THE Olango Wildlife Sanctuary in Lapu-Lapu City has been reopened, and is now ready to accept tourists after months of closure due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the recent devastation caused by Typhoon Odette (Rai).Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan visited the sanctuary on Saturday, March 5, 2022 and unveiled a Ramsar marker that signifies the importance of the area to migratory birds.The Ramsar convention has considered the sanctuary as one of the most important areas in the country for significant numbers of migratory waterbirds, providing habitat for staging, wintering, roosting and feeding birds.It said in its website that “over 10,000 shorebirds have been recorded at one time, with total numbers approaching 50,000” in the sanctuary, the “most important site in the Philippines for the rare waterbird species Asiatic Dowitcher.”Ramsar sitesThere are currently eight places in the entire country that are designated by the convention as Ramsar sites or “Wetlands of International Importance” with a surface area of 247,684 hectares.Chan said the reopening of the wildlife sanctuary would further boost the city’s tourism industry and provide additional income to locals.“Pipila sab ka buwan nga nahikawan ang mga nature lovers nga makita ang katahum niining usa sa atong top tourist destinations ug pipila na sab ka buwan nga nawagtangan og panginabuhian ang mga trabahante niini maong karon ang tukmang panahon para ibalik na kini sa iyang normal nga operasyon,” said Chan.(It has been months since nature lovers were deprived of seeing the beauty of one of our top tourist destinations, and it has been months since its workers lost their livelihood, so now is the right time to get it back to its normal operation.)The mayor further said the facilities in the sanctuary have been improved such as building a new boardwalk and the installation of a new monocular telescope to provide a better experience to tourists.Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu City Government has been awarded by the Department of Interior and Local Government for “Good Financial Housekeeping” for Calendar Year 2021.Chan said Lapu-Lapu is the only highly urbanized city in the entire Visayas that has received such an award.The award was presented to the mayor last Friday, March 4.Chan further said the award is an indication that the City’s funds have gone to important and valuable projects that are needed by the Oponganons.