The New Manila Zoo will be re-opened to the public on November 15, 2022, in time for the Christmas season and while it will no longer be free, special discounts will be enjoyed by Manilans, senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).
Mayor Honey Lacuna announced this, as she said that the Manila City Council headed by Vice Mayor and Council Presiding Officer Yul Servo-Nieto will come up with a city ordinance that will govern the regulations of the Manila Zoo.
Under the rates proposed by parks and recreations bureau and Zoo director Pio Morabe, the admission fee for Manilans is P150 while for non-Manilans, the price of tickets per head is pegged at P250.
Lacuna said that the city government has opened the zoo free of charge from January to June, where the promenaders were even given a chance to get vaccinated. On those days, Morabe said that at least 10,000 visitors paid the zoo a visit on a normal day when its was opened from January to June.
The lady mayor sid that the fees that will be in effect will still be considerably small compared to the fees in other zoos.
According to the mayor, she, Morabe and the city council will have to finalize the pricing of tickets for persons with disability and the senior citizens.
The planned one-day ‘free pass’ for senior citizens will push through, similar to the free movie passes they get from theater operators in the city.
Meanwhile, Morabe said that the visitors may register and pay via online in order to avoid overcrowding at the payment booth of the zoo.
He 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 zoo, Morabe said, is in the process of importing more animals and it features first-class glass enclosures that give the visitors a better look at the animals upclose. (Baby Cuevas)
