Vigan in in search for 7 new wonder cities of the world

By Freddie G. Lazaro

VIGAN CITY, Philippines — This Heritage City has been chosen as one of the seven cities in the country that were elevated to the qualification phase in the “Search for New 7 Wonder Cities of the World, according to City Mayor Eva Marie S. Medina.

Of the 16 city-nominees for the country in the initial phase of the search that started Jan. 7 and which ended March 7, this city topped the seven cities in the country for the qualification phase representing the Philippines, this include Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, and Parañaque.

The seven cities are among the 300 cities all over the world that are competing into the shortlist phase.

From the 77 cities selected in the shortlist phase, the judges of the New 7 Wonder Cities will select 28 finalists wherein the casting of votes will start from November 23, 2012 to December 6, 2012.

In the final phase, the casting of votes will be held within a period from December 7, 2012 to December 6, 2013.

From the 77 cities of the shortlist of finalists, 28 cities will be selected, then 21 are selected, until it will become the 14 finalists.

The New 7 Wonder Cities that will be voted by millions of people all over the world will be officially declared on December 7, 2013.

As this developed, Medina appealed to the Filipinos and all ethnic groups all over the world to help support Vigan City in its quest for the world’s search of the New 7 Wonder Cities.

This city is dubbed the “World’s Living Museum” due to the existence of well-preserved Spanish ancestral houses found in its heritage village, in which this is inscribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World’s Heritage Site in 1999.

Aside from the century-old Spanish houses, Vigan has produced the following attractions that include delicious native food delicacies such as the local “longganisa” (native sausage), “empanada” (deep-fried rice dough filled with egg and vegetables), “bagnet” (deep-fried pork), and various “kakanen” (native delicacies), attractive “burnay” jars, and locally woven cloth called “inabel.”

This city has maintained its horse-drawn carriages or “kalesas,” the Archbishop Palace of the Nueva Segovia and Saint Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, and other heritage cultures and traditions.

The city is also prominent due to the various prestigious awards it received in the regional and national levels.

To cast your vote for Vigan through online, Medina is asking supporters to visit the web site http://www.n7w.com cities/en, then click Southeast Asia & Oceania and choose Vigan City (Philippines) and select six other cities from the Philippines or other countries from North America, Central America and Caribbean, South Amerca, Europe, Africa, Middle East, North Asia and Pacific, South and Central Asia and South East Asia and Oceania.

After selecting the seven cities, write “captcha image;” then, write the email address.

Afterwards, click “I agree...” and submit. The votes for the nomination for the shortlist phase are accepted until November 22, 2012.