P-Noy cites Puerto Princesa, launches 'wonder' campaign

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino led yesterday the recognition of Palawan for its various feats – becoming carbon-neutral and being able to take care of the Puerto Princesa Underground River now competing to be one of the world’s new seven wonders of nature.

During a ceremony in Malacañang, Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn announced that his city was certified as carbon-neutral after a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory following the internationally recognized guidelines from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with quality assurance by an independent third party, the Manila Observatory.

Fr. Jose Villarin, Ateneo de Manila University president and scientist belonging to the IPCC, said Puerto Princesa “is the first carbon-neutral city in the Philippines” and possibly also within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“The city is carbon-neutral, technically carbon negative, meaning, it sequesters or removes more carbon dioxide from the environment than it emits,” Villarin said.

“In simple terms, due to its large forest cover of over 65 percent, the city’s removals are eight times more than its emissions. Having personally reviewed various GHG Inventories from all over the world, as part of my work with the (IPCC), this technically carbon-negative is not an easy feat,” Villarin noted.

Becoming carbon neutral is usually achieved by implementing renewable energy projects that offset the amount of carbon dioxide emissions, such as planting trees.

High carbon dioxide emission contributes to global warming and climate change.

Also in the same event, the President reiterated his call on Filipinos to vote for the river. He said it would only take “half” of the two billion text messages being sent by Filipinos everyday to make the underground river win.

A 20-million-year old fossil of sea cow or sirenia was also discovered in the river by the Italian group, La Venta Geographical Exploration, which declared the river as a “true wonder of nature” that could be considered one of the most fascinating tourist attractions in the world today.

La Venta’s official declaration was made yesterday in the presence of the President.

“In the Philippines, we have no less than 80 million cellphone users, sending nearly two billion text messages every day. A large number of us also have access to the Internet. So I urge everyone to take part in this democracy-in-action on behalf of our own environment. By voting online at www.new7wonders.com, or by texting PPUR to 2861, we can help the Puerto Princesa Underground River, as well as the Philippines, garner a distinct spot on the international tourist map. I leave the mode of choice to you, but please remember to vote,” the President said.

Aquino also issued Proclamation 182 declaring a national and international promotion campaign for the river as one of the new seven wonders of nature, a global polling campaign started in 2007 by an independent, Swiss-based, government-controlled foundation that conducted the global polling campaign in search of the new wonders of the world, an innovative marketing program that yielded tremendous economic, social and tourism benefits to the winning host countries.