegelkarst]]
* [[Mogote]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5024/ UNESCO World Heritage: Chocolate Hills Natural Monument]

===Articles===
* [http://www.chocolatehills.net Chocolate Hills] Chocolate hills travel information
* [http://www.bohol.ph/article.php?id=6&sid=54d1ece6a4713be4356709fd10464c01 The Chocolate Hills]
* [http://www.discoverbohol.com/bsp/bsp061106/bsp-HL3-061106.htm "Guv issues orders to protect Choco Hills, aid brgy workers", ''Bohol Sunday Post'', 06/11/06]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060328083131/http://www.congress.gov.ph/bis/print_history.php?save=1&journal=&switch=0&bill_no=HB01147 House Bill 001147]

{{Protected areas in Central Visayas}}
{{World Heritage Sites in the Philippines}}

[[Category:Landforms of Bohol]]
[[Category:Hills of the Philippines]]
[[Category:National geological monuments of the Philippines]]
[[Category:Geomyths]]
[[Category:Visayan landmarks]]
[[Category:Natural monuments of the Philippines]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Bohol]]
[[Category:World Heritage Tentative List for the Philippines]]