CEBU CITY, Philippines — How does dolphin watching in Lapu-Lapu City sound like?
As the city moves towards the reopening its tourism industry following its downgrade to the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status, Mayor Junard Chan said the sightings of dolphins in waters off Mactan Island may become another tourism attraction for the locality.
Chan, who visited Barangay Baring on Olango Island on Sunday, September 6, 2020, said he had seen the dolphins twice already while crossing the sea between Barangays San Vicente and Talima.
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Chan reiterated the city’s intention to promote the tourism offerings of Olango Island as a means of bringing opportunities for the inhabitants of the seven barangays on the island.
This is Barangay Pangan-an on Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City’s “Little Maldives.” | Photo courtesy of Mayor Junard Ahong Chan
The city’s Tourism Commission, he said, was already conducting an inventory on the attractions on the island, which would be included in the tourism offerings of the city.
“Mao na nga tagaan nato og kahigayonan nga makapanginabuhi. (That is why we will give them an opportunity to have a livelihood). We will make Olango an eco-tourism [destination],” Chan said.
“Imbis ang mga turista molabang pa ngadto sa Sugbo (mainland), molabang pa ngadto sa Bohol, anhi na lang sila sa Olango because Olango is a very beautiful island,” Chan said.
(So instead of tourists crossing over to mainland Cebu, crossing over to Bohol, they will instead come here to Olango because Olango is a very beautiful island.)
Olango Island is home to two marine sanctuaries, a wildlife sanctuary where migratory birds flock every year, and white sand beaches.
The mayor said that before the pandemic took a blow on the tourism industry, several residents of the island depended on the tourism industry for their livelihood, particularly the boatmen who ferry the tourists from mainland Mactan Island to Olango./dbs