he young people of Olango know how generous their sea can be -- not too long ago, the waters of Olango were teeming with diverse marine life, and its coral reefs were healthy and lush.

But they also know how easily such bounty can be lost. They've seen the fishes and reefs gradually disappear, as income and profits were made from cyanide and dynamite fishing and from the gathering of shells, starfish, corals, abalones and sea cucumber. They've watched, feeling helpless, as their elders blasted and poisoned the sea, and traders' greed became insatiable. They've seen their future put at great risk.

Today, the youth of Olango are reclaiming their future. Young fishers and women, especially, have begun to work together to protect the sea. On Gilutongan Island, the local people have drawn the boundaries of a marine sanctuary to allow unhampered reproduction and growth of marine organisms. In the village of Sabang, a gateway to the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the women and youth are helping care for the birds, spread environmental awareness, and start sustainable livelihood alternatives for fishers and shell gatherers.

Through the Olango Birds and Seascape Tour, the people of Olango are rediscovering their lost connection with the sea, and at the same time promoting an enterprise venture that earns for them greater economic benefits while instilling in them a greater sense of pride in and responsibility for a precious natural heritage: the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary.

Come and visit a people renewing their ties with Nature. Meet the youthful hope of Olango. See them tending their seaweed farms or waving at you with smiles on their faces as you pass the southern islets. Sit with them as they paddle their tiny boats through the sanctuary. Share a moment with them. Help raise Olango's hopes to greater heights.