True by Leo P. Udtohan
April 27. 2008 issue
Feedback From Majuro Ikagami:
Your intentions to provide links about voting for the Chocolate Hills is noble but the fact of the matter is, it would be pointless if the government doesn't support the nomination. The Chocolate Hills, along with other nominated sites, should have an Official Supporting Committee. Check this link for more details:
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/about_the_campaignSimply put, even if I nominate and vote for Bilar Man-made Forest right now and it lands at i.e. 60th place but with an Official Supporting Committee, and none of the top 59 have OSCs, Bilar Forest would end up as 1st of the 21 selections to be voted upon until 2010.
Since you're a part of the media, I urge you to convince the people to lobby our elected officials for an Official Supporting Committee. I know politicians wouldn't be interested since it'll just add expenses PLUS, results will be out on 2011 which they couldn't take advantage of since terms end by 2010. =) Still, this is an important step to maintain or even boost our tourism industry beyond 2010.
This is the form for the OSC:
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nomination/oscHoping for a positive response.
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True by Leo P. Udtohan
May 4, 2008 issue
“It's been only a week and my guess came true,†said Majuro Ikagami who felt that Chocolate Hills would be removed from list of nominees of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Majuro emailed True about his concern of creating a Official Supporting Committees immediately when the Chocolate Hills climbed the 6th place in the New 7 Wonders.
Chocolate lovers had reacted “violently†of the removal of the Choco Hills and the shocking news that it can’t be nominated either. Local officials and tourism stakeholders wanted an answer why Bohol’s Chocolate Hills was deleted off the list of nominees.
It is sad to note that it did not just drop in rankings, it completely got dropped off the site without a word or explanation. I was thinking there should have been a press release about it.. Apparently, not one of the n7w.com staff noticed its disappearance along with other nominated sites.
Other Boholanos presumed that it could be a nasty job of a computer hacker. A hacker intentionally gains access to a secure internet website, navigates and controls any information therein as he taps into the system website according to a press release.
The Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Tourism Committee Chair and Board Member Ester Corazon Galbreath prodded the provincial lawmakers to launch an appeal to the search organizers. She said the organizers should explain how Bohol’s marvelous Chocolate Hills and Mayon Volcano were deleted from the list.
On his part, Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera steered the SP to make a formal communication to the Department of Tourism to ask for enlightenment on the matter, reports said.
Bohol First District Representative and House Tourism Committee Chair Edgar Chatto, upon knowing about the incident said in interviews that would personally lead a Congressional inquiry as to why it also happened.
Rep. Chatto told the Provincial Tourism Council chairman Peter Dejaresco that he to call the DOT and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization to ask about the possible de-listing of the wondrous hills from the nominees to the new seven world wonders list.
The point is they reacted “violently†when they didn’t know the real score why the Chocolate Hills was removed.
Blaming the hackers would be unfair. The New 7 Wonders website is secured, too.
If these officials have had read the guidelines they would know what to do. Voting and campaigning aren’t enough. A special committee had to be set up because anytime the organizer would send queries regarding the Chocolate Hills.
And this is their response. Apparently, my concern was also their concern.
From Stephanie Mc Namara (
[email protected]) of new7wonders team said to Majuro:
All nominees remain provisional nominees until they have been confirmed. Confirmation requires the nominee to set up an Official Supporting Committee, at which point they become an Official Nominee. Any provisional nominees without Official Supporting Committees cannotparticipate and therefore are suspended until this situation is rectified. For information on how to set up an Official Supporting Committee, please visit:
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nomination/osc/ New7Wonders decision is final as to whether to accept or decline any participants following the rules of participation.
See what I mean? I just laughed at the fact that they had no clue about the reason why it got deleted in the first place.
We’re just happy that the Chocolate Hills is back. Please continue voting.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=12412.0
Topic: The truth why Chocolate Hills was removed from New 7 Wonders of the World (Read 1109 times)