IN just a month, the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan could be named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, an accolade that could bring tremendous economic, social and tourism benefits to the Philippines.

Already a Unesco World Heritage Site, the underground river which is in barangay Sabang, 81 kilometers north of the city, has been voted one of the final 28 sites for the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign, a contest which aims to attract more than 1 billion votes from 220 nations across the world.

Known as the Philippines’ last biodiversity frontier, Palawan, which hosts the underground river, is blessed with the breathtaking beauty with its white-sand beaches, lush forest, wildlife parks and natural wonders.

The underground river, also known as the St. Paul or Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, is an 8.2-kilometer navigable underground river that runs beneath the limestone karst mountain that flows directly into the South China Sea. It is believed to be the longest underground river in Asia.

Navigating the complex underground river, one can see visible formations of stalactites and stalagmites that have developed over 20 million years.

Among the many wonders of nature, the underground river needs to win the honor to be included in the next seven new wonders of nature, Hagedorn said. With only a month to go, it needs to garner support as the voting closes on November 11, 2011.

No other than President Aquino has been encouraging Filipinos to vote by texting PPUR to 2861 to push the country’s only entry to the worldwide campaign as a way to elevate the Philippines’ status as top international destination.

The Switzerland-based New7Wonders Foundation has challenged the nations who hosted the 28 candidate sites with a two-year campaign to attract enough votes to win the title. The contest aims to raise awareness of the incredible variety and beauty of nature in the planet.