Lapu mayor wants to develop Olango Island into ecotourism hub

CEBU, Philippines —  Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan announced the city’s interest in developing Olango Island into an ecotourism hub.

Chan said developing an ecotourism hub will benefit the city as it would invite more tourists to stay in Lapu-Lapu.

“Instead ang mga langyaw nga mga bisita nato inig abot dinhi sa Lapu-Lapu City, instead nga molabang didto sa Bohol, they will stay here sa Lapu-Lapu and go to Olango kay atong developon ang Olango as an ecotourism [destination],” Chan said in his speech during the flag raising ceremony at the city hall grounds on Monday, January 6, 2020.

(The foreign tourists, instead of going to Bohol, they will stay here in Lapu-Lapu City and visit Olango Island instead because we will develop it into an ecotourism destination.)

Olango’s southern tip hosts the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuar (OIWS), a major refuelling station for migratory birds from Siberia, northern China and Japan.

Around 40,000 migratory birds visit the island every year.

“Olango Wildlife Sanctuary supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found so far in the Philippines. There are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species, while the rest are resident birds of the island,” said the OIWS official website.

OIWS covers the coastal area of Olango’s Barangays San Vicente, Sta. Rosa, Sabang and Pangan-an. 

OIWS is a declared protected landscape and is managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Currently, OIWS offers bird watching and trekking activities. /bmjo