Sunday, October 12, 2008 Fr. Tropa's volunteer returns to take charge of city's zoo By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
LEAVING behind a job in an international company in exchange for a government position that pays just a portion of your previous salary is a decision many would think of as unwise.
But not for Giovanni Romarate, 41, who travels from his home in the mountain barangay of Cantipla at 5 a.m. each day to his work as manager of the Cebu City Zoo in Barangay Kalunasan.
He said that at P6,000 a month, his wage is but a “fraction” of what he used to receive while working for a foreign-owned company operating in Cebu.
But his passion for animals made him decide to accept the offer of City Veterinarian Alice Utlang.
Being with animals is not alien to him, though, as he was introduced to them at such a young age, his father being an animal lover.
As a teen, he worked in the same zoo while it was still managed by Fr. Eleuterio Tropa, who headed a back-to-nature community.
He stayed with the zoo even until Tropa died, before looking for a job to support his family.
Last April, his passion for animals got the better of him.
Admitting that the number of animals has significantly dwindled compared when Tropa was around, he still takes pride in the facility, saying it is a place where families can bond with their children.
Aside from birds, pythons, fishes, crocodiles, monkeys, and even chickens, the newest addition to the zoo is a 160- to 170-pound, two-year-old Bengal tiger he named “Bogart.”
A pair of sheep, he said, was given by Jojo Cañete of Barangay Labangon, while the tiger was donated by a couple, whom he said wanted to be known only as Will and Joy.
Romarate said the zoo is in dire need of cages, and asked for well-to-do individuals and even companies who wish to help by donating cages or providing materials.
He and several volunteers, many of whom worked in the zoo with Tropa and with whom he had established contacts, had just finished constructing one cage.
“We have a welding machine and we can take care of the labor,” he said, showing Sun.Star Cebu a thumb injured during the cage’s construction.
He said many have pledged to donate animals, but he had to put them on hold because of the lack of cages. (Those interested to help can reach him at 0917-6062832. Interested donors could also reach Utlang through telephone numbers 422-6708, 2324483, or 2335675.)
Many were seen yesterday at the zoo, whose upkeep, Romarate said, needs more hands.
Only him, a worker from the City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries and two from the Office of the Mayor are charged with maintaining the zoo.
Four Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau volunteers were assigned to the facility to clean the place and feed the animals.
Romarate said they have not yet asked for an entrance fee, which is pegged at P10 for children under 12 and P25 for the rest. However, they do accept donations.
‘Neglected’
He said he is grateful that City Government officials are supportive of the zoo. He cited Utlang, who visited the zoo as early as 7 a.m. yesterday just to check on its needs.
And while the City has allocated funds for the zoo, Romarate said they still need cages and at least 25 chickens per day as food for Bogart.
He also hopes the ongoing conflict between the Cebu City Government and the Province over the ownership of the lot where the zoo sits will be resolved soon.
Last Sept. 1, the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) approved a resolution withdrawing and terminating the authority of the Cebu City Zoo from using portion of the seven-hectare, Capitol-owned lot in Kalunasan.
PB Member Agnes Magpale said the city zoo should be phased out and replaced with a women’s crisis center since the zoo is apparently “neglected.”
Romarate, who admitted unease in answering political questions, said he is doing what he can, even donating to the zoo his own animals.
A first
One night heron, which he said Cebuanos mistook for the “kikik” that spooks children at night, has built a nest. He hopes it will lay an egg soon, something that will be “a first” for the zoo.
He has a vision for the zoo, like having guided tours for Cebuanos and visitors alike, as many of the animals in the facility are endemic to Cebu and the country.
“Kaning zoo para ni sa tanan… Daghan, dili lang bata hasta mga tigulang, wala kaila sa mga wildlife nato. Ang zoo, para sa komunidad, para sa pamilya, ang kinahanglan suporta (The zoo is for everyone… and a lot of us are not familiar with native animals. The facility is for the community, for the family, and it needs their support),” he said.
Ultimately, the fate of the animals, much like that of squatters in their makeshift dwellings, lies in the hands of government leaders, he said.
