The Manila Zoo is ready to reopen this month!
Netizens were shocked to see the new and improved Manila Zoo in recently released photos on the Manila Public Information Office (PIO) Facebook page. In the photos, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna could be seen walking the grounds of an almost unrecognizable new zoo.
The renovated establishment shows off a refreshing modern design, with transparent glass enclosures, bamboo beams, and elevated viewing decks. Amongst the new facilities, a museum, souvenir stores, a veterinary hospital, drinking fountains, a coffee shop, a PWD bathroom, and a new parking area have also been included.
“Matutupad na natin ang pangarap natin na lumaban sa Singapore Zoo dahil sa may Manila Zoo tayong mga batang Maynila. Galing po ako nung isang araw, sumilip po ako. Naku, matutuwa po kayo,” Moreno said in a statement.
(We will be able to fulfill our dream of competing with the Singapore Zoo because we, the children of Manila, have the Manila Zoo. I went the other day, I peeked. You guys will be happy.)
The five-hectare Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden is set for reopening on December 30, 2021, while the zoo animals are expected to be moved to their new enclosures on Monday, December 27. According to Domagoso, the project’s 1,300 construction workers and their families are priority guests for the soft opening. It is reported that city officials will be providing free food and refreshments for their visit.
The Manila mayor first announced plans of the P1.73-billion renovation in July of 2020. At the time, he had already stated his ambitions for the new zoo. “You are going to witness this, we are going to build in the near future the best zoo in Asia,” he said during a ceremony.
Art Daniella Sison
