Palawan tourist attraction pushed

PRESIDENT Aquino is asking Filipinos to vote via text for the inclusion of the Puerto Princesa Underground River as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Aquino met Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn Tuesday, who apprised him of the campaign to boost the Underground River’s chances in landing a spot as one of the seven new natural wonders.

“Ang Pilipinas daw may 80 million cell phones. Kailangan ko ng text votes para ang Palawan Underground River ay mahirang para sa dagdag na turista, dagdag pampalago ng ekonomya kapalit lang ng isang text ninyo,” he said.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is competing against the Dead Sea, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Maldives, the Grand Canyon, Jeju Island, Bay of Fundy, Black Forest, Iguazu Falls, Angel Falls, Yushan, Uluru, Galapagos, Milford Sound, Bu Tinah Island, The Great Barrier Reef, Halong Bay, Komodo Park, the Amazon, Vesuvius, Table Mountain, and Masurian Lake District.

The 8.2-kilometer Underground River, which is located at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, has been declared by Unesco as a World Heritage Site and one of the most bio-diverse conservation areas in the world. It is the world’s longest subterranean river.

The river includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right on the water’s edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels live on a beach near the cave.

Text votes could be cast online at www.new7wonders.com/n7w or by texting PPUR, PPUR7 or PPUR15 to 2861.

BY REGINA BENGCO/ http://www.malaya.com.ph/feb03/news4.html