New 7 Wonders - Vote for Chocolate Hills, Tubbataha Reef

The second campaign to vote for the 7 new wonders of the world is now on the way! The campaign, organized by the non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, received some 200 nominations within the first few months of the campaign.

More than 100 million votes were cast during the very first campaign in 2007.

Nominations can be submitted for the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign until December 31, 2008.

As of this writing, April 3, 2008, two of the nominees coming from the Philippines rank 15 – Bohol’s Chocolate Hills and 18 – Tubbataha Reef in Palawan respectively.
Visit http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/ for real time updates.

Voting for nominees will continue through Dec. 31, 2008 then a panel of experts will create a list of 21 candidates from which voters worldwide will elect theNew 7 Wonders of Nature.

The shortlist of 21 candidates will be announced on January 2009 and will go forward to the next stage of voting.

Voting for the new 7 wonders of nature will continue throughout 2009–2010. And in the summer of 2010, the New 7 Wonders of Nature will be officially declared.

I’d like to call on every Pinoy to do his part and unite for a common cause and make our country proud. If you can forward this post, e-mail, text or do what ever is necessary to spread the word to family, friends and associates and cast their vote, you’ve done your part to make this campaign a success. Just visit http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees/ and make your vote count. Remember to click on the e-mail confirmation to be counted.

Here’s a background on Chocolate Hills and Tubbataha Reef

Chocolate Hills, Bohol
Bohol is about 700 kilometers directly south of Manila and is about 70 kilometers southeast of Mactan Island. The province must have been developed from the magmatic tectonic mechanism which resulted from the underthrusting of the southwest Philippine plate east of Samar and Surigao.

The province is fast becoming a tourist destination. It is graciously endowed with natural and historical attractions. Infrastructure projects have supplemented their investment potential.

The majority speak the native dialect, which is distinctively Boholano. Cebuano, Tagalog, and English are widely spoken and understood.

Topping Bohol’s natural tourism assets are the wondrous Chocolate Hills which have drawn thousands of foreign and domestic tourists. These perfectly cone-shaped hills that abound in Central Bohol are the only ones of their kind in the world.

Scenic Bohol casts an enigmatic charm drawn from the many archaic mementos spread throughout the oval-shaped island: from the Chocolate Hills and the tarsier to 16th century watchtowers and Jesuit Baroque mission churches.The Chocolate Hills, all of 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills, are undoubtedly the most famous tourist attraction in the province. Among these hills that abound in Central Bohol, two have been developed into top-class resorts.One of the rare faunas found in the Philippine archipelago, the Tarsier is the smallest primate in the world. It is a nocturnal primate measuring from four to five inches, with a tail that is longer than its body. Those interested in tarsier watching are always welcomed by the Boholanos to see the famous primate in its natural abode up the hills in the town of Corella.

A tropical haven of natural beauty, the coastline of the province is skimmed by gentle coves and white sand beaches. You can find some of the country’s great dive sights here. Balicasag in Bohol is one of the very best and most popular dives in the Visayas.A black coral forest is among its main attractions but virtually anywhere you drop in is sure to be rewarding. Another major attraction, Cabilao is renowned for the hammerhead sharks that shoal around the clear waters. Large pelagics are very common here, and if you are really lucky, you can find yourself swimming with a passing school of dolphins.

Tubbattaha Reef
It is a marine sanctuary located in the Middle Central Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa City. Declared a World Natural Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on December 1993, it is under protective management by the Department of National Defense (DND).

It is under technical supervision by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) & the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR).

It is located in Cagayancillo town, Palawan. Trips to Tubbattaha from mid-March to mid-June are all vessel-based and require planning for a minimum of six weeks prior to departure. To reach the place, take a 70-minute flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa City. From the airport, a shuttle bus takes you to the dive boat. Boat ride from Puerto Princesa City takes approximately 12 hours.

Tubbataha Reef is an atoll coral reef located in the Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles (181 km) southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the Philippines. It is a marine sanctuary protected as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park.The reef is composed of two atolls, North and South Reefs. Each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel 8 km (5 miles) wide.

Over one thousand species can be found in the reef; many are already endangered species. Animal species found include manta rays, lionfish, pawikan or tortoise, clownfish, and sharks.

There are no permanent inhabitants of the islets or reefs. Fishermen visit the area seasonally, establishing shelters on the islets. The park is visited by tourists, particularly divers. Trips to Tubbattaha from mid-March to mid-June are all vessel-based; the park is about twelve hours by boat from Puerto Princesa City.Tubbataha is considered as the best dive site in the Philippines and the diving dedicated ships that opearte during the “Tubbataha Season” are usually booked years in advance especially during the Asian holidays of Easter and “Golden Week”

The word “tubbataha” is a combination of two Samal words which means “a long reef exposed at low tide”. This reef is made up of two coral atolls divided by an eight-kilometer (5 miles) wide channel. The South Atoll, the smaller of the two is five kilometers in length and three kilometers in width; while the North Atoll, the larger of the two is 16 kilometers (10 miles) long and five kilometers (3 miles) wide. (Knipp 22)

Vivid corals cover more than two-thirds of the area and the waters around the reef are places of refuge for numerous marine lives. The seemingly diverse ecosystem of this sanctuary rivals the Great Barrier Reef – having 300 coral species and 400 fish species. (Knipp 22, 24)

Tubbataha has become a popular site for seasoned sports divers because of its coral “walls” where the shallow coral reef abruptly ends giving way to great depths. These “walls” are not only wonderful diving spots but they are also wonderful habitats for many colonies of fish. There are giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels living in the sanctuary. Tubbataha is even home to the hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) which are endangered species. (Knipp 24)

Aside from being a marine sanctuary, Tubbataha is also renowned for being a bird sanctuary. A lighthouse islet, at the southern tip of the South Atoll, supports a large number of seabirds which nest there. Around the Tubbataha, there are tens of thousands of masked red-foot boobies, terns, and frigate birds resting during their annual migrations. To minimize any external intrusions, the Philippine Coast Guard maintains a small monitoring station on one of the many permanent sand bars. (Knipp 24)

So if you haven’t visited Chocolate Hills in Bohol or Tubbataha reef in Palawan, head on down to your nearest travel agent and arrange your island getaway far from the hustle and bustle of city life to your island paradise just waiting to give you lots of fun and adventure.

Resources:
http://www.new7wonders.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reef

http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/data/popwin.asp?pic=191
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/place_details.asp?content=description&province=39
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/data/popwin.asp?pic=311
www.bohol.ph
www.bohol.com.ph
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1142436515000101585pTyCbs?vhost=travel
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1142349618000101585sVddCW?vhost=travel

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/558746250gddXDc
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2375653680098394197YerFqC?vhost=outdoors
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2125283820098394197pQUnhr?vhost=outdoors
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2864518740098394197PPKFVB?vhost=outdoors

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New 7 Wonders - Vote for Chocolate Hills, Tubbataha Reef