The entrance of the Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan–one of those that made it in the New 7 Wonders of Nature provisional list. Photo by Simon Schoeters Flickr Creative Commons
The Philippines’ very own underground river has made it into the New 7 Wonders of Nature provisional list!
Results of the first count of votes submitted were announced on November 11, 2011 by Bernard Weber, Founder-President of the New 7 Wonders Foundation from their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland after the voting closed at 11:11GMT.
About the Philippines’ Underground River
Located in the Saint Paul mountain range just outside of the capital city of Puerto Princesa in the province of Palawan, the Puerto Princesa Underground River (also known as Cabayugan River) has already gained international prestige and recognition as one of the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines, and is one of the top destinations to visit not just in the province of Palawan, but throughout the country.
You can check out my previous post on the Puerto Princesa Underground River to learn more about it.
Complete New 7 Wonders of Nature Provisional List
Below is the list of the other sites that have made it into the New 7 Wonders of Nature provisional list along with the Philippines’ Underground River:
- The Amazon Jungle (South America)
- Halong Bay (Vietnam)
- Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil)
- Jeju Island (South Korea)
- Komodo (Indonesia)
- Table Mountain (South Africa)
Video Announcement of the New 7 Wonders of Nature Provisional List
Not Yet the Official New 7 Wonders of Nature List
As he mentioned in the video, the results are based on the first count and are not yet the official list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Over the next few weeks, the members of the foundation will be checking on each of the votes submitted to make sure that they are valid. That means that there is still a possibility that the list of those that made it to the New 7 Wonders of Nature provisional list will change. Of course, I am crossing my fingers (on my hands and feet) that the Underground River in the Philippines will stay in the list and will make it to the official list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature which is scheduled to be announced in early 2012.
New 7 Wonders Cities Nomination Announced
With the end of the voting of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, Weber also took time to announce that their foundation is now accepting nominations for the New 7 Wonders Cities, which is their third campaign.
The infamous Crisologo Street in Vigan, Ilocos Sur which is my best bet for the New 7 Wonders Cities campaign. Photo by Storm Crypt Flickr Creative Commons
Vigan, Ilocos Sur: the Best Nominee for the Philippines
It’s going to be very interesting which city in the Philippines will be nominated for this third campaign. My personal choice will have to be the city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur.
Located 400 kilometers from the capital city of Manila, the city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Philippines, and one without parallel anywhere in East and South-East Asia. The city was established back in the 16th century during the time when the Philippines was a colony of Spain. It was named after Biga—a species of taro that abundantly grows along the banks of the Mestizo River.
The allure of the city is mainly due to the well-preserved buildings found here. Many of these buildings date back to the time when the city was established by the Spaniards. It remains to be the most well-preserved areas of Spanish influence in the Philippines. It is in this city, particularly along the infamous Crisologo Street, where you can still find cobbled streets where the kalesa—the local horse-drawn carriage—is one of the main forms of transportation used by both the locals and tourists. On either side of the streets, you can still find old colonial houses made with brick walls and tile roofs that are still inhabited to this day. Although the design is predominantly Spanish, these colonial houses also contain bits of Chinese influence as well, making this truly a perfect example of the blending of different cultures and traditions that has made the culture in the Philippines very unique, and the best choice to be nominated in the race for the New 7 Wonders Cities.
What do you think of the provisional list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature recently announced? Are you happy or sad about it? Which city in your country would you nominate for the New 7 Wonders Cities campaign?
Philippines' Underground River Included in New 7 Wonders of Nature Provisional List,
About Adeline Yuboco
Twitter: wizardofwords
says:
Well, I haven’t been to any of the places listed as the new 7 Wonders, so I guess I’ve got some travelling to do!
Thanks for posting the list, Adeline!
Be sure to check out Doreen Pendgracs’s most recent post…Puyricard: makers of perfect chocolate in the French tradition
Congrats on getting one of the seven for the Phillipines. I was hoping for the Bay of Fundy in Canada but I still like the choices. It is such a beautiful world that we could have 700 winners.
Mike
Be sure to check out Mike Martin’s most recent post…Am I A Workaholic??
That’s so true! In addition to the Philippines, I’m really glad that 3 of my other choices made it: Table Mountain, Jeju Island and the Amazon. Choosing the other six during the voting was really so difficult. There’s just so many beautiful sights to visit all over the world.
Twitter: jaynalocke
says:
Thanks for posting this, Adeline. It brought the whole topic to my attention. I had no idea! It makes me wonder how, in this amazing world, we have ever been able to identify just 7. It makes me feel sorry for the Grand Canyon, but it has certainly had its day!
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You’re welcome Jayna! Thanks so much for dropping by. I actually voted for the Grand Canyon during the voting period, along with the one from the Philippines, of course. But even if it didn’t make it, the Grand Canyon will always have that allure and beauty that will always draw people from all over the world.
What is the reason for selecting only 7? But glad that the underground made it to the provisional list.
Be sure to check out PCPrima’s most recent post…Alles im Blick
The idea of choosing 7 dates back to the ancient times to the Greek historian Herodetus who wrote about 7 wondrous places that he suggested people during his time must visit at least once in their lifetime. Eventually, it stuck.
At the beginning of the New 7 wonders nominations, the campaign for the Komodo island in my country is very serious(i think) both on the net and mass media like tv. Than there’s pro and contra about how important is it, compare to the cost and specially if we want our city held the event. By the way i vote komodo 3 times with my 3 email id.
But know i think that its better for my country to take care the nature site more seriosly than campaign to be one of the new7wnder. An issue on orang utan killing in national park of Borneo make me want to say bull shit to goverment policy.
Yes, it is very important that every government must be very serious in ensuring that the different natural sites within a country are preserved. This should not just start and end with a campaign to win an accolade. It should be so that everyone would be able to enjoy it for generations to come. It’s really sad that there is a double-standard in a lot of governments when it comes to nature. Hopefully things would change.
Twitter: Mazzastick
says:
Kamusta Ka, Adeline.
I would absolutely nominate it for the 7 wonders list. I plan on going to the Philippines some day because it is such a beautiful place.
Vigan, Ilocos Sur looks like an amazing City, I love to visit and spend time at historic places.
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I’m doing great, Justin! You’re right. The Philippines is such a great place to visit. Hope to meet up with you when you come to visit the Philippines.
Congrats on getting one of the seven for the Phillipines. I was hoping for the Bay of Fundy in Canada but I still like the choices. It is such a beautiful world that we could have 700 winners.
Wow, I didn’t know that you had such an amazing natural wonder.
We have the Grand Canyon not far from our backyard, but I personally would enjoy exploring an underground river more than a giant canyon.
Thanks for teaching me something new today.
Bryce
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You’re very welcome, Bryce. I’m sure the Grand Canyon is really a remarkable sight to see. I saw pictures that my friend took in his trip there, and it was just breath taking. You’re very lucky to live so close to it. It’s definitely one of the places I’d really love to visit soon.
Twitter: m4bmarketing
says:
It is great the underground river made the list Adeline and it looks fabulous. We often forget that each country has something that makes a diiferent experience from other countries.
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Thanks again for dropping by, Susan.
I completely agree with you. Quite often, tourists get stuck with the usual fare, and missing out those what I’ll call hidden gems of every city or country.
Twitter: samanthaluy
says:
Wow! This is super interesting! Do keep us posted on the final, official results! =) I had never thought about these types of lists, but I can imagine that they sure do boost tourism. I had never heard of the underground river or the Vigan — loving all the richness of the Philippines that I learn through you, Adeline! =)
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Hi Samantha! I definitely will. Yes, that’s one of the great things of these lists, and I’m really thankful that there are organizations that have made this as their goal. You’ll definitely love visiting Vigan. It’s one of the must-visit places here in the Philippines for those that love learning about the history and culture of a country. A couple of my friends have visited the place and they told me it’s so surreal. It’s like stepping back in time.
your site is very informative and very usefull. thankyou
The views are great, thank you for sharing them
You’re very welcome, Eleva. Thanks for dropping by.
Being among the 7 wonders would lead to a lot of tourism which will be good for that economy. I don’t really have any recommendations, so I’ve got to do some travelling. I bet there are thousands of wonders yet to be discovered. Nice post.
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Thanks so much, Lanre. Yes, I’m pretty sure there are just so many wonderful places to visit and discover in any country. I’ve lived all my life here in the Philippines, yet I feel I’ve just scratched the surface.
Twitter: kooztop5
says:
I have some good Filipino friends, but I’ve never been to the Philippines! Looks like I have a few places to add to my “to visit” list!
Be sure to check out Kooz’s most recent post…Top 5 Weirdest Creatures I’ve Eaten
The Underground River in Palawan is really amazing. The structures even inside the underground river is really nice. I hope Vigan gets the nod for the 7 heritage cities as those old houses, churches and cobblestone paths are really a great view.
Be sure to check out Franc Ramon’s most recent post…Chaos in Nowhere Kingdom
Same here, Franc. Wouldn’t it be great to have two New 7 Wonders in our country?
Yes, definitely. Vigan would really deserve the honor of being a heritage city and hopefully with the Philippine voting power. They can be part of the top 7 in the world.
Be sure to check out Franc Ramon’s most recent post…Deranged (?) Defies Nowhere