PPUR now officially in New 7 Wonders of Nature

MANILA, Philippines (Jan 28, 2012) – Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now confirmed as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, said founder-president of

New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber has officially confirmed that Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now one of the New Wonders of Nature.

Weber congratulated the Filipinos for supporting the PPUR being its national finalist in the global campaign.

“Fans of PPUR all over the world responded to his call for action by voting in record numbers and today's confirmation is the well-earned reward for this extraordinary display of enthusiasm," he added.

For his part, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn expressed elation in the inclusion of PPUR in the New7Wonders list.

“This confirmation is wonderful news for Puerto Princesa, and a great example of how now it’s more fun to be in the Philippines," said Mayor Hagedorn.

"World-wide exposure of our natural beauty on this level is critical both for tourism and for our image nationally and internationally," he added.

PPUR is located some 50km north of the city of Puerto Princesa. It consists of a limestone karst mountain landscape, several large chambers containing significant formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and an 8.2 km. navigable underground river that winds through a cave before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea.

In alphabetical order, the provisional New7Wonders of Nature announced on 11 November 2011 are: Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River and Table Mountain.

Following Jeju Island, PPUR is the second to be confirmed on a preliminary basis, as New7Wonders has now completed the telephone voting validation in the Philippines.

The remaining five provisional New7Wonders of Nature are currently undergoing the three steps of the verification process, namely the national voting validation, the global voting calculation confirmation by an independent audit firm, and the preparation and implementation of the Official Inauguration ceremonies. (From Philstar.com)