The Philippine contributions to the wonders of the world was recently highlighted with the inclusion of the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the list of the New 7 Wonders of the World last year. It would be remembered that there have been previous listings of this nature including the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” and the more recent listings that included later man-made structures. There are even listings that are more specific such as “Seven Wonders of the Underwater World” and the “Seven Wonders of the Industrial World”.

Wonders of the World

Palawan Underground River

A Look Back at the Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was compiled by historian Herodotus and scholar Callimachus of Cyrene. Their list included the Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and Lighthouse of Alexandria. There are lists that included the Ishtar Gate instead of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It is to be noted that among those included in the list, it is only the Great Pyramid of Giza that remains existing at this time.

Through time, a number of man-made structures have been recognized as wonders of the world as well. These include the likes of the Stonehenge, Colosseum, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Great Wall of China, Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, Hagia Sophia, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Taj Mahal, Cairo Citadel, Ely Cathedral, and the Cluny Abbey. Also, newer natural wonders were recognized such as the Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Mount Everest, Aurora, Paricutin Volcano, and the Victoria Falls. The latest list of the New 7 Wonders of the World included winners as determined by a global poll. In this list, the Puerto Princesa Underground River or simply the Palawan Underground River was included.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is also included in the World Heritage Listand is designated as the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.  The park was established as a National Park in 1971 primarily for the protection and conservation of old growth forest, existing wildlife, pristine beaches, unspoiled natural beauty, as well as the intricate cave systems. It has a limestone mountain landscape and an underground river that flows directly to the sea.

The presence of a 20 million year old Serenia fossil embedded in the walls of its caves as well as the unique cave formations are the main justifications for the site’s inclusion in the list. It is worth noting that it was discovered that that the underground river has a second floor and  that there are small waterfalls inside the cave. The list was confirmed last January 28, 2012.

Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces: commomswikimedia

 

The Eighth Wonder of the World

Contrary to what is commonly believed by many Filipinos, the Banaue Rice Terraces has never been included in the list of Seven Wonders of the World. It is however long been seen as an “Eighth Wonder of the World” , a term used for sites considered comparable to sites included in the prestigious list. The terraces were carved into the mountains of Ifugao largely by hand by indigenous people of the area. Although considered a National Cultural Treasure, it has to be differentiated with the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras which is a designated World Heritage Site.

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras include the five clusters of  Batad, Bangaan, Hungduan, Mayoyao Central and Nagacadan. Although the first two mentioned clusters are under the jurisdiction of Banaue, it is not referred to as Banaue Rice Terraces. Unfortunately, the Banaue Rice Terraces itself failed to make it to the standards provided by UNESCO in designating World Heritage Sites  due to the presence of numerous modern structures. Still, it remains to be one of the most visited sites in the area.

My Say

There is no question that the Philippines is a beautiful country. It is our pride that the Puerto Princesa Underground River has been recognized as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, albeit criticisms  of winning by the sheer texting power of the Filipinos. The fact that it is a designated World Heritage Site as well should give credence to its inclusion in the list.  The failure on the other hand of our other pride -Banaue Rice Terraces to make it to the list should remind us more than ever of the need to balance progress and our natural wealth. The Philippine contributions to the wonders of the world should not be allowed to suffer the fate of the ancient wonders that can only be seen in pictures and the imagination.