When In Manila, the race for the New 7 Wonders of Nature (N7WN) is rounding up to a close, and our very own Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan is neck-to-neck with 27 other natural marvels all over the Earth for a spot in the prestigious hall of fame.
The Palawan Puerto Princesa Underground River is a UNESCO-appointed Natural World Heritage Site and, at 8.2 km long, is also the longest navigable underground river in the world. It stretches along a huge subterranean cave landscaped by natural limestone formations before flowing directly out to the South China Sea. Since being declared an official entry to the N7WN, the River has garnered an increasing amount of well-deserved media and tourist attention. Domestic flights coming to and going from the city has already been doubled, and the tourism industry in the region has boomed.
Online travel directory Travelbook.ph recently held a small gathering of travel bloggers to help spread awareness about the N7WN campaign. Folk songwriting icon and PP Underground River advocate Noel Cabangon graced the event to share his passion for the cause: “This win is for the Filipino people. This is for the country”. As of late, voting trends for the River on the official N7W website has shown a decrease. Last year, the N7W Charter, the same group behind N7WN, held the New 7 Wonders of the World Campaign for which the Philippines had four entries, namely: the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, the Mayon Volcano in Bicol, and the Tubataha Reef and even the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan. Unfortunately, none made it to the final seven. With the New 7 Wonders of Nature, the country is one step away from forever being remembered as the home of one of the most majestic sights that has ever been seen on this planet.
Every Filipino and every tourist who has been struck with awe by the Palawan Underground River are called to support the campaign.
When In Manila, vote for the Underground River by texting PPUR to 2861 or visiting www.n7w.com. Online voting entails voting for six other entries from other countries; texting allows us to vote only for the Underground River. Each SMS vote costs P2.50 (Globe/Smart) or P2.00 (Sun). Voting ends on November 11, 2011.
