The Puerto Princesa Subterrarean River National Park. AFP
It’s a win-win situation.
Filipinos supporting the country’s bid to make the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) one of the new seven natural wonders of the world could stand a chance to win as much as P25 million, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said.
The country’s top three telecommunication firms are funding a game segment in TV host Willie Revillame’s “Will Time Big Time” show on TV5 where people who text PPUR to 2861 will have a chance to win a cash prize in a raffle game, Paje said.
“Instead of texting jokes and chain texts, send PPUR to 2861,” he said. “We requested the assistance of the private sector to launch a texting contest. This is completely funded by Globe, Smart, and Sun,” Paje said.
The contest will be launched in Revillame’s show on Friday night, with Paje, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez and Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn.
People who send text votes will be given a unique number from the telecommunication firms.
Winners will be determined by a draw, Paje said. Thus, the more text messages sent, the higher the chances of winning, he said.
P25-M jackpot
Owners of the numbers picked in the daily draws will get a P10,000 cash prize. The grand prize raffle, which is scheduled on December 30, will have a P25-million jackpot.
Paje said the inclusion of the Underground River among the world’s natural wonders would be a boon to the country’s tourism industry.
“Brazil has the Amazon River, the United States has a Grand Canyon. Palawan wants to be identified with the Underground River,” he said.
Palawan’s 8.2-kilometer Underground River is one of the country’s unique natural formations, featuring spectacular limestone or karst landscape. The river flows directly into the sea, and the lower half portion of the river is brackish and subject to tidal influence.
The river supports one of the major biodiversity areas in the Philippines. In recognition of its globally significant natural properties, it was inscribed to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s List of Natural World Heritage Sites.