BIMP-EAGA BACKS PHILIPPINES' UNDERGROUND RIVER, KOMODO NATIONAL PARK AS WORLD'S NEW 7 WONDERS

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), June 22 (Bernama) -- The Brunei
Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) tourism cluster, strongly backs the bid of the Philippines' Puerto Princesa Underground River and Indonesia's Komodo National Park, to be among the world's new Seven Wonders of Nature.

A statement issued by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), here
Tuesday said the Puerto Princesa Underground River and Komodo National Park are
two of the 28 finalists vying for a spot in the search for the world's new seven
wonders of nature.

The campaign is run by the New7Wonders Foundation in partnership with the
United Nations which aims to discover the seven natural wonders that best
represent earth's beauty and variety.

At the end of the 7th BIMP-EAGA Joint Tourism Development Cluster Meeting
held in Puerto Princesa recently, tourism leaders of the subregion issued a
statement of support to Komodo National Park and the Underground River.

The support is also a gesture of strong partnership within the BIMP-EAGA
region in strengthening cooperation for the development of tourism.

"We are in agreement that direct and indirect benefits shall be achieved by
the member countries with the Puerto Princesa Underground River and the Komodo
National Park, as inclusions to the new seven wonders of nature, come 2011," the
statement said.

"We have come up with a joint statement to push what we consider as
a gift of nature, which you can't find anywhere else, except in Palawan and
Indonesia," Ik Pahon Ak Joyik, Permanent Secretary of Sarawak Ministry of Social
and Urban Development and Chairman of the EAGA Joint Tourism Development
Cluster, said during a press conference.

The St. Paul Subterranean River, also known as the Puerto Princesa
Underground River, is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa,
Palawan.

It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km navigable
underground river. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites,
and several large chambers. The underground river is reputed to be the world's
longest.

One of the country's pristine attractions, the Underground River is listed
under the World Heritage sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

It is one of the four world heritage sites in BIMP-EAGA primed as a key
ecotourism destination.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's Komodo National Park is located in the center of the
Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores.

The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later,
it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The
islands of the national park are of volcanic origin.

In 1986, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere
Reserve by UNESCO, both indications of the Park's biological importance.

The EAGA tourism industry has been adopting Community-Based Eco Tourism
(CBET) development as a strategy to intensify partnerships among the local
governments and communities, as a means for addressing rural poverty.

The 7th EAGA JTD meeting earlier this month gathered 127 participants from
all across the sub-region's tourism industry, including representatives from the
BIMP EAGA Business Council, BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council, BIMP-EAGA Facilitation
Centre, Asian Development Bank, German Technical Cooperation, local government
units and the private sector.

The meeting discussed key major issues and updates on subregional efforts to
establish the EAGA as a key tourism destination in Southeast Asia.
-- BERNAMA