ARK AVILON 2009

Ark Avilon

AVILON had its un seeming beginnings when Mr. Jake Gaw, an avid animal hobbyist who,at the age of four had his first encounter with animals while staying at his grandpa’s farm in Sta. Ana,Manila (still quite rural then) mingled among goats, cows, pigs and chickens at the farm. This initial encounter would make such a lasting impression on young Jake that he carried his interest in animals from then on. Thus, from guppies and budgies, Jake over the years extended and expanded his interest and collection to arapaimas and eagles and lions and macaques, pythons,etc.

Mr. Jake Gaw – owner of Avilon zoo

There are two, so to say, crossroads in the history of AVILON. The FIRST was when Jake had to transfer his pet lion to a new home, because his neighbors were concerned about the presence of a full-grown male lion living amongst them inside a subdivision. This search for a new home to house IO led Jake to the scenic countryside of San Isidro, Montalban (later to be called Rodriguez) in the Province of Rizal where he decided to build a weekend place for his family and, of course,home to his other pets. It was 1992.

By 1994, the land within AVILON had been leveled and the concrete hollow block perimeter walls finished. Several man-made lagoons and ponds were then excavated, and the Big Lagoon where the Pavilion now stands is the largest, comprising an area of 3,000 square meters. Construction of animal exhibits followed, starting off with the Corrals where hoofed animals are being kept, the Multi-Purpose Building (now the Herpetarium) and the Hexagonal Birdcages (now the Avian Exhibit), followed by the Crocodiles and the Hornbills enclosures,and many more.

Avilon had also a big collection of exotic palms, orchids, bromeliads and trees aside from the animals from all over the country and the world.

PROPERTY DEVELOPER Ortigas & Co. Ltd. Partnership has added a zoo as one of the newest attractions in its children’s corridor in Frontera Verde, Pasig.

Ortigas Chief Operating Officer Rex C. Drilon II said “The zoo is meant to add to the wholesome family oriented experience Frontera Verde was built to offer.”

Mr. Drilon said the P24 million, two-storey ark-shaped structure sits on a 2,000-square-meter lot, which is home to over a dozen of animal species.

“The idea of the ark/mini zoo was born here,” in an interview, Zoo Administrator Jake Gaw said.

giant gourami

“The Ortigases were trying to come up with innovative developments for Frontera [Verde]. The original idea was to have a mini zoo and since I had Avilon Zoo in Montalban, I said, ’why not build an ark?,’” he added.

Mr. Gaw said that the Noah’s Ark-inspired structure was born out of a collaboration with Ortigas Technical Planning Manager Art Alcantara.

Avilon Zoo contact information:
Ms. Teena Gaw at 0917-8311224 or call 9418393 and 9489866
Bo. San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal
Tel. Nos.: (632) 941-8393 * (632) 948-9866 (63917) 899-5126
Fax: (632) 941-8530
Entrance Fee: Php208.00 or $5.00/person

Ark Avilon
Weekdays 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Weekends & Holidays 10:00 am to 7:30pm

Frontera Verde Ortigas Avenue Corner C5, Pasig City
Telephone Nos. (+632) 706-2992/ 706-2993

(oct 13,2009)

MANILA OCEANARIUM 2009

The Manila Ocean Park ( MOP) is an oceanarium at the back of Quirino grandstand in Manila . It is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc., a Singaporean-registered firm that has operated four oceanariums in China .

There is also a hotel called H20, restaurants, souvenir shops and a place to find relaxation and watch the famous Manila bay sunset.

garoupa – lapu-lapu

Operating Hours

Manila Ocean Park is open from 10am – 9pm, Mondays through Sundays. Special tours may be requested and booked earlier than tour schedules.

Entrance Fee

The Entrance Fee for adults is PHP400 (approximately US$10) and PHP350 (approximately US$9) for children.

Security Checks

Everyone entering the Park is subject to a security check. Bags, parcels and/or items shall undergo inspection before entry.

Photography 

Flash photography is not allowed as this scares the marine animals. Photography, videotaping, recording of any kind, broadcast or transmission for commercial purposes is not allowed.

Guests with Special Needs

Guests of Manila Ocean Park requiring special assistance can bring their own wheelchairs to the Park. Guests bringing in small children may be allowed to use their strollers inside the Oceanarium. A limited number of wheelchairs and strollers may be rented for a nominal fee at the entrance.

Personal Conduct

Interactive kiosks and projections, as well as educational materials and other equipment, have been installed within the Manila Ocean Park to enhance the learning experience. Guests are free to use the equipment under minimal supervision; however, it is expected that care shall be taken during its use.

First Aid 

First Aid Stations are available at the front desk and second floor activity center.

The Manila Ocean Park is located behind the Quirino Grandstand, in Luneta, Manila. 

For more information, contact +(632) 567.7777 and +(632) 567 2309

(oct 13 2009)

MERALCO MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP CENTER FOUNDATION 2009

MMLDC is short for Meralco Management & Leadership Development Center located in  Kilometer 27 Sumulong Highwayin Antipolo, Rizal province.

But to thousands of others that have benefited from its programs, there is so much more to the 10-hectare expanse.

MMLDC started as an internal training facility for the 6,000- plus workforce of Meralco, including contractors, partners and managers. The utility was then undergoing a spate of transformation coming out of the 1980s and 1990s.

Before , Meralco conducts  a lot of out-of-town training; practically every week we were doing team building, living out of our suitcases . Then the management decided to  set up our own center to make it more convenient for the employees and the participants.

Manuel L. Lopez tarpaulin

On August 9, 1999, MMLDC was formally established, with the Academic Hall as the first structure to be opened. By 2000, the buzz was out about the new training center, with people from other companies requesting to rent the venue for their own training activities.

group photo

Social responsibility

As an educational foundation, MLDC’s stated vision is to create a brighter future through institutions and individuals who manifest and promote social responsibility through its five advocacies: ethical leadership, quality management, technical excellence, environmental stewardship, and safety and wellness practices.

In 2006, the corporate training and academic services programs were beefed up to complement the teambuilding programs, considered the centers bread and butter.

The big compound had old mango trees with huge Platycerium grande, bromeliad, tillandsias , orchids mounted on living trees in landscaped garden setting.

There were a lot of exotic bird  collection like parrots, budgerigars , peacocks, pigeons . There is a (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or Hyacinthine Macaw or Hyacinth Macaw which is reputed on e of the rarest bird in the world which is endangered in the wild .

me with a common green parrot

The Hyacinth Macaw is an endangered species due to over collection for the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Annual grass fires set by farmers can destroy nest trees, and regions previously inhabited by this macaw are now unsuitable due to cattle-ranching, forest destruction , pet trade etc…

There was a short bird show which was duly reserved for the visiting POS members . The captive parrots and their trainers entertained the visitors . At the end of the bird show – the handlers let the visitors handle the parrot.

The group also went to a small museum and a gift shop within the compound.The foundation is ideal for social functions like seminars, filed trip, corporate parties etc…

tranvia replica

Contact information:
Location : Km 27 Sumulong Highway,Antipolo City , Rizal
Telephone 632-8111/696 -3051
Telefax 696-1027/26

(SEPTEMBER 24, 2009)