Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, on Tuesday, Dec. 21, announced that the newly refurbished Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden (Manila Zoo) along M. Adriatico Street in Malate will have its soft opening on Dec. 30 to the workers who built the zoo and their families.

“Ang ganda-ganda! Nakaka-proud talaga! Dati ang baho-baho dito (It’s beautiful. It’s something to be proud of. It used to smell bad). This is one for the books. Para kang nasa Japan. Para kang nasa Jurassic Park. Sisiguruhin ko sa inyo, pati foreigner pupunta dito (It’s like you’re visiting Japan, or Jurassic Park. I’m sure that even foreigners will visit the Manila Zoo),” said Domagoso during a visit to the Zoo alongside Vice Mayor Doctor Honey Lacuna.
Domagoso ordered Manila Zoo officials that for the Dec. 30 soft opening, the construction workers who built the zoo and their families be considered Very-Important-Persons (VIP), thus entitling them to free food and drinks during the opening.
“Sila ang mag-oopen. (They will open ) It will be a family day. Premium naman sila, pinaghirapan nila yan. Kaya tama lang na VIP treatment sila (They’re premium, they worked hard for it. It’s only fair that they’re treated as such),” said Domagoso.

Manila Zoo, which was first opened in 1959, will be reopening on Dec. 30 after its first major renovation which started in 2019 after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) called out the lack of proper sewage system in the facility.
The newly refurbished facility will feature exhibits such as an Animal Museum, a Botanical Garden, a Butterfly Garden, and a separate enclosure for animals endemic to the Philippines.
Facilities for visitors have also been overhauled. The amenities around the zoo have been made accessible to persons with disabilities. Drinking fountains, food stalls, and souvenir stores have been installed and a new parking area was built.
Manila Zoo also recently went into a wildlife exchange partnership with Cebu Safari Adventure Park in Carmen City, Cebu last Dec. 8, allowing the two zoos to trade exotic animals and medicines.