KEEP WATCHING. Boholanos all over the world are closely monitoring the list of nominees for the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" and find anew the Chocolate Hills which was de-listed. These perfectly cone-shaped hills that look like mint Chocolate during this unexpected raining days in summer continue to attract tourists.

The provincial government officially confirms the nomination for the Chocolate Hills to be included in the list of nominees in the global search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature (N7W). Gov. Erico B. Aumentado filed the formal nomination to the New 7 Wonders of Nature, a non-government organization that launched the search to

The action of the governor came following the reported de-listing of the Chocolate Hills, not just in the ranking of the top 7, but from the general list of nominees.

The de-listing surprised the Boholanos from all over the world since the Chocolate Hills was already ranked "No. 6" before it was de-listed from the list of nominees early last week.

The de-listing united the Boholanos worldwide in demanding an explanation from the sponsoring group.

Rep. Edgar Chatto who is the chairman of the House committee on tourism made official queries at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Manila regarding the matter.

UNESCO Ambassador Preciosa Soliven informed the solon that the global search was not initiated by UNESCO. However, the said NGO was initiating the search in line with UNESCO's campaign as part of its advocacy.

GLOBAL CONCERNS

Boholanos around the world who were shocked to learn about the de-listing of Chocolate Hills from the N7W nominees immediately communicated through email reaching to other Filipino groups in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

It was through Bob Galang, a native of Carmen town and now residing in the US, that the organizers of the N7W search gave the procedure for the reinstatement of Chocolate Hills in the rankings.

Nadja Rahal of N7W Foundation asked for the setting up of an Official Support Committee (OSC) for Chocolate Hills to be back in the campaign.

Galang coordinated with Carmen Mayor Manuel Molina to sign and submit the OSC document to the N7W Foundation.

In an email message forwarded to PTC chair Peter Dejaresco, Galang said "phone lines and emails [of the Boholano community abroad] are enormously busy inquiring when they could cast their votes for Chocolate Hills."

In another email to Rahal, Galang said that Boholanos all over the world are "excited" to support the Chocolate Hills campaign. "I don't want that momentum to die down in the midst of this very crucial campaign to put the Chocolate Hills in the Magic 7," he said.

Large Filipino communities throughout California, Florida, Chicago, Texas, New York and even in European cities have already pledged to spread the word regarding the campaign.

UNESCO's STATEMENT

In a statement, UNESCO said it was in fact repeatedly "invited to support" the search posted and voted on the internet but it chose "not to collaborate" with the foundation.

Ambassador Soliven, UNESCO secretary-general and executive director of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, quoted the statement, which was issued by the UNESCO Headquarters, in her letter replying Rep. Chatto's query on the search.

The N7W foundation, established by Swiss-born Canadian filmmaker Bernard Weber, has no explanation as of presstime on Chocolate Hills' delisting not just from the running ranking of the elite seven but from the list of all nominees.

"The list of the 'New 7 Wonders of Nature' will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and not the entire world," Soliven quoted the UNESCO Headquarters.

She said UNESCO "is not at all in the position to relate with the New 7 Wonders Foundation."

Provincial Board Members Ester Corazon Galbreath, Sangguniang Panlalawigan chair of committee on tourism, had the issue raised in the presentation here Wednesday of the June-scheduled 6th Philippine Business Mission to Japan.

The presentation, attended by Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa, was intended to ready the mission, which will market Philippine tourism.

Marinette Reyes, a UNESCO staff, told Chatto that incumbent UNESCO Director General Koichico Matsuura himself confirmed the organization's non-involvement in the foundation's undertaking.

Soliven's letter to Chatto obviously pointed to the NGO as culpable itself.

"In fact, in our research, the foundation does not seem to encourage feedback and inquiries as they do not have any contact details unless your concern is a business partnership," the ambassador wrote.

Philippine Congress' tourism committee was not informed in any manner beforehand of the search that was to be launched by the NGO based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Together with Weber, former UNESCO Director General Federico Mayon privately initiated the search, according to UNESCO.

Soliven appreciated the Boholanos campaign to raise awareness for the preservation of Bohol's cultural and natural heritage.

In his letter to Chatto, Soliven quoted the statement of the UNESCO Headquarters which read:

"This campaign was launched in 2000 as a private initiative by Bernard Weber, the idea being to encourage citizens around the world to select seven new wonders of the world by popular vote. Although UNESCO was invited to support this project on several occasions, the Organization decided not to collaborate with Mr. Weber.

"UNESCO's objective and mandate is to assist countries in identifying, protecting and preserving World Heritage. Acknowledging the sentimental or emblematic value of sites and inscribing them on a new list is not enough. Scientific criteria must be defined, the quality of candidates evaluated and legislative and management frameworks set up.

The relevant authorities must also demonstrate commitment to these frameworks as well as to permanently monitor the state of conservation sites. The task is one of technical conservation and political persuasion. There is also a clear educational role to the site's inherent value, the threats they face and what must be done to prevent their loss.

"There is no comparison between Mr. Weber's mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The list of the '7 New Wonders of the world' will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public."

CHOCO HILLS AS WORLD HERITAGE

Convinced of Chocolate Hills geological value and sympathetic to the cause of the Boholanos, the UNESCO secretary-general presented a chance for the rare Bohol spot declared as a world heritage.

Soliven told Chatto that "should you be interested in UNESCO's World Heritage Programme, kindly inform us so we can collaborate in pursuing the nomination process of the Chocolate Hills' inclusion to the World Heritage List, which is in our jurisdiction."

BOY SCOUTS 2M VOTES

Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) has pledged two million votes to the Chocolate Hills and the two other Philippine sites nominated in the online global search.

J. Rizal C. Pangilinan, BSP secretary general, issued a memorandum to the movement's 109 local councils and 10 regions to vote for the Bohol's Chocolate Hills, the Tubbataha Reef and the Underground River in Palawan. (With reports from Ven Arigo)