In Carmen, Bohol, Philippines, two barangay captains have confirmed the destruction of Chocolate Hills in two locations during the late 1990s.
Barangay La Paz captain Leo Bolair revealed that a hill near the national highway, allegedly owned by the Torrefranca family, was bulldozed in order to make way for a planned cockpit building. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources intervened and stopped the attempt to flatten the hill, recognizing it as part of a protected area. Despite efforts to prevent further damage, the defacement of the hill is still visible from the highway today.
Another village chief, Perfecto Buro of Villaflor, also recounted an incident where a hill was quarried by Suarez construction in the late 1990s. Then governor Rene Relampagos intervened and halted the quarrying, demanding that the construction firm restore the hill, which they eventually did.
Both Bolair and Buro expressed their support for Carmen Mayor Conchita delos Reyes’ plan to conduct an inventory of all Chocolate Hills within the town. The preservation and protection of this natural wonder are important to the local community.
