We are urging all Filipinos around the world to vote for the Tubbataha Reef of Palawan and Chocolate Hills of Bohol in the ongoing worldwide search for the "New Seven Wonders of Nature."
In the latest global online poll, Tubbataha Reef's position has fallen four spots down in the last three weeks. From 28th slipped to 32nd place as of Monday. While Chocolate Hills improved its position from 78th to 66th place.
Both natural wonders are competing among 77 official candidates for the New Seven Wonders of Nature competition.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the non-profit New Seven Wonders Foundation, which also undertook the "New Seven Wonders of the World" search that ended last year, is organizing the online search.The list of nominees and the mechanics for voting are posted on the poll's official website while latest ranking of candidates can be viewed online:
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/Voting is until Dec. 31, 2008.
A second round of popular voting for the 21 finalists will then ensue until the end of 2009.
The Top Seven nominees will be officially declared the "New Seven Wonders of Nature" by the year 2010.
Other nominees to the search are: Mt. Everest of Nepal, Amazon River and Amazon Forest of South America, Niagara Falls of North America, Grand Canyon of the United States, Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Mt. Kilimanjaro of Tanzania, and Mount Blanc, more popularly known as the "Alps," of France and Italy, among others.
Tubbataha Reef is an atoll coral reef found in the Sulu Sea. It is a marine sanctuary protected as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park (TRNMP).
The reef is composed of two atolls, North and South Reef; and each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water.
Over a thousand species, including many that are declared endangered, can be found in the Tubbataha Reef. These include manta rays, lionfish, tortoises, clownfish and sharks.
The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines. It is composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills, all about the same size, spread over an area of more than 50 sq km The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them the name "Chocolate Hills."
After the voting, the top 77 nominees will be submitted to a panel of experts that will put together a shortlist of 21 finalists by January 2009.
source: goodnewspilipinasLinkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=10399.0
