The old man and the Bay

The old man and the Bay

It was a drizzly Monday morning when Manong Doc Bautista went fishing. Wearing a sweater over a T-shirt, he did not mind the chilly winds along Manila Bay.

Mang Doc is from Boracay and went to Manila to work in the recent years. Now at the age of 73, he admitted that he can’t still go home to his hometown. “Ang layo, eh. Dito na lang muna ako.”

He loves fishing in the Manila Bay. “Naglalaro lang kami eh. Hanggang mamaya pa kaming alas-dose dito. Wala namang ginagawa eh. Wala nang trabaho,” he said as he smiled.

He caught two fishes from the bay: A Kanduli (the bigger fish) and a Pigaon.

(Mary Anne Po Lonto)

First oceanarium in RP to open soon

[UPDATE] RP’s first Oceanarium to rise in Rizal Park

by Mary Anne Po Lonto

MANILA, Philippines -- Patrons of Rizal Park will now have something to look forward to as the construction of the Manila Ocean Park, the country’s first oceanarium, is underway.

Located near the Quirino Grandstand, the construction site was once the Luneta Boardwalk platform. According to a Manila Times report, the 1.2-hectare Manila Ocean Park will consist of an oceanarium, a landscaped pavilion, a marine discovery park, shops, a mall, a boardwalk and a food court featuring Southeast Asian cuisines.

Construction Site (once the Luneta Boardwalk platform) Mary Anne Po Lonto

Facing the Manila Bay, the project started in the latter months of former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza's term and continues today under Mayor Alfredo Lim. This three-storey Ocean Park aims to strengthen the country’s tourism industry with its state-of-the-art complex and facilities.

The project was proposed by China Oceanis Philippines Inc. with Singaporean, Malaysian, Chinese and Australian investors.

Some construction workers said Korean contractors also assist in the construction, specifically the tunnel that is supposed to simulate the experience of walking underwater. This construct is similar to the one found in Sentosa Park in Singapore.

Underwater tunnel in Sentosa Singapore that will be similar to the one being constructed in the site (Sentosa Golf Club website)

One of the site’s construction workers said the project is targeted for completion in December. When asked about who owns the construction site, he said in Filipino: “It is near completion. A private company heads the construction. Maybe after some years they will hand it (the Ocean Park) to the government.”

The Manila Ocean Park is targeted for opening in February 2008.

“Many children will be glad about this park. I also heard that there is an entrance fee. I just hope that it will not be too expensive,” the worker said.

The father of a family of four walking around the Rizal Park agreed that the ocean park would be a great project.

“My family comes here every weekend to jog and when we heard about it, we became excited,” he said. “It would definitely be something new to us. We won’t just have to come here to just exercise anymore, my children can also learn about marine life.”