Bohol's Chocolate Hills Deleted From New 7 Wonders. Why?

The Bohol Standard - Why Bohol's Chocolate Hills was deleted off the list of nominees in the current search for New Seven Wonders of the World, local officials and tourism stakeholders here want to know.

Several Boholanos presumed that it could be a nasty job of a computer hacker.

To compound the problem, not only is Bohol's Chocolate Hills off the list of nominees, it also could not be re-nominated either.

A hacker intentionally gains access to a secure internet website, navigates and controls any information therein as he taps into the system website.

Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera steered the SP to make a formal communication to the Department of Tourism to ask for enlightenment on the matter, reports said.

Provincial Tourism Council chairman Peter Dejaresco tapped all lines in calling the Tourism Department (DOT) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization to ask why the de-listing of the wondrous hills from the nominees to the new seven world wonders list happened.

Wanting answers, Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Tourism Committee Chair and Board Member Ester Corazon Galbreath prodded the provincial lawmakers to launch an appeal to the search organizers. She said the organizers should explain how Bohol's marvelous Chocolate Hills and Mayon Volcano were deleted from the list.

Bohol First District Representative and House Tourism Committee Chair Edgar Chatto, upon knowing about the incident said in interviews that he would personally lead a Congressional inquiry as to why it also happened.

The Chocolate Hills was just recently nominated and saw a dramatic climb from nowhere to number 6th last week.

- - - Make a website using SiteSell.Com

No More Rice Going Outside Bohol, Philippines

Despite the scathing call of Albay Governor Joey Salceda for the lifting of an order regulating the transport of palay and milled rice outside Bohol, the Governor stood firm on the measure, stirred but not disturbed.

Albay which used to be a major rice producing province is now experiencing an acute shortage of rice supply, caused by natural calamities like typhoons hitting the province lately.

"What if other provinces like Isabela and Nueva Ecija would follow suit of the Bohol Governor's restriction to export rice from rice-producing provinces? To restrict movement of rice supply would only worsen the already precarious national situation," Salceda said in press releases sent out to media outlets.

Aumentado in response to Salceda said there is no restriction but simply regulation. The Executive order he issued was only to prevent smuggling or hoarding of supply of rice outside the province.

The order was issued April 4, 2008 following reports that some unscrupulous traders from other neighboring provinces were in a buying spree of palay in Bohol, negotiating directly with farmers, at a very attractive price of P19 per kilo, higher than the usual price of only P15/kilo and bringing it outside the island.

The Bohol Governor said he had to take the measure to prevent a looming rice shortage particularly in the coming lean months of June to October.

The Albay Governor went on to the extent of reminding Aumentado that his province Albay and the whole country is also sharing part of the repayment of the massive debt load from Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) which financed the huge infra projects implemented here. - The Bohol Standard

--
FREE 2,000 MB Online Back-up at Mozy.Com