It’s official! The Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in the Philippines is officially one of the New7Wonders of Nature. President Benigno S. Aquino III was the guest of honour at today’s inauguration event in Manila during which a specially-cast bronze commemorative plaque was unveiled.
“We worked so hard for this,” said a delighted Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn. He praised President Aquino for his appreciation of the country’s natural beauty and his commitment to the PPUR campaign. “He said how important it was for us to recognize this natural beauty, use what nature has given us, preserve it and take advantage of it to create jobs.
In his remarks, President Aquino said that this was “a special day for all Filipinos, at home and abroad, who joined together to recognize our country’s extraordinary beauty.” He thanked New7Wonders for providing the platform that allowed PPUR to present itself on the world stage.
“The result of the New7Wonders of Nature reveal the active participation of the citizens in their countries and supporters all around the world,” said Bernard Weber, New7Wonders Founder-President. “The competition was lively and fair, and to have made it in to the canon of 7 is a great success for the 15 countries that now host the New7Wonders of Nature,” he added. “From its inception my goal was to bring inspiration and create motivation and participation on themes that everyone on our planet can understand, themes that have real and lasting value.”
