Mound formed by wind, rain draws birds, bats, tourists in North Cotabato

MLANG, North Cotabato, Philippines— A land formation in Barangay (village) New Rizal here, which residents previously paid little attention to, has been drawing visitors since early this year.

The curved crevices and holes in the seven-feet-high mound that stretches 50 meters long were formed by erosion due to rainwater and wind, Harold Santillan, the local tourism officer, said.

“It is a beautiful artwork of God,” a villager said.

Santillan said that despite being nearly stripped of trees or grass, the hill made up of loose sand and gravel has also drawn attention because of the various bird species and bats that have made it their home.

He said the transformation of the mound across the New Rizal Elementary School started in 2012 as rainwater washed away soil and the wind help form the crevices. He said villagers did not really pay serious attention to it.

Only children came to play on it during their break time, he said.

“It was just an ordinary sight among villagers before. In fact only a few people noticed its beauty in the previous years,” he said.

Santillan said motorists passing by New Rizal on their way to either Davao City or to Sultan Kudarat province started taking notice of the mound early this year.

“It was only this year that its beauty really amazed even the local tourists,” Santillan said.

He said what made the mound more prominent was the series of downpour in recent months that eroded more of its sides.

“This has become the favorite place for prenuptial photo shoots and backdrops for some beauty pageants,” he added.

Recently, the mound accommodated public school students in the town studying various land formations in their Earth and Science class.

“The Local Government Unit (LGU) wants to preserve the site as a tourism destination in our town and in North Cotabato,” he said, adding that a draft resolution would soon be submitted to the Sangguniang Bayan to declare it as an official tourist destination.

Visiting the mound remains free of charge but that visitors should help preserve it by not vandalizing it.

“Just take photos and nothing else,” Santillan said.