It was only in the 1980s, when the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Wetland Bureau (AWB) established an office in the Philippines to conduct studies of Philippine wetlands and waterbirds, that attention was focused on these wetland species.

In its initial study on the waterbirds in Olango Island, AWB found there were endangered species among the birds that often settled in the island during the wintertime. Among these were the Asiatic Dowitchers, the Chinese Egret, and the Whooping and Red-crowned cranes.

To protect the birds, AWB sought the help of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to establish a bird sanctuary on a 920-hectare area in Olango Island where the birds are usually found when they visit the island. AWB also sought the help of the Philippine Environmental Journalists Inc. (PEJI) to generate public awareness and help push the realization of the bird sanctuary project.

While the project was being pushed, this was blocked by fishpond operators who had laid claims to portions of the sanctuary site. The opposition did not however prevent the Philippine government from establishing the sanctuary after it received support from the villages in the island that saw the need to indeed protect the birds.

Thus, by the early 1990s, the sanctuary was set up and eventually, the area was declared a Ramsar Site; a wetland of international importance.

DENR then constructed an administration building on the site and some walkways to prevent visitors from trampling on the wetland and leaving litter.

With the establishment of the bird sanctuary, visitors from the other islands and even from abroad went to see the birds in the sanctuary. The visits eventually gave island villagers income from the money the visitors spent through boat rides from Lapulapu City in Mactan Island, Cebu and from the tricycle rides from Santa Rosa port to the sanctuary, about a kilometer away.

The villagers also earned from the food and drinks they sold the visitors, home accommodation, and from the souvenir items they sold.

The villagers in Barangay San Vicente, adjacent to the sanctuary, were also hired by DENR to help manage the sanctuary.

While the sanctuary has, indeed, given refuge to the waterbirds some of which are endangered species, poaching has become a problem. Some people also enter the sanctuary to gather shells and other fish products in competition with the birds.

The issue was then raised whether the birds should be more important than the people in the island (mostly poor fishermen and farmers) who also have to feed themselves from the aquatic products found in the sanctuary. An AWB official said the island is big enough that there are other areas where the islanders can gather these aquatic products. That is why they don't have to disturb the sanctuary, he added.

The island, inhabited by over 10,000 people, is about 30 square kilometers. So there is room for everybody: people and birds.

Sources:

• Asian Wetland Bureau (AWB) Philippine Wetland Studies Series, 1990.

• Environment Management Bureau (EMB) 1990 Annual Report

• Article by Marites S. Villamor, Tierra, 1990 issue.

Manuel S. Satorre Jr. is President of the Philippine Environmental Journalists Inc. (PEJI) and Vice Chairman of the World Water Forum of Journalists (WWFJ). He previously chaired the Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists (APFEJ) in addition to being the former secretary general of the International Forum of Environmental Journalists. You can reach him at: msatorre@pacific.net.ph  

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