The world-famous Philippine National Aquarium (PNA) has opened its doors to visitors for the first time, as it seeks to attract tourists and help the country recover from the devastating Typhoon Haiyan.
More than 500 species of fish and fish species have been released into the waters of the tropical country after an international campaign to recover the islands devastated by the storm, which also left more than 70,000 people dead.
It has been five years since the storm hit, with the Philippines now in the throes of recovery.
The country is in the midst of a rebuilding program after Typhoon Haiya left nearly 100,000 dead and left thousands of villages completely destroyed.PNA President Robert Gaitan said the fish and other aquatic animals have been freed from the aquarium and will be moved to other parks across the country, while visitors will be able to visit the aquarium’s “bioluminescent fish” exhibit.
Gaitan’s PNA is seeking donations to help rebuild the country’s devastated economy, and the country is hoping to raise $50 million in the coming weeks, he said.
The PNA opened in 2004 with about 5,000 animals including the world’s longest-living fish, the long-finned carp, and a total of about 60 species of birds and mammals.
The aquarium has an exhibition of marine mammals, including dolphins, dolphins, sharks, porpoises and whales, and other marine life, including marine mammals that have never been seen in the wild.
The fish and animals will be used for education and research purposes and will also be kept in reserve.
Pena, which was founded by a Japanese billionaire, has been hailed as a “mega-world institution” by The New York Times and CNN, and has been touted as a potential model for other countries to follow.
Its president, Robert Gaito, said the aquarium had been inundated with donations since the typhoon hit, but he had also seen an outpouring of interest from the public.
“There was such a huge demand for the aquarium to reopen,” Gaiton said.
“It was really a wonderful response, and I am sure it will continue to grow in the future.”
We are very excited to open the doors of the aquarium.
The Philippines has also been hit by a devastating earthquake in April that killed more than 17,000.”
We want to offer a more natural environment for the animals to live in, as well as provide an educational environment for people to learn about fish and marine life,” he said, adding that he hoped the aquarium would help create jobs.
The Philippines has also been hit by a devastating earthquake in April that killed more than 17,000.