WORLD ENTRY. Bohol's signature destination, the world-famous Chocolate Hills is one of the nominees in the worldwide search for "New 7 Wonders of Nature" which international voting is in progress through the Internet. The 1,268 hills turn brown like chocolates during summer.

The world-famous Chocolate Hills landed as one of the global nominees in the search for "New Seven Wonders of Nature." In the global voting done through the Internet, the Chocolate Hills has emerged as one of the top 77 nominees which can be voted upon in the worldwide search which voting is ongoing.

In Asia, there are 60 sites listed wherein the Chocolate Hills is ranked number 9 in the search which is organized by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the non-profit New Seven Wonders Foundation which also undertook the "New Seven Wonders of the World" search that ended last year.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said that there were 10 Philippine sites nominated, but only three nature wonders were chosen by the New Seven Wonders of Nature panel of experts, namely the Chocolate Hills in Carmen town, Tubbataha Reef located off Sulo Sea and Mayon Volcano in Albay.

With the inclusion of the world famous Chocolate Hills, the Chronicle and dyRD-Worldwide launched yesterday its campaign for votes in order for the site to emerge as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

As a support to the worldwide campaign, Bohol's twin media, the Bohol Chronicle and dyRD-Worldwide are having both its individual websites linked to the poll's official website. This will give Boholanos in any part of the globe quick access to vote for "Chocolate Hills"

The Chronicle websites are: www.boholchronicle.com for the newspaper and www.dyrdam.com for the radio.

Presently, at the top 77 nominees, the Chocolate Hills is ranked 33rd, the Tubbataha Reef is ranked 28th while Mayon Volcano is still on the 109th slot in the live ranking of the nominees.

OUR ENTRY

The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation composed of around 1,268 hills, all about the same size, spread over an area of more than 50 sq. km. The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them the name "Chocolate Hills."

The hills which look like giant mole hills are scattered throughout the municipalities of Carmen, Batuan and Sagabayan. The hills range between 30 to 50 meters high. A viewing deck on top of one of the hills enables tourists to get a clear panoramic view of the hundreds of hills. One has to take 214 steps to get to the view deck. The complex which has a restaurant and an added new hotel was constructed way back in the 60s with the late Chronicle founder, lawyer Zoilo "Jun" Dejaresco as the chairman of the Chocolate Hills Development Council during the incumbency of then Gov. Lino Chatto.

Geologists have long debated about the formation of the Chocolate Hills. The most commonly accepted theory, however, is that which is written in a bronze plaque at an observation hill. The theory says that the hills are the weathered formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of an impermeable layer of clay.

Two legends of the Chocolate Hills narrate the love story "Arogo and Aloya," that of the two giants.

The "Arogo and Aloya" legend tells the famous love story between a young giant named Arogo who fell in love with a mortal girl named Aloya. When Aloya died, Arogo was said to have cried bitterly. His tears turned into hills as a lasting proof of his grief.

The other legend tells of a myth of the two giants having a fight that went on for days and threw stones and sand at each other. When the two were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the mess they made behind.