Freedom Island’s migratory birds eyed as tourist draw

MANILA, Philippines – The Parañaque City government is planning to make migratory birds at Freedom Island as a tourist attraction, Mayor Edwin Olivarez said yesterday.

This scheme would complement the development of a fisherman’s wharf along Coastal Road, where tourists from the nearby Entertainment City may enjoy boat rides, sightseeing and dining at floating restaurants, he said.

Olivarez said the wharf will be constructed through a public-private partnership program.

“The city government is set to convert Bulungan – the fish market – along Coastal Road into a fisherman’s wharf,” he said.

At Bulungan, fishermen unload their catch of the day from Manila Bay. Buyers bid on the fish – sold in bulk – by “whispering” their offers to the fisherman, who announces the winner without the other bidders knowing the winning offer.

Navotas City has a similar facility.

Bulungan will remain a fish market but additional attractions, including floating restaurants and boats for hire, will be available to local and foreign tourists, Olivarez said.

When asked about the danger migratory birds pose to aircraft at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the mayor said that with modern technology to keep the birds away, bird strikes are no longer a threat “to incoming and outgoing planes at NAIA.”