MANILA – The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River on Palawan Island in Southern Luzon successfully landed on the 56th spot of the top 77 nominees of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (N7WN) international poll, according to organizers.
Organizers said the top 77 were chosen out of the 261 contenders after the second phase of the worldwide voting which ended on July 7.
“The success of this campaign would not have been possible without the support of the Filipinos worldwide,” said a visibly elated Secretary Ace Durano of the Department of Tourism. “We are grateful to the people who voted and heeded our call to promote one of our national treasures.”
Earlier, the N7WN reported that from the top 77 nominees, only 28 official finalists will be chosen by the organizer’s panel of experts. The finalists will be known from an announcement to be made by N7WN Foundation headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on July 21.
Durano expressed optimism the Palawan Subterranean River has a very good chance of making it to the 28 finalists, considering the criteria set by the panel of experts.
These include, he said, unique beauty, diversity, ecological importance, historical legacy and geographical location.
Historical legacy, Durano explained, refers to the people’s relations or deep bond with the site, while geographical location means the even distribution of the contenders between continents and countries.
Renowned as the world’s longest underground river, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park also features a stunning limestone karst mountain landscape.
Inside its large chambers are formations of stalactites and stalagmites while at the mouth of its cave thrives a bustling ecosystem which includes monkeys, large monitor lizards and squirrels.
Organizers said the top 28 finalists will compete against candidates within their category which have been classified into seven groups thus: Landscapes/Ice Formations; Islands; Mountains/Volcanoes; Caves/Rock Formations/Valleys; Forests/National Parks/Nature Reserves; Lakes/Rivers/Waterfalls; and Seascapes.
After the top 28 selection, voting resumes while the New7Wonders World Tour visits the finalists to give each a chance to be seen by the whole world.
The final proclamation of the Seven Wonders of Nature will be held in 2011, organizers said.
Bernard Weber, the founder and president of the N7WN stressed: “The success of lesser known locations shows that an important New7Wonders goal in this campaign is being achieved – broadening the horizons of the voting public around the world, thus helping us all better appreciate the diversity of our planet.”
Loading ...
Reader’s Views