The Manila public recreations bureau chief took exception to the statements issued by Senator Francis Tolentino about the Manila Zoo, saying the lawmaker’s impressions are outdated and that obviously, he has never been to the zoo lately.
“Mukhang hindi pa po nakapapasyal ang ating mahal na senator sa bagong Manila Zoo kaya medyo outdated na po ang kanyamg komento.🙂,” said Roland Marino, head of the PRB under whose supervision the zoo falls.
Marino noted that part of Tolentino’s statement said:”Maliit lang po ito kaya hirap na hirap yung ating mga giraffe…yung ating elepante nga namatay…mainit yung semento. Hindi po kasi natural habitat ng mga hayop na nabanggit ko yung kalungsuran, kung saan mainit, maingay, at mausok.”
In reply to this, Marino pointed out: “una, early 2000’s pa po wala na po tayong giraffe, pangalawa napaka lawak na po ng ating mga enclosures and at par na sa mga international zoo ang ating Manila Zoo.”
“Pangalawa, yung elepante po natin ay umabot na sa kanyang lifespan which is 40-45 years in captivity. So namatay po ang ating elepante sa old age at hindi po dahil sa kanyang enclosure,” Marino added.
The PRB chief also stressed that Manila Zoo has a very diverse flora so that pollution in the metro area is never a factor or a problem.
An official from the Manila social welfare department meanwhile said that the senator was also wrong when he stated in his press release; “a similar case – the transfer of the Manila Boys Town also to the province of Rizal… He pointed out that the institution remained under the management of Manila city government. “So the name ‘Manila Zoo’ can be retained,”
On this, the official said: “ang Boystown na nasa Marikina ay hindi transferred. Donated land ‘yun for the City of Manila.”
Earlier, Mayor Honey Lacuna herself countered Tolentino by stressing that transfering Manila Zoo to the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal is not part of the city government’s plans for the zoo which she said is already in the works way before.
She maintained that the zoo is part of Manila’s heritage and rich history and stressed that the city wants 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.”
