Once in a while, an opportunity comes along that has the potential to unite the various sectors in our country. Whether you’re a kapuso, kapamilya, kabarkada, kampi kay PGMA, kalaban ni Gloria, or simply, a kababayan, I hope you will agree with me and with the whole world that our very own Tubbataha Reef Marine Park should be chosen as one of The New Seven Wonders of Nature.

What’s it all about?

I first read about this global campaign from Atheista.net.[1] I read about it again yesterday from Senator Pia Cayetano in Inquirer.net.[2] And now I’m writing this post to help explain why we should vote for Tubbataha and support this project.

The project named The New Seven Wonders of Nature, is a highly-organized online election of the seven best natural wonders in the world. You must have an email account to vote.

Nominations were opened last year by NewOpenWorld Foundation, a Swiss-based nonprofit organization supported by the United Nations Office for Partnerships.[3] This is their follow-up project after successfully organizing and declaring the New Seven Wonders of the World.[4]  

As of this writing, Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is leading the online poll and the Philippines’ Tubbataha is in 32nd place. 32nd!? That’s why we should unite and improve our ranking. With your help, we can make it happen. Here are 3 easy steps to vote for Tubbataha: 

1. Log on to www.New7Wonders.com and Vote. Register your name and email address. Your email will not be published. This is only to prevent spam-voting. Select Tubbataha Reef from the Asian region list and choose 6 other nominees. (Luzcel reminded me by email that Mayon Volcano and Chocolate Hills are also nominated so you can vote for them too.) 
2. Submit your vote online.
3. Authenticate your vote. Check your email account and open the message from Webmaster New7Wonders. Click the link and it should take you to the New7Wonders website with the message, “Success”

Voting of nominees will be open until 31 Dec 2008. A panel of experts will then select 21 finalists. The finalists will be posted on the website in 2009 and there will be another round of voting. The votes will be tabulated and the New Seven Wonders of Nature will be announced in 2010. 

But why should we vote for Tubbataha Reef? 

Here are seven reasons why:

1. Tourism is good for our economy.

Tourists spend money for services, transportation, shopping, accommodations, food, drinks and entertainment. In 2006, tourists around the world spent $733 billion and the Philippines got a 1.7% share amounting to $2.54 billion.[5] This money generates profits for businesses, taxes for the government, and of course, jobs for locals. And every year, more and more people are arriving in tourist destinations around the world.[6]

2. Tubbataha Reef is well-managed.

The Philippine military and the Tubbataha staff safeguard the national marine park around the clock to make sure that only authorized people are allowed to do activities relating to tourism, research and conservation. They implement a ”no-take policy” so catching or collecting anything is strictly not permitted. Visit the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park Official Site and read the Case Study done by WWF-Philippines  to know more about the other policies and rules that we have in place to make sure that tourism goes hand-in-hand with ecological conservation. 

3. It will boost profits for other tourist spots in our country.

To get to Tubbataha, tourists will have to make a stop in Manila, Cebu, Batangas or Palawan. This would encourage them to spend a few nights in these cities and in other tourist spots in the Philippines. 

We should be proud of our natural resources. In 2006, we placed third in the Best Diving Area category in the Dive and Travel Awards held in Japan. Also, National Geographic Traveler ranked Palawan as the 13th best island in the world, outranking Bali, Maldives, Phuket, and even, Ibiza.[7] 

4. We can attract more investors.

Senator Richard Gordon and his TeamGordon2010 have been pushing for the passage of the Tourism Act. One of the bill’s aims is to provide necessary incentives for domestic and foreign investment in tourism.[8] If we succeed in this global compaign, the Department of Tourism can use the Tourism Act and the badge of being One of the Seven Wonders of Nature to attract more investments for ecotourism in Tubbataha and in other parts of the country. 

5. We need to catch up with our neighbors.

The Philippines is being left behind by its neighbors because we haven’t been as agressive as the others in marketing and advertising our world-class tourist spots.The $2.5 billion we generated last year from the tourism industry is not bad. But if we take a look at how well our neighbors are doing[9], it becomes obvious that we can do so much better. 

It’s important to note that in 2006, the money generated by tourism in Thailand was equivalent to the money brought in by OFWs. Should we look into boosting our tourism industry’s potential as a billion-dollar earner? Can we follow in the footsteps of our neighbor, Thailand? Can tourism be one of the solutions to the “brain drain” caused by the diaspora of our workers? 

6. Tubbataha deserves to be listed as one of the world’s best. 

Tubbataha Reef is consistenly listed as one of the best diving spots in the world. It was declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1993. In 2000, Asiaweek Magazine chose Tubbataha as Asia’s Best Marine Park. And in July 2003, Conde Nast Traveler listed it as one the world’s great diving spots. 

7. It’s our chance to claim our place in the global tourism arena.

The tourism industry is highly competitive and every country wants a bigger slice of the pie. Tourists rely on online reviews, word-of-mouth, promos and international recognition.  The online poll for The Seven New Wonders of Nature is our chance to boost the tourism industry in our country. 

It’s time to take action and vote online. Tell all your friends and relatives to vote too. Let’s be proud of our God-given natural wonders. Let’s aim high! Let’s make Tubbataha one of the world’s best holiday destinations.

Let’s put the Philippines back on the international tourist map! 

=== 

Notes:

[1] Atheista >> Blog Archive >> New 7 Wonders of Nature: Vote for Tubbataha, 7 Feb 2008, Benj

[2] Vote for Tubbataha in New Seven Wonders of Nature poll, Inquirer.net, 1 Mar 2008

[3] Over 100 million voters from around the world nominated and chose the New Seven Wonders the World and the new list was announced in Lisbon, Portugal last year. 

[4] Do you remember being taught at school that the Banaue Rice Terraces is “the eighth wonder of the world?” Sad to say, there’s no such thing as the eighth wonder because the list only goes up to seven. The campaign last year could’ve given us a chance to spotlight our rice terraces as one of the seven wonders of the world. But no one promoted it and so we missed our chance.

[5] Tourism Highlights 2007 Edition, UN-World Tourism Organization,  

[6] International Tourist Arrivals, 1950-2005, UN-World Tourism Organization. 

[7] 111 Islands, Jonathan B Tourtellot, National Geographic Traveler, Nov-Dec 2007

[8] Tourism Act Is Needed by Our Country Now, Sen Richard Gordon, 14 August 2007. 

[9] Tourism Market Trends 2006 Edition, World Tourism Organization

*The Tourism Boom might even cause a “brain gain” because more foreigners would want to live in our tourist-friendly country. 

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