THERE have been suggestions from some camps to transfer the Manila Zoo from its location in Malate, Manila to a more “nature friendly” setting in the mountains of Baras, Rizal, for the sake of the animals in that zoo.
At first glance, this idea would merit serious consideration, or at least, some attention and study, because that part of Malate in the city of Manila has become some so urbanized and polluted with dirty air and smoke from motor vehicle emissions. With its current poor air quality, the Manila Zoo area will soon be unable to support neither animal nor plant life of good enough quality to qualify as a model showcase for zoology and biology.
Sen. Francis Tolentino has proposed relocating Manila Zoo from Malate, Manila to Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal. He said the animals in the six-hectare zoo are kept in small enclosures and are exposed to urban noise, heat, and pollution. His suggestion is good to hear for animal lovers, and in fact elicited some favorable comments from a number of netizens.
‘“We do not want the zoo to be out of the city because not everyone has the capacity to see the animals at Masungi…’”
Several councilors from Manila are also courteously supportive of the idea of Manila Zoo’s relocation when the senator reached out to them for comment. However, the top leaders of the city are vigorously against it.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan emphatically said the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, commonly known as Manila Zoo, is not transferring elsewhere. She said the city government has plans to make the facility at par with its Southeast Asian counterparts.
“We want Manila Zoo’s future to be a well-planned, realistic roadmap based on sound science and zoo management, and with due sensitivity to the cherished place of the Manila Zoo in the hearts of Manileños and the childhood memories of many Filipinos,” she said.
Lacuna added that the zoo’s relocation is not an option, stressing it is part of the city’s heritage and history. “It will not be the Manila Zoo if it is located anywhere else,” she said.
She also said the city is awaiting the enactment of the New Government Procurement Act and its implementing rules and regulations, which she said would serve as key parameters of the city’s plans for the zoo.
“We also intend to convene a panel of experts to conduct preparatory work, such as research and hearings, and receive input from stakeholders. We are not even talking about the relocation of the animals and the Masungi Georeserve. We are not going there. There could be other options, but Masungi is not on that roadmap,” she added.
Vice Mayor John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto echoed Lacuna’s remarks, maintaining that the zoo remains an accessible tourist attraction. He said they will not allow Manila Zoo to be located out of the city limits. “We will not neglect it. The city of Manila is taking care of the zoo,” he said.
Manila Rep. Irwin Tieng (5th District), whose jurisdiction covers Malate where the zoo is located, acknowledged Senator Tolentino for expressing his concern for the animals in the zoo. He, however, said the city government has rehabilitated the zoo’s features and facilities, including new enclosures for animals, a water filtration system, and a state-of-the-art sewerage treatment plant.
Of all the arguments aired against the transfer of the zoo to Masungi, Congressman Tieng provided the most practical argument: “We do not want the zoo to be out of the city because not everyone has the capacity to see the animals at Masungi. We want it to stay here in Manila.”
Perhaps in his love for the animals, Tolentino forgot that the zoo is a property and decades-long project of the city of Manila — primarily for Manilans who dutifully pay their taxes for the zoo’s upkeep.
Most Manila residents do not even know where Masungi forest reserve is, let alone the security and other issues in that part of Rizal province.
