MikeLigalig.com

Choco Hills loses chance
to be new world wonder

ALL efforts to hoist the Chocolate Hills to the new seven-world wonders list vanished as the Zurich-based New7Wonders Foundation announced another Philippine entry instead as the country’s official entry to the search.

The announcement that the Chocolate Hills has been eliminated took Boholanos by surprise as efforts were indeed cast to get the iconic Bohol symbol past the country’s entries.

Local support has earlier organized to make a more emphatic impact on the global campaign to get Boholanos in other parts of the world vote until December 31, the deadline.

However, despite the attempts, several have aired apprehension that by sheer numbers alone in the online voting, Bohol would be totally out if countries with massive populations like China or India come out and vote.

Two weeks of tallying after the deadline, organizers have short-listed the entries to only about 40% of the original 441 nominees. The list also included only one entry per country, Swiss based organizers said.

Winning over Bohol and other national nominees is Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, or otherwise known as the Underground River of Palawan edged out other national favorites like Mayon Volcano in Albay, Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales and Hundred Islands in Alaminos Pangasinan, all later nominees.

Up for voting following the short-listing are 261 nominees where only 77 would be accepted to the next phase of voting come July 7 where only 77 nominees would be left.

From the 77, New7WorldWonders panel of experts, including a former United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations director general would choose 21 finalists.

From the 21 finalists, it would be 2 years before the new seven world wonders would be announced, organizers said.

The Underground River now stands shoulder to shoulder with other iconic sites as the Loch Ness in Scotland, Grand Canyon in the United States, the Black Forest in western Germany, Mount Fuji in Japan, The Amazon River in South America, the transnational Danube River in Europe, the Dead Sea in Israel, Australian Great barrier Reef, Iguazo Falls in Argentina, Mont Blanc in France Italy border, and the Niagara Falls in the US-Canadian border.   

However, Tubattaha National Marine Park, itself being shared by the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia also came in as a multi-national nominee for the search.


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