Puerto Princesa’s “Underground River” nominated in 7 wonders of nature search

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, April 15 (PNA) -- The Puerto Princesa Subterranian River National Park (PPSRNP), located in sitio Sabang, barangay Sabang, some 81 kilometers north from the city, is being nominated as one of the candidates in the ongoing worldwide search for “New Seven Wonders of Nature”.

Declared as World Heritage Site by the United Nations Declared as World Heritage Site by the United Nations Environment, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the national park is currently rank 270th in the live ranking among the nominees.

With the inclusion of city’s national park, the country has presently represented by four nature sites in the new seven wonders search which the voting runs until Dec. 31, 2008.

The other three nominees are, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Tubbataha Reef also in Palawan and Mayon Volcano in Legaspi City.

Chocolate Hills and Tubbataha Reef are currently settled at 7th and 9th posts, respectively.

The PPSRNP, which houses the 8.2 kilometers “Underground River”, considered the world’s longest navigable underground river.

Its most outstanding natural feature is the ever flowing water beneath the spectacular karst of mountain before emptying into the South China Sea.

Cathedral-like chambers, wide hallways and other interesting geological formations welcome wide-eyed visitors to the grotto beneath the St. Paul Mountain or the under ground river. At the mouth of the cave, ancient trees growing right in the water’s edge frame a clear lagoon. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find home on the beach forest near the cave.

The city government, led by Mayor Edward Hagedorn, has embarked on a campaign to make the cut of 77 nominees by yearend via internet voting, and get into the second round of selection for the top 21 nature sites to be announced in January.

It was declared a premier ecotourism destination and has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage lists for its outstanding universal value and ecological significance as a natural site of intense beauty.

Record showed that tourist arrivals in the park has continued to rise, with 63,271 visitors recorded in 2007, increasing by 17,003 or 36.75 percent compared to 46,268 visitors in 2006.