THE Cebu Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Office (CWRCPO), formerly known as Cebu City Zoo, will be turned into an amusement park once the Provincial Government assumes ownership of it.
The zoo was abandoned last Tuesday, September 13, with no personnel left to work after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña decided not to renew the work contracts of zoo personnel.
Osmeña said earlier that the facility will be included in the land swap deal with the Cebu Provincial Government.
Once the Province assumes the zoo ownership, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said it will be renovated into an amusement park, adding that the animals will be still be kept there.
"We will turn the zoo into an amusement park. Okay nami anang Cebu Zoo, not necessarily a zoo but himoon nato ug maayo nga amusement park (We will convert it into an amusement park)," he said.
Davide clarified, though, that he is not yet sure if the personnel will be retained once the zoo will be transferred to the Province. He said it needs to be studied and checked.
"Ato tan-awon pa pud kay tun-anan sab na (We will study and check on it). I haven't met Dr. (Pilar) Romero, unya na lang tingali ni after she have already finalized everything. If there will already be an agreement between the Province and the City, then that is the time that we will take actions," he said.
Romero is the facility’s officer-in-charge.
When asked about Cebu City's traffic, Davide agreed that the city is one of the worst to drive in.
"Tinuod na, even mayor Osmeña admitted it (That's true. Even Mayor Osmena admitted it), so we really need to change our discipline on this, especially sa mga commuters, drivers and to everybody, and in fact, mao ni ang gikuan sa Mega Cebu pud kaning traffic problem so this requires cooperation and support of all. This is not the problem of LGUs, problema nato ning tanan (This is our problem)," Davide said.
Last Wednesday, September 14, Cebu City was tagged as the world’s “least satisfying” metropolis to drive based on the Waze global driver satisfaction index.
Davide said the ranking will definitely cause inconvenience for the tourists, but it will not affect Cebu's tourism.
He urged the public to be more disciplined and more cooperative, especially in observing traffic rules. (Samuel Carlve Saberon, USJR intern/Sunnex)