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Underground river now No. 1 in new ‘7 wonders’ online vote
source

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines[/i]—The Puerto Princesa Underground River has made it to No. 1 among the 28 finalists in an online search for the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.”

News of Palawan’s world renowned river surging to the top of the list has put Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn in frenzied campaign mode. He is calling on Filipinos here and abroad to help put his city’s prime tourist spot in the winning circle of the “New7Wonders” global online contest.

Votes can be cast online through www.new7wonders.com/n7w.

Globe, Smart and Sun cellular phone companies are also helping out and taking in votes for PPUR through text messaging. Subscribers can text PPUR, PPUR7 or PPUR15 to 2861.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is competing against other nature greats: 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.

Votes for PPUR will be accepted until the online contest ends officially and awards are made on Nov. 11, 2011 (11-11-11), he said.

According to a statement from Hagedorn, the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) has already gained the nod of 58.38 percent of females who joined the online poll, and 41.62 percent of the males. But he needs more votes to sustain the momentum until awarding day.

Hagedorn launched his vote-PPUR campaign with the help of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and mall heir Henry Sy Jr. at the Mall of Asia on Aug. 31.

The campaign has already pushed PPUR from its 13th ranking to the top slot in just two weeks—an indication that many text-savvy Filipinos are supporting the underground river’s bid, according to Hagedorn.

The unique and magnificent river is located at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP), declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and one of the most biodiverse conservation areas in the world.

As described in the New7Wonders site: The (park) features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2-km navigable underground river, reputedly the longest subterranean river in the world.

The river winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It 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 find their niche on a beach near the cave.