The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan province has topped the latest ranking of the nominees vying to become the New7Wonders of Nature.
As of September 29, the Puerto Princesa treasure climbed to the top spot from 5th place, according to the Web site of the New7Wonders of Nature Campaign.
It dislodged Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, Beach, which slipped to No. 3. Aside from the Subterranean River National Park, three of Philipine nominees were also included on the top 11 list.
These were Bohol’s Chocolate Hills (4th place, up from 11th), Tubbataha Reef off Sulu Sea (5th place, up from 19th), and Legazpi City’s Mayon Volcano (11th place, down from 10th).
For complete list, please click here.
The Department of Tourism urged all Filipinos to continue voting online for the Philippine wonders to ensure that one of the country’s nominees would proceed to the next level in 2009.
By Jan. 1, 2009, only one national nominee per country, the highest ranked in the voting on Dec. 31, 2008. will be allowed to proceed, according to New7Wonders Web site.
“Therefore until the end of 2008, countries with more than one national nominee will be racing to choose the national representative that is allowed to continue into 2009. Nominees shared by more than one country will remain and continue into 2009,” the Web site said.
Online voting for nominees will continue up until July 7, 2009. The New7Wonders of Nature panel of experts will then review the top 77 nominees.
Among the 77, only 21 nominees will be chosen as finalists. The list finalists will be disclosed on July 21, 2009. The 21 finalists will then be put to popular vote, the Web site added.