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Cebu

CRMP’s primary learning area in Cebu Province is located east of Mactan on the islands of Olango, Sulpa, Nalasuan, Hilutungan, Caohagan, Camungi and Pangan-an, an area covering 1,015 hectares and a coastline of 55 km with 11 barangays and an estimated population of 22,779 people (1995). Olango, in particular, is a developed tourism area largely known for its sandy beaches and as a bird sanctuary. Twice a year from September to November and from February to April, 48 species of migratory birds flock to this small island, enriching the area’s already rich fauna (49 resident avian species, including 7 of unconfirmed origin) and drawing tourists from around the world. But live reef fishing remains the major source of income and, like many small islands whose inhabitants are highly dependent on the sea for livelihood, Olango, as well as the smaller islands nearby, is suffering from declining fish catch resulting from over-fishing and habitat destruction. People are aware of the problem and what causes it: Up to 67% of respondents in a recent survey believed the decline in fish catch would continue in the face of unabated cyanide and blast fishing. CRMP is doing the spadework designed to turn such high level of awareness into concrete actions for sound and sustainable coastal resource management.

‘Great Tour!’ Experts Say of Olango
CRMP’s Enterprise Component hosted last March 28 a special ecotour of the Olango area as part of the Project’s goal to help stimulate development and explore alternative livelihood opportunities for the Learning Area. The endeavor entailed taking a test group of "tourists" on a day trip to the site to determine its viability as a tourist destination.

Scenes of Olango: PATA delegates say the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary can be a successful ecotourism destination.
Photos by Toni Parras and A. Sia, CRMP

The highlight of the tour was a visit to the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary (OIWS) at the southern portion of Olango Island. The OIWS is recognized as a critical stopover point for tens of thousands of birds traveling the East Asian Migratory Flyway, an important route for migratory birds. Covering 920 hectares of tidal flats, mangroves, seagrass beds and sandy ridges, the site was officially declared a sanctuary in 1992 and remains the only RAMSAR Site in the Philippines. (The RAMSAR Convention is the world’s oldest international conservation treaty in which signatory countries designate and protect wetlands of international importance).

Delegates from the Global Chapters Congress of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), in town for their annual international conference on tourism development and operation (held at Mactan Shangri-la Hotel), joined the tour. They represented Germany, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Monaco, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Also present was a Filipino operator.

The tour consisted of a boat ride beginning from Mactan Island and traveling around the southern islands and islets of the Olango area, finally landing in Sabang, one of the gateway villages to the wildlife sanctuary. The "tourists" were greeted and served refreshments by the women of the community and then transferred to small paddleboats, rowed by members of the community youth group and fishers, for site-seeing in the mangroves and bird sanctuary.

At a briefing held after the tour, participants agreed Olango could be successful as an ecotourism destination, and nearly everyone said they would like more interaction with the local community. "We’ve been to many places around the world and this was one of the few places where we weren’t harassed by touts or peddlers," said a delegate from the United States.

Monette Flores of CRMP’s Enterprise Component said plans to set up an actual tour operation are in the works, as well as plans for a variation of the tour which will focus on the southern islands and include snorkeling around the Hilutungan marine sanctuary. Flores added, however, that CRMP is taking a cautious approach in choosing the national tour operator. "We have to ensure that the operator’s goals are in keeping with CRMP’s objective to help the local villagers flourish and become co-managers of the environment," she said. "The residents must be an essential component of the operation and not alienated from their own resources, as is oftentimes the case when tourism enters a small island."

The "test tour" was supported by the Department of Tourism in Region 7 (DOT-7), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), a multisectoral body which directly oversees the OIWS. Toni Parras for CRMP, 04.21.98 §