CARMEN, Bohol – THE destruction of the Chocolate Hills in two barangays here in the late 1990s was confirmed by two barangay captains.
Punong barangay Leo Bolair of La Paz and barangay captain Perfecto Buro of barangay Villaflor bared this in separate exclusive interview. The latter was interviewed just yesterday.
Bolair said that a certain hill nearby the national highway reportedly owned by the Torrefranca family was bulldozed during the late 1990s to give way for a planned cockpit building. This he knew since he was a barangay councilor during those years.
But the attempt to flatten the said hill was stopped by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) since the hills still are within the protected area. But the top side of the hills facing the highway was already defaced, he said.
In an ocular visit, trees and shrubs already grow at the said hill but the quarried portion of the hill is still visible at the highway angle.
Bolair and Buro said that the fiasco generated by the Captain’s Peak is a wake-up call so that protection efforts would be more serious to preserve the hills for the next generation.
Punong barangay Buro confirmed that a certain hill within Villaflor was quarried by a Suarez construction in the late 1990s.
Buro, who was not a barangay official at the time, said that then Gov. Rene Relampagos stopped the quarrying and ordered the construction firm to restore the ruined hill, which the latter did. He said that the construction had already hauled some of the earth materials from the said hill.
But he was not certain if the said quarrying of the hill was issued permits.
He said the move of the governor was appropriate as the said hill is located in the protected area and should be protected for the next generation to see.
Both said that they favor the plan of Mayor Conchita delos Reyes for an inventory of all the hills located in Carmen. For now, both do not know yet how many choco hills situated in their respective turfs.
Former Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO), now barangay chair of Poblacion Sur, Batuan town, Nestor Canda also confirmed the said choco hills destruction.
Bolair and Buro bared the revenue generated from the Chocolate Hills complex, where the visitors view the hills atop a hill, has become the source of the barangay’s income.
Bolair said that this year, the barangay La Paz got over P86,000 as share of the revenue. It received P165,000 for 2022 and 2023. The said fund was then used for the barangay rehabilitation, he added.
Buro, on the other hand, said Villaflor received from municipal government that manages the said complex the amount of P200,000 plus and this year it was estimated the barangay to receive over P80,000. The fund was used in the road rehabilitation.
Bolair said all the 29 barangay of Carmen town get their fair share from the complex operations. Barangay Buenos Aires, where the complex is located, has a bigger share of the income.
Chocolate Hill complex, which has some amenities, like restaurant, toilets, has a viewing deck for the visitors to as far as their eye can see the hills. It is owned by the provincial government of Bohol but managed by the municipal government of Carmen under an agreement. Seventy percent of the net income of the complex goes to the municipal government and the 30% to the provincial government.
The arrivals to the complex average 2,500 per day last year and this year, Mayor Delos Reyes said. The town’s target of P80 million revenue from use of facilities, like entrance fees, of the complex in 2023 was surpassed by P106 million, she said.
In separate interview, barangay chairperson Nila Caduan of barangay Buenos Aires said that the barangay is a recipient of P400,000 as share of the complex operations. (Ric Obedencio)
