Noy: Vote for Underground River
MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino urged Filipinos to just use their cell phone load to vote for the Puerto Princesa Underground River to be included in the new Seven Wonders of Nature rather than send senseless text messages.
The President himself paid a visit to the Underground River yesterday and said he enjoyed what he saw during the tour.
The President said the tourist destination’s features were impressive and “you are amazed that’s God’s design, God’s plan.”
The President also boasted of the place after seeing for himself the spectacular sights, including various rock formations and flora and fauna.
Among the exotic animals seen at the park are monitor lizards locally known as “bayawak,” wild monkeys, various species of fish, and the local “tabon” bird, among others.
He said even the tourist guide was “very entertaining, very informative and very knowledgeable.”
“And he (tourist guide) considered it’s his dedication for preserving natural site. So, with people like that, you’re kind of confident about where tourism will go and with people who really love their country, then I don’t see what level we cannot reach with an attitude like that,” he said.
Aquino said there are 80 million cell phones in the country and billions of text messages are being sent in the Philippines, known as the texting capital of the world.
He said those who would vote in the Seven Wonders of Nature could attract more tourists because it was a great form of advertisement.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is the official nominee of the Philippines and a finalist in the search for the New Seven Wonders of Nature. It was declared one of the 28 finalists from over 441 participants.
It has also been cited as an example of best practices for biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism.
The 8.2-kilometer Underground River is competing with the Dead Sea, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the 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.
It has been declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (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 at the water’s edge.
Text votes could be cast online at www.new7wonders.com/n7w or by texting PPUR, PPUR7 or PPUR15 to 2861.
