02 October 2007 - A new world-class tourism destination being constructed just behind the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park in Manila will be opened to the public before Christmas.

"This will be comparable to the famous Sentosa Underwater World in Singapore ," said Tina Mistica Santos, marketing manager of the Manila Ocean Park . "We position it to be the best and most admired destination for tourism, education, dining and shopping."

Being built by a group of Malaysian and Singaporean investors at a cost of over P1 billion, Manila Ocean Park will be the first world-class marine themed park in the country when it opens on December 15, according to Armi Ruby Marie Cortes, the vice president for sales and marketing of the project.

"It is going to be more than P1 billion," Santos said, referring to the total cost of the three-hectare project, which includes an 8,000-square-meter oceanarium, a 150-room boutique hotel, a mall, a row of 30 restaurants, an activity area, open water marine habitats, multi-purpose function facilities and a parking lot for more than 500 cars.

Santos said China Oceanis Philippines Inc. will also operate the project once completed. She said this is the same company that operates two underwater theme parks in China .

Company president Lim Chee Yong said Manila Ocean Park will be the first of its kind in the Philippines and will showcase the country as a center of marine biodiversity in the world.

Santos said the first phase of the project, which involves the oceanarium and an activity area called Concourse Plaza , will be completed by December, and the company is now recruiting more than 20 tour guides.

The oceanarium, described as a magnificent glass and steel structure, will feature a 25-meter long, 220-degree curved acrylic walkway tunnel, where guests can view the country's different marine species. Five other display tanks will be installed.

She said some 12,000 cubic meters of water from the Manila Bay will be pumped into the theme park each day through advanced filtration technologies.

The second phase, which involves the hotel and mall, is expected to open by April 2008 while the Open Water Marine Habitat will be completed by July 2008.

About 60 of the hotel rooms will have an uninterrupted view of the spectacular Manila Bay sunset while other rooms will have a wall-size aquarium.

"We expect some 1.5 million individuals to visit Manila Ocean Park in 2008," Santos said, adding that a visit will take two to four hours, if visitors view all the water tanks and carefully read all the visual support and the multi-media presentation.

On a daily basis, more than 3,000 guests, including foreign visitors, are expected to visit the Manila Ocean Park , with ticket prices ranging from P350 for children and P400 for adults.

Santos said the more than 150 workers are presently involved in the construction of the project, while the company will hire more than 1,000 staff for the actual operation.

Ma. Victoria V. Jasmin, director of the Office of Tourism Standards, said Manila Ocean Park is among the largest projects approved by the Department of Tourism as early as 2005.

The Board of Investments has earlier approved the project for fiscal incentives, upon the endorsement of the tourism department.

As a pioneer project, the theme park will get fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, including a six-year income tax holiday. Roderick T. dela Cruz