Puerto Princesa Underground River eyes new tag

Puerto Princesa Underground River

More good things appear to be in store for one of the newest wonders of nature, the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR).

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was set to nominate the PPUR as a “Wetland of International Importance” at the Ramsar convention in Switzerland.

The Ramsar Convention is a treaty representing the commitments of member countries to preserve the ecological character of wetlands in their respective territories.

The nomination of the PPUR will highlight this year’s celebration of World Wetlands Day in the Philippines, Paje said.

“February 2 is World Wetlands Day. We are going to mark this year’s celebration with the submission of PPUR’s nomination as a Ramsar site or wetlands of international importance,” he said.

If approved, the PPUR will be the fifth protected area in the country proclaimed a Ramsar site.

The other Ramsar sites are Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu, declared in 1994; Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, also in Palawan; Naujan Lake National Park in Mindoro Oriental, and Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur, all of which were declared in 1999.

“The PPUR is not only a wonder of nature, it is a declared geological monument and this year we will nominate it to the Ramsar Convention as one of the most important wetlands in our country,” said Environment Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio.

At Monday’s ceremony officially declaring the PPUR as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, Ignacio said the DENR was working with Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn in pushing for the underground river’s nomination as a Ramsar site.

“I think we will get the nomination because it has also been declared one of the seven wonders of nature,” said Ignacio in an interview with the Inquirer on the sidelines of the recognition rites hosted by the Department of Tourism.

The Puerto Princesa government issued Resolution No. 427-2011 on December 22 recommending to the PAWB the PPUR’s nomination to the Ramsar Convention because of its importance as a biodiversity conservation area. The 8.2-kilometer underground river features a spectacular limestone or karst landscape and is known for its complex cave system.

In recognition of its globally significant natural properties, the PPUR had also been placed on the List of Natural World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The naming of the underground river as one of the seven new wonders of nature has led to an influx of tourists in Palawan. The DENR said tourist arrivals in the province soared from 170,000 in 2010 to 250,000 in 2011.