National Geological Monuments of the Philippines explained

National Geological Monuments (NGM) is a declaration bestowed on landforms and features within Philippines possessing geological significance and uniqueness, as evaluated by the National Committee on Geological Sciences.

Background

The National Committee on Geological Sciences was created via Executive order no. 625 on October 8, 1980. This committee is under the Office of the President of the Philippines, which consists of 21 government agencies headed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).^[1]

Among the committee's programs was the establishment of National Geological Monuments,^[2] a declaration on landforms and geological features within the Philippines with high scientific, educational or aesthetic value worthy of protection, preservation and conservation.^[3]

List

As of 2024, there are 7 declared National Geological Monuments in the Philippines.^[4]

!NGM name !Location !Date of declaration!Reference

	Rodriguez, Rizal	September 10, 1983	^[5]
	Batangas Province	June 18, 1988	^[6]
Ilocos Norte Sand dunes	Laoag, Ilocos Norte	November 26, 1993	^[7]
	Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, Bohol Island	June 18, 1988	^[8] ^[9]
	Alaminos city, Pangasinan	September 14, 2001	^[10]
	Puerto Princesa, Palawan	December 11, 2003	^[11]
Loon- Maribojoc Geological Monument	Loon and Maribojoc, Bohol Island	May 14, 2015	^[12] ^[13]

Other considered sites

• Asik Asik Falls in Alamada, Cotabato ^[14]

Threats and controversies

• In 2015, the declaration of the Loon-Maribojoc Geological monument as National Geologic Monument was opposed by the local government of Loon, inciting debates on the legality of the DENR in declaring the site as such^[15]
• In 2024, a Facebook post from Captain's Peak Resort went viral for its modification and seeming destruction of parts of the protected area of the Chocolate Hills National park,^[16] prompting increased public scrutiny. Investigations revealed more resorts of a similar resorts.^{[17] [18]} This resulted in the suspension of some Bohol mayors and other local officials.^[19]

Notes and References

1. Book: Maac-Aguilar, Yolanda . Geoheritage of East and Southeast Asia . Institut Alam Sekitar dan Pembangunan (LESTARI); Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programs in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) . 189 . Geoheritage of the Philippines.
2. Web site: Geology and Paleontology – National Museum . 2024-10-12 . en-US.
3. Web site: Geocon 2001 Article . 2024-10-12 . geolsocphil.org.
4. Web site: Aquino . Richard S. . Geotourism: An innovative form of tourism for development in the Philippines .
5. Web site: Montalban Gorge .
6. Web site: Taal Volcano .
7. Book: Journal of the Geological Society of the Philippines . 2008 . Geological Society of the Philippines . en.
8. Web site: National Committee on Geological Sciences Homepage - Monuments (Chocolate Hills) . 2024-10-12 . ncgs.tripod.com.
9. Web site: Senate Bill 916 .
10. Web site: Cocal . Christopher J. . Ecotourism Development and Conservation of the Hundred Islands National Park, Philippines .
11. Web site: National Geological Site Drupal . 2024-10-12 . undergroundriver.puertoprincesa.ph.
12. Web site: Sunnexdesk . 2015-06-16 . Bohol coastal areas declared national geological monument . 2024-10-12 . SunStar Publishing Inc. . en.
13. Web site: Dao 2015-08 PDF Earth Sciences Nature . 2024-10-12 . Scribd . en.
14. Web site: Inquirer . Philippine Daily . 2020-01-08 . MGB backs declaration of Cotabato waterfalls as 'geological monument' . 2024-10-12 . INQUIRER.net . en.
15. Web site: Quintas . Kristine B. . DENR order on 'uplifted' areas opposed . 2024-10-12 . Philstar.com.
16. Web site: Lim . Ron . DENR issues statement on viral Chocolate Hills resort in Bohol . 2024-10-12 . www.gmanetwork.com . en.
17. Web site: jsitchon0312 . 2024-03-18 . TIMELINE: The Chocolate Hills resort controversy . 2024-10-12 . RAPPLER . en-US.
18. Web site: 2024-03-15 . Two more resorts spotted built in Chocolate Hills . 2024-10-12 . DZRH News . en.
19. Web site: Obedencio . Ric . Local execs decry suspension over Chocolate Hills issue . 2024-10-12 . Philstar.com.