In observance of the global celebration of the International Earth Day, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines committed two million votes to the on-going on-line voting for the new seven wonders of nature where four of the nominees are from the Philippines.

BSP Secretary General J. Rizal C. Pangilinan, issued a national memorandum addressed to the officials of the movement's 109 local councils and 10 regions to conduct own campaign seeking support of its members to vote for the country's nominees.

Bohol's Chocolate Hills and Palawan's Tubbataha Reef and Puerto Princesa's Underground River, officially known as Puerto Princessa Subterranean River" are now making it to the top 10 of the world wide search for the "New Seven Wonders of Nature" besting hundreds of candidates from around the globe. Catching up is Mayon Volcano of Albay, known for its perfect cone.

The search is organized by non-profit New Seven Wonders Foundation, which also undertook the "New Seven Wonders of the World" search that was rounded up last year. The list of nominees and the mechanics for voting are posted on the poll's official website www.new7wonders.com while the live rankings can be viewed at http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking.

He said Boy Scouts can still vote for the Philippine candidates until Dec. 31 after which the top 77 nominees will be submitted to a panel of experts that will put together a shortlist of 21 finalists by January 2009.

A second round of popular voting for the 21 finalists will then follow until the end of 2009 - with the top seven nominees to be officially declared the "New Seven Wonders of the Nature" by 2010.

"We enjoin the councils and the regions to conduct awareness campaign for this undertaking and by asking Scouts and Scouters (leaders) to vote for the nominees from the Philippines," he said in the memorandum.

"We aim to contribute at least two million votes for the BSP, including former Scouts and Scouters for the Philippine wonders," he said.

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines has more than two million members including adult leaders.

Reference: Mayet, Egay, Ysell & Yhna (527-5104)