It badly needs our votes, however.  As of July 27, 2010 it is ranked among the Top 14.  But ultimately there will just be seven.

If you haven’t voted in this round yet, now is your chance. Let’s all do our share.  Click here to cast your vote.

Image grabbed from: www.new7wonders.com

The Official Declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be on 11.11.11.

Share this to as many people as you can.  Thank you.

• Bicolano: Namumutan Taka
• Cebuano/Bisaya: Gihigugma ko ikaw
  
• Chabacano: Yo ta ama contigo
• Gaddang: Angganma Cu Icca
• Ibaloi:  Pip-piyan tana
• Ibanag: Iddu taka
• Ilocano: Ay-ayaten ka
• Ilonggo: Ginahigugma kita
• Ivatan: Ichadaw ko imu
• Kankana-e: Laylaydek sik a
• Kapampangan: Kaluguran da ka
• Pangasinense: Inaro ta ka
• Tagalog: Iniibig kita / Mahal kita
• Tausog: Malasa ako kaimo
• Waray: Mahal ko ikaw

Clip Art Image Credit:  www.pixabella.com

Photo Credit: www.awonderfulblog.com

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The National Park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island.  It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992.  It is also known as St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park, or St. Paul Underground River. As of July 2010, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is ranked among the top 14 of 28 finalists in the Search for New 7 Wonders of Nature.

A World Heritage Park

• The Philippine government first nominated Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park for inscription on the World Heritage List in 1991, pointing out its spectacular karst landscape of limestone formations that include an impressive subterranean river with a series of collateral caves that served as a habitat for many rare and endemic species.
• The inscription was granted eight years after, in December 1999.  The UNESCO World  Heritage Committee cited Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park as an important part of the irreplaceable natural heritage of the world owing to its unique geological features and its globally significant biodiversity.
• UNESCO experts agreed with the justifications presented for World Heritage inscription but pointed out that an entire tropical ecosystem existed around the Subterranean River. They recommended that the Park be enlarged to include the entire system within the protected area. The City of Puerto Princesa agreed and enlarged the park from its original 3,901 hectares to 22,202 hectares. Today the entire ecosystem supporting the Subterranean River lies within Park boundaries.

Photo Credit: www.awonderfulblog.com

Location

• THE PUERTO PRINCESA Subterranean River National Park lies in the Saint Paul Mountain Range  81 kilometers from the center  of Puerto Princesa City but is still  within the city boundaries.
• It is the only National Park in the Philippines that lies within the territorial jurisdiction of a city government.

How to Get There

• Go to Puerto Princesa City by air of by sea
  • By Air: Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines flights are available from Manila to Puerto Princesa, Palawan.  Soriano Air, Asian Spirit (now Zest Air), and Sea Air also offer charter flights to certain places in Palawan.
  • By Sea: WG&A SuperFerry travels from Manila to Puerto Princesa via Coron. Negros Navigation offers a direct trip from Manila.
• From the city proper, go to Sabang (a barangay of Puerto Princesa City)
  • The Subterranean River is accessible from Barangay Sabang.  From the city proper you can go to Sabang by chartered jeepney, AUV/van, or mini-bus.   Visitors wanting to drive to Sabang are advised to seriously consider using 4-wheel drive vehicels.  Land travel from Puerto Princesa to Sabang can take 2 to 3 hours, depending on road and weather conditions.
  • Alternatively, you may reach Sabang by boat from Port Barton.  The boat ride will take approximately 45 minutes.

Recommended Links

• Wikipedia.org — Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
• www.puerto-undergroundriver.com
• www.awonderfulblog.com — a-subterranean-experience

Some climb mountains for religious reasons, some to commune with nature, some for the challenge, some for adventure, some for fun.  Whatever your motivation is, the Philippines has plenty to offer when it comes to mountaineering destinations.  Not known to many, aside from being made up of mostly islands, the Philippines is also made up of mostly mountains and mountain ranges.

If you are into mountaineering and you have the appetite for extreme adventure, then this is a list you should  have.  These are the country’s highest mountains.  And although they pale in comparison to the likes of Mt. Everest (8,848 meters above sea level or MASL) , K2 (8,611 MASL), and other extreme mountaineering destinations elsewhere around the world, these Philippine mountains have their own unique attractions to offer, including their very rich and diverse ecosystems, the various cultures and traditions of the communities in and around the mountains, and the breathtakingly unique view from each summit.

Top 5 Important National Mountaineering Destinations (INMD)

1. Mt. Apo – the highest in Mindanao and the Philippines
2. Mt. Pulog* – the highest in Luzon
3. Mt. Kanla-on – the highest in Visayas
4. Mt. Halcon – regarded as the most hazardous
5. Mt. Guiting-Guiting – regarded as the most difficult to climb

Recommended Links

• Pinoymountaineer.com
• Peaklist.org/philippines

Source: The BSP Mountaineering Club (courtesy of Sophie Castillo & Derek Bonifacio)

Where: Libon, Albay

What it is about:

“Katalingkasan” means freedom and rebirth.  The festival aims to revive the rich cultural heritage of the town and at the same time promote local tourism.

Photo Credit: www.bicol-express.com

Origins:

Recommended Links:

Image courtesy of alvindizon.blogspot.com

At exactly 4:40PM today (GMT+8), Pres. Benigno Simeon Cojuanco Aquino III finished delivering his much-awaited first State of the Nation Address (SONA).  As expected, he talked about “shocking” sins of the past administration and painted a sorry picture of the government he inherited.  He then devoted the bulk of his SONA into offering solutions.

Here are some of the key points of the President’s SONA.

• No to “quota” and “tongpats” in this administration.
• Taxpayers end up paying for NAPOCOR’s debts. Decision based on “wrong politics.”
• On MRT: People’s money used to buy a money-losing operation.
• NFA bought too much rice. Just rotting. Isn’t this a crime?
• Put a halt on waste, wrong projects. Will implement zero-based budgeting.
• One case versus smugglers and/or tax evaders per week.
• Will prosecute the corrupt and the murderers.
• Government will get the money needed without spending. Will even earn.
• Private groups interested in shouldering government infrastructure projects.
• Projects lined up to boost tourism, agriculture.
• Job creation is still first priority.

Click here for a more comprehensive list of key points in Pres. Aquino’s first SONA.

What started as supposedly a Metro Manila-wide vehicle volume reduction scheme has now taken many different versions from one city to the next, creating confusions among many motorists.  And there seems to be no single source of comprehensive information about these different versions.

MMDA number coding scheme

We have compiled information from various sources, including research made by some concerned motorists, into this “unofficial” MOTORISTS’ GUIDE TO NUMBER CODING.  If you have new information about the number coding scheme in your area, please share it with us so we can update this Guide.

No Number Coding

Motorists are free to roam around these cities anytime:

1. Marikina
2. Muntinlupa
3. Paranaque
4. Taguig

Apart from these three cities, Number Coding is enforced in all other cities in Metro Manila in varying versions.

Window Hours (10AM – 3PM)

The Number Coding standard window hours are observed in the following cities:

1. Caloocan City
2. Mandaluyong City
3. Manila
4. Navotas
5. (parts of) Pasay City[1]
6. Pasig City[2]
7. Pateros
8. Quezon City
9. San Juan
10. Valenzuela

No Window Hours

There are no window hours observed in the following cities:

1. Makati
2. Malabon
3. Las Pinas

In other words, Number Coding is in effect from 7AM to 7PM!

Please take note that EDSA, C5, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Roxas Blvd (Pasay) have window hours regardless of the city (meaning one can drive via EDSA between 10AM and 3PM in Makati any day).

[1] Pasay City is implementing Number Coding except on the following roads: Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road, Domestic Road, Portions of Airport Road, Sales Road, Tramo

[2] Pasig City supposedly has window hours of 9AM to 4PMm (instead of the standard 10-3).  But there are also some information pointing to the possibility that Pasig has since adopted the standard 10-3 window hours.  Until one or the other can be confirmed, we recommend conservatism and just assume the shorter (10-3) window, just to be on the safe side.

Situated on a vast plain at the mouth of Baler Bay, the tranquil but history-rich town of Baler is nestled between two giants, the Sierra Madre mountain range and the Pacific Ocean.  In relative seclusion, Baler is a host to awesome geographical formations, virgin forests, rare flora and fauna, verdant plains, crystal-clear springs, and pristine beaches.

Aurora’s Jewel

Baler is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aurora.  As the capital municipality, Baler is the political and economic center of Aurora. It is located some 230 kilometers northeast of Manila via a mountain pass accessible by bus.

Baler has reintroduced itself in the country’s consciousness last year, as 2009 was declared the Year of Baler.  It was also recently featured in a movie which adopted the town’s name for its title.

Surfing Mecca

Baler is also a surfing mecca.  Hundreds of surfers are drawn to Baler every February to ride its up to nine-foot high waves.

History-rich

Baler has a rich and colorful history. It is the site of the Siege of Baler, significant event and episode of the Philippine Revolution at the end of the 19th century.  Baler is hometown to the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon.  Baler is also home to a number of indigenous Filipino tribes including the Ilongots and the Dumagats.  There is also a sizable Igorot population as well as various others settlers.

Map of Baler | Image Credit: Wikimedia.org

• 1 isa
• 2 duha
• 3 tatlo
• 4 upat
• 5 lima
• 6 unom
• 7 pito
• 8 walo
• 9 siyam
• 10 napuyo
• 11 onse
• 12 doce
• 13 trece
• 14 katorce
• 15 kince
• 16 disisais
• 17 disisiete
• 18 disiotso
• 19 disinueve
• 20 beinte
• 21 beinte uno
• 30 traynta
• 40 kuwarenta
• 50 cicenta
• 60 citenta
• 70 otsenta
• 80 otsenta
• 90 nobenta
• 100 gatos
• 1,000 libo
• 10,000 napuyo ka libo
• 100,000 gatos ka libo
• 1,000,000 isa ka milyon
• 10,000,000 napuyo ka milyon
• 100,000,000 gasut ka milyon
• 1,000,000,000 isa ka bilyon

• 1 saro
• 2 duwa
• 3 tulo
• 4 upat
• 5 lima
• 6 anum
• 7 pito
• 8 walo
• 9 siyam
• 10 sampulo
• 11 onse
• 12 dose
• 13 trese
• 14 katorse
• 15 kinse
• 16 disisais
• 17 disisiyete
• 18 disiotso
• 19 disinuwebe
• 20 bente
• 21 bente saro
• 30 trenta
• 40 kuwarenta
• 50 singkuwenta
• 60 sesenta
• 70 setenta
• 80 otsenta
• 90 nubenta
• 100 sanggatos
• 1,000 sarong ribo
• 10,000 sampulong ribo
• 100,000 sanggatos nga ribo
• 1,000,000 sarong milyon
• 10,000,000 sampulong milyon
• 100,000,000 sanggatos nga milyon
• 1,000,000,000 sarong bilyon