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BEHIND THE SCENES
By Ma. Monina M. Flores, Enterprise
Development Specialist, CRMP
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Olango Birds and Seascape Tour Project is a community-based ecotourism
venture on the island of Olango,
Cebu Province in the central region of the Philippines. The ecotourism
venture is owned and run by a fishing community organized under the Suba,
Olango Ecotourism Cooperative (SOEC). Development of the project was assisted
by the Coastal Resource Management
Project (CRMP), a USAID-funded technical assistance project of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Government
of the Philippines to catalyze community involvement in the management
of coastal resources.
The project
stands out as an ecotourism venture that successfully integrates the ideal
elements of community-based ecotourism --community-based benefit and participation,
contribution to environmental conservation, market competitiveness and
accessibility, environmental education, promotion of local culture, and
financial viability.
What's unique
about the project
- The project is
built around the unique environmental attributes and serene beauty of
Olango Island's coast, seas, reefs, and wildlife.
The Olango ecotour
combines a broad range of environmental
experiences and learning with fun and enjoyment of sun, sea
and sand. Bird watching, coastal trek, canoe paddling, snorkeling, swimming,
visit to seaweed farms (optional), and island hopping are among the
activities that bring guests closer to Nature. Activities are conducted
with the least impact on the environment. Guests are briefed and guided
for appropriate behavior in the natural areas and communities they visit.
A naturalist interpreter/expert on migratory birds is on hand to provide
quality information.
- The tour promotes
and showcases local conservation of threatened coastal environments
and wildlife.
A tourist learns
from the tour experience that the valuable and beautiful resources she
is enjoying are not inexhaustible, but are in fact under severe pressure
from human use. The tourist observes that the tour package she is paying
for is in itself the realization of a fishing community's effort to
promote conservation by engaging in a non-extractive form of enterprise
while promoting environmental understanding to visitors.
The tourist snorkels
and sees the abundance of fish in a coral reef declared by the local
government and managed by the community as a marine sanctuary. He/she
learns that community members help monitor the reef, and boat and dive
operators pay user fees and observe user guidelines. He/she then realizes
that these local efforts are paying off in terms of better regulation
of human activities, generation of tourism revenues, and improved regeneration
of marine life. The experience imbues him/her with a feeling of connection
with Nature, a grounded awareness of the realities that threaten it,
and a new resolve to care for the environment and its people.
- The project showcases
the potential, viability and benefits of community participation in
the ownership and operation of ecotourism ventures.
Its effectiveness
as a conservation tool is illustrated by the active enlistment of
community cooperation in the management of a protected area. Its impact
on the community's sense of empowerment is exemplified by the community's
growing sense of pride in their achievements, renewed confidence in
their ability to reach their goals, acquisition of technical skills,
spontaneity in expressing their ideas and sentiments, and manifestation
of enthusiasm and creativity in their activities. For perhaps the
first time in their lives, Olango folks feel they are able to contribute
to something noble for which they get affirmation from people outside
their community. What's more, their efforts allow them to earn extra
income and acquire new skills that raise their capability to achieve
their dreams of a better future for themselves and their children.
Related story:
Resource
Management and Community Involvement in Ecotourism
OTHER BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES:
Six
Steps in the Making of the Olango Birds and Seascape Tour
So
Far, So Good: Venture Performance and Benefits
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