The Philippines may be the center of marine diversity in the world, but ironically, the country doesn’t have an oceanarium to boast of, like the ones in Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan.

"Better late than never," remarked Robert Dean Barbers, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager, as the country is set to open its first world-class marine park in December.
The Php1.2 -billion Manila Ocean Park, located behind the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park in Manila, is the world’s first marine theme park to adopt a "fusion concept", housing an oceanarium, a mall, a boutique hotel and open marine habitats.  "All over the world, people have been saying that our country is the center of marine biodiversity. This is the time to be proud and show the world what we have," Barbers said.

The Biggest in Asia

Manila Ocean Park president Lim Chee Yong proudly said that the marine park would be among the most advanced ocean parks in Asia. It could also well be one of the biggest in Asia with an area larger than the famous Sentosa oceanarium in Singapore.

"Sentosa is 6,000 square meters while this one is 8,000 square meters," Lim said. He also compared the Manila Ocean Park with Hong Kong Ocean Park adding that although it has lots of fun rides, "the Hong Kong Ocean Park showcases a smaller oceanarium." 

The Oceanarium will feature more than 20,000 marine inhabitants of approximately 300 species. And unlike other oceanariums in Asia, the Manila Ocean Park will be getting marine species from our own waters. 

"The park aims to combine education with entertainment," said Barbers. "One of the main thrusts of Manila Ocean Park is to promote awareness about marine conservation and preservation." 

A memorandum of agreement was signed recently by the Manila Ocean Park and the Department of Education (DepEd) to develop a comprehensive school program and an advocacy campaign dubbed "Love for Marine Life" to be included in the curriculum of students in Grade 3 and 4. 

"We expect some 1.5 million visitors to Manila Ocean Park in 2008," said Tina Santos, Manila Ocean Park marketing manager. 

A team of marine biologists and scientists has been working together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in putting together the various aquariums. She added that the park would not include protected and endangered species. 

On a daily basis, an appoximately 10,000 guests can be accommodated in the park. Aside from providing jobs to 2,000 Filipinos, the project would earn the government Php 20 million annually in rental fees.
 

A Deeper Experience

The Manila Ocean Park’s Oceanarium promises a "deeper experience" as it features an assortment of colorful fishes and invertebrates indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia contained in 12,000 cubic meters of seawater.

The Oceanarium journey is divided into six sections and each section will carry a Filipino name: "Agos"; "Bahura"; "Buhay na Karagatan"; "Pating"; "Ang Kailaliman"; and "Laot". 

replicates the water flow from a fresh water source that eventually leads to the open ocean, creating a model of interconnectedness between land and sea. 

It then takes one through the different depths of the sea showcasing each area’s beautiful and natural inhabitants.

Its main attraction is a 25-meter long, 220 degree curved acrylic walkway tunnel. Visitors will be exploring the secrets of the ocean and surrounded by such underwater wonders without actually getting wet.

The Oceanarium also has a multi-purpose hall which will house interactive multi-media educational exhibits and capable of hosting various functions.

After the journey, one can enjoy a sumptuous meal at "Tagpuan", an al fresco dining facility. Entrance fees will range between Php 200 (for students) to Php 400.
 

More Attractions

Aside from the Oceanarium, Manila Ocean Park will have a marine–themed mall and a boutique hotel, which are scheduled to open late next year. The mall will feature new and unique shops that are not commonly found in other malls and a unique restaurant row located at the rear of the facility, alongside a promenade that offers an unobstructed view of the Manila Bay. This part of the park is free and accessible to the public.

The 120-room hotel will also have a marine theme. Rooms facing the bay will have an uninterrupted view of the ocean and the renowned Manila Bay sunset, while others will have one wall of aquarium in the privacy of their own room, which will be a first-of-its-kind in the world. 

The Concourse Plaza, located at the main entrance of the park is the central activity area for the facility. This is where various big events will take place throughout the year.

For those who would like to snorkel or even dive without having to go to far-flung places, the two Open Water Marine Habitats will give you that exact experience. This facility is scheduled to open in April 2008.

Manila Ocean Park is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc., a Singaporean-registered firm that has operated four oceanariums in China.
 

MANILA, Philippines -- Imagine going to Manila Bay and coming face-to-face with a shark or even a school of fierce barracudas.
Come December, this awesome scene would be experienced by Filipinos -- adults and children alike -- with the completion of the Manila Ocean Park just behind the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.

The ocean park, a P1-billion project of Singaporean and Malaysian investors, is the first world-class marine park to adopt a “fusion concept,” according to Manila Ocean Park president Lim Chee Yong.  Lim said the concept entailed bringing together an oceanarium, a mall, a boutique hotel, a restaurant row and open marine habitats -- where marine enthusiasts could learn to swim and dive with the fishes.  “The park will house the first and largest aquarium facility in the Philippines,” Lim announced during a walking tour with the media Wednesday at the site.

He said that both the oceanarium and the open marine habitats would contain 12,000 cubic meters of seawater featuring 300 marine species indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Larger than Sentosa’s
Lim proudly said that the Manila Ocean Park would be among the most advanced ocean parks in Asia -- with an area larger than the famous Sentosa oceanarium in Singapore.

“Sentosa is 6,000 square meters while this one is 8,000 sqm,” Lim said. He also compared Manila’s upcoming marine park with Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, “which has lots of fun rides but showcases a smaller oceanarium.”
 

Species from Philippine waters
Robert Dean Barbers, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager, said that unlike other oceanariums in Asia, the Manila Ocean Park would be getting marine species from Philippine waters.

“All over the world, people have been saying that our country is the center of marine biodiversity,” Barbers said.
“This is the time to be proud and show the world what we have,” the PTA head said.

Lim said the project would be composed of three phases, with the oceanarium as the first phase. It would be completed and opened to the public this December.  “The second phase, which includes the marine-themed mall and the hotel, and the third phase, the open marine habitats, would be completed next year,” Lim said.
 

Entrance fee
He said the Manila Ocean Park would be affordable to all -- P250 for students, and P350 to P400 for regular patrons.

Aside from providing jobs to 2,000 Filipinos, the project would enable the government to earn P20 million annually in rental fees. “After 5 years, there would be an incremental increase of 5 or 10 percent per year. We would also get a share from the income,” Barbers said.

During the walking tour conducted as a “sneak peek” for the media, officials and personnel of the Manila Ocean Park showed the different parts of the oceanarium, now 80 percent complete.  The “oceanarium journey” is divided into six sections, each one carrying a Filipino name to exhibit national pride, according to the park’s vice president Cristina Romualdez.

The first section, called Agos (Flow), features a rainforest-theme with eight tanks containing freshwater species.

“This part of the oceanarium -- the only open area in the facility -- shows the interconnectedness between the water and land,” Romualdez said. Agos would also feature an artificial waterfall and a touch pool, where children could interact with creatures such as starfish and shrimps.

The next section, called Bahura or the Reef, would exhibit artificial corals in 48 tanks, complete with their scientific and common names, and their roles in the ecosystem. Laot (Fishing Ground), on the other hand, would feature big fish and Eagle-spotted rays in a long tank.
 

Main attraction
The main attraction of the oceanarium is a 25-meter long walkway tunnel with 220-degree curved acrylic walls.

“Other oceanarium tunnels only have 180-degree curved walls. The Manila Ocean Park tunnel in effect, would give patrons a better viewing experience,” Romualdez said.  She said one wall of the tunnel would feature corals and small fishes, while the other wall would exhibit big fishes like sharks and rays.

A school of barracudas would be seen swimming in a large tank at the Kalaliman (The Deep) section of the oceanarium. There would also be a shark tank and an overhead aquarium featuring the breathtaking beauty of rays, Romualdez said.
 

Educational facility
“We are largely an educational facility. As much as possible, we want to promote the conservation and preservation of marine species,” Romualdez said, pointing out that the park has been working very closely with government agencies such as the Department of Education and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

She said the Manila Ocean Park would not include protected and endangered species such as whale sharks and other sea mammals.

A team of marine biologists and scientists has been working to ensure that the types of fish put together could live well with each other in the tanks, Romualdez said.  “We are very careful about the fish display. We are aware that we have a responsibility also -- both to the public and the environment,” she said.

Manila Ocean Park is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc., a Singaporean-registered firm that has operated four oceanariums in China.

The construction of the country’s first ever world-class Oceanarium Park will start as soon as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issues its clearance, and the city of Manila the building permit, according to Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) General Manager and chief executive officer Robert Dean Barbers.

Barbers said the project which may start construction next month stands to benefit the Filipino people in terms of job opportunity, boosting tourism and helping the country’s economic growth.
He said the beauty of the project is that it has no sovereign guarantee, "meaning the Philippine government will not answer for the losses of the investors."
In May, the PTA has bagged a US$20- million investment for the country by entering into an agreement with the China Oceanis Group Ltd. (COGL), a Malaysian-Chinese consortium for the construction of a world-class Walk-thru Oceanarium, to be located at the back of the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta Park.

Under the 25-year lease period, the COGL, will develop an Oceanarium which will showcase thousands of local marine species, dining facilities, maritime discovery walk and promenade areas.

Signatories were Barbers and COGL’s chairman Andrew Lee.
COGL will construct a Bay Pavilion that will feature retail shops, restaurants, and a plaza for special events.
The proponents will also develop the area in front of the boardwalk into a park and open the same to the general public for free.

"Our efforts to convince foreign business to invest in the country’s growing tourism industry have finally reaped its rewards. The PTA is one of the first government agencies to bag such profitable deal with a foreign investor,’’ Barbers said.

"The infusion of foreign investment into the country speaks more forcefully of the domestic economic environment than any other medium. This is one such investment,’’ he added.
The project also envisions to educate environmental awareness of the country’s marine life, research and conservation.
The project will be done in three phases. The main project is the transformation of the platform into an Oceanarium with a complementary Bay Pavilion.

The Oceanarium is a 1.2 million gallon aquarium that will showcase various marine life like sharks, stingrays and tropical fishes. It will have an acrylic walkthrough tunnel where people can have the experience of walking underwater with fishes swimming all around them.

The Bay Pavilion, a multi-level complex will house retail stores that complement the Oceanarium as well as estalishments that will showcase the best of Philippine cuisine, arts and crafts.
Phase II is the creation of a sandy beach along the existing breakwater in the Landside facing the Platform and the transformation of the water sea between the Platform and the breakwater into a self-contained swimming pool area for the public.

Phase III is the transformation of the current park on the Landslide into an Ocean Discovery Center.
It will have various pool ponds that will have stingrays and star fish which the public can touch.
Construction period for the entire project is one-and-a-half years.

The boardwalk has been idle for quite sometime after the previous administration spent close to R289 million of its unfinished project.
However, the government is set to earn R927 million worth of investments with a rental rate of R16.5 million with upward adjustments every five years.

The construction of the country's first ever world-class Oceanarium Park envisions to educate the people about the country's marine life, research and conservation and environmenta awareness.

The Oceanarium is a 1.2 million gallon aquarium that will showcase various marine life like sharks, stingrays and tropical fishes. It will have an acrylic walkthrough tunnel where people can have the experience of walking underwater with fishes swimming all around them.

The Bay Pavillion, a multi-level complex will house retail stores that complement the Oceanarium as well as establishments that will showcase the best of Philippine cuisine, arts, and crafts.

Phase II is the creation of a sandy beach along the existing breakwater in the Landside facing the Platform and the transformation of the water sea between the Platform into a self-contained swimming pool area for the public.

Phase II is the transformation of the current park on the Landslide into an Ocean Discovery Center. It will have various pool ponds that will have stingrays and star fish which the public can touch.

Construction period for the entire project is one-and-a-half years

IN LESS than two years, Metro Manilans will be able to enjoy interacting with dolphins, sea turtles and other marine life in an ocean park at the Boardwalk behind the Quirino Grandstand in the Manila Bay area.

The foreign-funded park costing about $20 million is similar to those found in Hong Kong and Singapore.
The Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with the Chinese and Malaysian consortium China Oceanis Group Ltd. (COGL) for the building of the Manila Ocean Park.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was on hand to witness the signing between PTA Chairman Robert Dean Barbers and COGL's Lim Chee Yung.
Under the agreement, the COGL was given a 25-year lease to some parts of the PTA-owned Manila Boardwalk, and will shoulder the cost of building the facilities for the park which is expected to be open by December 2006.

Among the features of the park are open marine habitat facilities, dolphin feeding activities, a sea 
turtle area, a cactus garden and even a swimming area. The COGL would also build a plaza for special events and areas for shops and restaurants. They will also develop the park located in front of the Boardwalk.

The consortium will also pay a yearly rent of P16.5 million, with an upward adjustment every five years. Barbers hailed the project as a major coup for the country because it is expected not only to enhance local and foreign tourism and to generate jobs for some 2,000 Filipinos, but to pave the way for further infrastructure development.

COGL director Lim Chee Yung said the park would also be used to advance the cause of marine environment protection.
And since a swimming area and snorkeling activities would also be available at the park, the consortium would be cleaning the murky waters around the Manila Boardwalk.

A P1-billion marine theme park will soon make a big splash at the former Boardwalk area along Manila Bay.
The theme park will include a “tunnel walk” through a giant aquarium.

The former Boardwalk area is now the site of busy construction activities for the much-awaited Manila Ocean Park, scheduled to open to the public on Dec. 15 this year.
Manila’s very own “Ocean Park” is envisioned to rival those in Hong Kong, Bangkok, the United States and other places that have become certified tourist attractions.

The construction of the proposed Manila Ocean Park is being supervised by the Singapore-Chinese firm China Oceanis Group Ltd., which plans to have a two-level oceanarium and a “Concourse Plaza” that will serve as a bazaar and restaurant by the end of the year.

Poon Choon Hai, the construction head of the Manila Ocean Park, has expressed confidence in meeting the target completion of Phase I of the project by yearend.
“We are on schedule,” Hai told The STAR in an interview. Hai revealed that the acrylic fish tank for the 25-meter tunnel walk wherein a visitor can walk through and see fish and other sea creatures swimming above, is already in place.

“The work is progressing very smoothly,” Hai smiled. 
“We think that the park would be a pleasant Christmas surprise for Filipinos,” he said.
The China Oceanis Group boasts of expertise in marine theme park construction development, having constructed a total of five such landmarks – four in China and one in India. 
The group was behind the construction of the Chong Qing Xinao Underwater World, the Qin Huang Dao Xinao Underwater World, the Tai Ping Yang Underwater World and the Nanjing Underwater World, all in China, and the Sahara Star Hotel in India. 

George Lim, curatorial head of the Manila Ocean Park, is excited, saying the Manila Ocean Park will be unique since it will feature the Philippines’ diverse marine life.
“We’ll try to get all the best ones that can be found in Philippine waters,” Lim said.

Tropical oceanarium
The main feature of the Manila Ocean Park is the state-of-the-art oceanarium that will be filled with colorful tropical fish of various species and invertebrates indigenous to the Philippines. 
The state-of-the-art facility will have a transparent acrylic-made tunnel to provide visitors with the experience of walking underwater and viewing sea creatures. 
For the Concourse Plaza, it was learned that there was a proposed construction of a three-story Bay Pavilion, with a 15,566-square meter floor area, which will have retail shops, souvenir shops, restaurant facilities and a plaza for special shows and activities.

The top of the pavilion will be open, with especially designed tarpaulin roofing, to house a big food court offering Filipino and Southeast Asian cuisines. 
Meanwhile, the Marine Discovery Park will be landscaped with fountains and marine life. 
Phase 2 of the development includes the construction of a shopping mall and a hotel in the complex.
Hai said they target to complete the mall and hotel by April 2008. 

Phase 3 involves the construction of an “open water habitat” which is mainly a man-made lake that can offer scuba diving for adventurous visitors.
The open-water habitat is scheduled for completion by July next year. 
It was learned that the seawater for the various tanks housing the seawater creatures would be taken from Manila Bay.

Ronnie Pangan, Manila Ocean Park marketing officer, said huge investments were made just to procure state-of-the-art equipment to filter the Manila Bay seawater and ensure good quality for the survival of the sea creatures and make it acceptable for use in the tanks. 
Pangan said as much as 12,000 cubic meters of Manila Bay seawater would be required for the tanks of the park.
Among the creatures to be housed in the tanks are barracudas, sharks, and rare and still largely unknown seawater fish found in Philippine waters.

Pangan gave assurance that the ticket price for admission in the park would be affordable.
“We have to make it affordable because we also want to make the park accessible to everybody, whether they be foreign or local tourists,” he said.