MANILA, Philippines – The supposed reopening of the new Manila Zoo on Nov. 15 has been moved to Nov. 21, to give way for further preparations inside the zoo, as requested by stall owners, according to Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna.
Unlike its earlier opening from January to June, entrance to the zoo will no longer be free, but Manilans, senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) will be given special discounts.
Ticket prices, according to Manila Zoo Official’s post are: adults and children – PHP150 (resident) and PHP300 (non-resident); students – PHP100 (resident) and PHP200 (non-resident).
Senior citizens and PWDs will be given a 20% discount on the prescribed fees, and kids 2 years old and below may enter the park for free.
Manila Zoo Director Pio Morabe previously encouraged visitors to make their bookings and payments in advance online to avoid overcrowding at the payment booth onsite.
Guests may start registering and purchasing their tickets online via www.manilazoo.ph starting Nov. 20, 2022. The website also lets excited park goers have a glimpse of what awaits them at the zoo.
Manila Zoo will be open daily from 9am to 8pm. However, last entries will be accommodated until 6pm only.
The revamped zoo features an Animal Museum, a Botanical Garden and a Butterfly Garden. Morabe said that the zoo’s highlights will be the bird shows, the renovated playgrounds and interaction with big snakes, the elephant and zebras, among others. The Manila Public Information Office has also posted a video of clips taken inside the modernized park.
“While I was doing my thesis, I spent most of my time in Manila Zoo, understanding its current state. I interviewed staffs and observed the animals and the environment they are in. In those days, I realized how my thesis project can be so much more. My goal was to design Manila Zoo to make it not just a prime tourist destination and center for education, but at the same time to make it the best environment for the animals; a place that they can experience the great comfort they feel in their natural habitat,” said Arch. Kevin Siy, whose thesis project became the basis for the redevelopment of Manila Zoo.
The Manila Zoo under Public Recreations Bureau (PRB) has also created a set of rules and guidelines for the safety and welfare of both guests and the animals:
- RESPECT THE ANIMALS
- DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS
- NO SMOKING
- NO LITTERING
- NO OUTSIDE FOOD AND DRINKS ALLOWED
- PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE ZOO PREMISES
- BALLOONS AND ALL KINDS OF TOYS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE
- CHILDREN MUST BE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES
- DO NOT PLUCK THE FLOWERS
- DO NOT STEP ON THE GRASS
The city’s Public Recreations Bureau, during former Mayor Isko Moreno’s term, allocated P1.7 billion for the project – a major investment to save Manila Bay from pollution due to the old Manila Zoo’s faulty sewage treatment plant, and to generate revenue for the city in the long run.
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