BY REGINA BENGCO

PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday voted for three Philippine entries to the New Seven Wonders of Nature, plus four other rivals that she said she could not remember.

Arroyo’s spur-of-the-moment vote took place while she was inspecting the library hub of the education department in Pasig City.

Arroyo was testing an internet-ready computer in the facility when she decided to vote for the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

But it was not easy for her, because she was not a registered member of the site. And she forgot her email address, which was required to vote. Her security aide whispered her email address to her while she typed.

Once she was in, she picked the three Philippine entries that are already in the Top 77 – Tubbataha Reef in Palawan, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan.

She tried to vote for Mayon volcano but it was not a "candidate."

She clicked the other nominees to meet the required entry of seven nominees per vote.

When asked later what other sites she voted for, she said she could not remember because she just clicked at random in order to submit the required number of nominees. She was reportedly in a hurry to leave.

Tubbataha Reef currently ranks No. 8, Chocolate Hills No. 9, and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park No. 16.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the library hub would benefit the schools in Pasig and San Juan cities that do not have any library of their own.

Thirty-five library hubs would be set up all over the country with the help of the private sector.