Olango Island
Location:	10°14'-10°17'N, 124°02'-124°04'E; between Cebu and Bohol Islands, 4 km east of Mactan Island and 15 km east of Cebu City, Cebu Province.
Area:	5,800 ha, including about 2,900 ha of intertidal flats.
Altitude:	Sea level.
Biogeographical Province:	4.26.12.
Wetland type:	03, 05, 06 & 07.
Description of site:	A low-lying island off the east coast of Mactan Island, with extensive intertidal coralline sand flats and mudflats, mangrove swamps and coral reefs. The tidal range is about 1.8m.
Climatic conditions:	Humid tropical climate with the seasons not very pronounced; relatively dry during October-November and April-June, and wet for the remainder of the year (Type III). The island is partly sheltered from the southeast monsoon and trade winds by Bohol and Mactan Islands, but is open to the northwest monsoon and associated cyclonic storms.
Principal vegetation:	Mangrove forest dominated by Avicennia alba along the seaward edge and in the accreting zone. Rhizophora apiculata is common along the edges of the forest, and there are some patches of Sonneratia alba and Lumnitzera racemosa. There are plantations of Cocos nucifera and a few small areas of agricultural crops in the interior of the island.
Land tenure:	Mostly state owned, with a few privately owned plots of land near some of the beaches. The island comes under the jurisdiction of Lapulapu City.
Conservation measures taken:	Some areas have already been replanted with mangroves, and others will be replanted in the near future as part of a Government scheme. In April 1988, the District Council on Olango Island enacted a new by-law to ban hunting on the island.
Conservation measures proposed:	The Asian Wetland Bureau Philippines has submitted a proposal to the authorities in Lapulapu, recommending that the island be declared a Migratory Bird Sanctuary, the first such sanctuary in the Philippines. The Asian Wetland Bureau Philippines has also submitted a proposal to the Central Visayas Regional Project and Department of Environment and Natural Resources concerning the mangrove replanting scheme.
Land use:	Offshore fishing and the harvesting of shellfish and edible seaweeds. The island has a small resident population of mostly fishermen.
Possible changes in land use:	The University of San Carlos is investigating the possibility of constructing water catchment cisterns in the two small bays on the island. These could have some adverse effects on the coastal ecosystems.
Disturbances and threats:	Mangroves are cut indiscriminately for domestic use. The main threat to the waterbird populations is heavy hunting pressure from organized groups of hunters from Cebu and Mandaue cities. These hunters specialize in shorebirds, particularly the larger species such as Numenius arquata.
Economic and social values:	The waters around the island support an important fishery.
Fauna:	One of the most important staging areas for migratory shorebirds in the central Philippines. Over 10,000 shorebirds have been recorded at one time, and the total number using the site may be as many as 50,000. Numenius arquata is particularly common. Up to 48 Asian Dowitchers Limnodromus semipalmatus were recorded in autumn 1987, making Olango Island the most important site for this rare species in the Philippines. The island is also an important staging area for Numenius madagascariensis and Calidris tenuirostris (376 in autumn 1987). Other waterbirds occurring in significant numbers include Egrelta garzetta, E. alba and Anas luzonica.
Special floral values:	No information.
Research and facilities:	Preliminary surveys were carried out by the Asian Wetland Bureau Philippines between August and November 1987 and in early 1988, and detailed research is now planned. The University of San Carlos maintains research facilities on the nearby island of Mactan.
References:
Criteria for inclusion:	1b, 2a, 3a.
Source:	Perla M. Magsalay.