Cebu Zoo: City gov’t pushes P300M, 5-year redevelopment plan

In 2023, the Cebu City Government allocated P5 million for the facility's construction

Cebu City plans to revive the old zoo in Barangay Kalunasan as a wildlife conservation and education center.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A multi-million peso project is set for revival as the Cebu City government pushes forward with an estimated P300-million plan to transform the Cebu City Zoo into a modern wildlife conservation and protection center.

The seven-hectare facility in Barangay Kalunasan, initially rebranded as the Cebu City Eco-Park in 2023 under then-Mayor Michael Rama, was left idle following its ceremonial groundbreaking.

Now, under Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s administration, the project has been given a five-year development timeline with renewed funding and private-sector partnerships.

The city government envisions the Cebu City Wildlife Conservation and Protection Center as a sanctuary for rescued animals and an educational hub.

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Lawyer Gerry Carillo, vice chairperson of the Eco-Park Management, said in a press conference on February 19, 2025, that the facility would house animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade while also serving as a new tourism and recreation site.

However, this is not the first time grand plans have been laid out for the site, only to be stalled. In 2016, the zoo was closed by former Mayor Tomas Osmeña, with its nearly 300 animals transferred to Negros Oriental, amid plans for a land exchange deal with the Province.

The area was left abandoned until the Rama administration initiated plans to redevelop it into a wildlife resource center with a P5-million budget.

Following another ceremonial groundbreaking in October 2023, no actual construction took place due to budgetary constraints, Carillo admitted.

“Kutob ra man didto ang groundbreaking, wa nay activity,” Carillo said.

(The groundbreaking was just that, there is no more activity.)

Now, Garcia’s administration aims to break this cycle of delays by securing P52 million for habitat construction as part of the proposed Supplemental Budget. An additional P20 million is allocated to acquire animals from licensed breeders and transfer rescued wildlife.

Carillo said that partnerships with private companies such as Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, the Junior Chamber International, and other organizations would be crucial in ensuring the project’s completion.

He cited the city’s slow procurement process as a primary reason for seeking private investments to prevent further delays.

The revised plan includes an administrative building, a multi-story parking complex, a rooftop garden, commercial spaces, an amphitheater, a crocodile park, a solar-powered waterfall, a 4,000-square-meter bird sanctuary, an aviary, and viewing decks for lion and tiger enclosures.

The city is also coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to transfer wildlife to the site, but proper habitats must first be constructed before any relocation can proceed.

To generate interest and reintroduce the site to the public, the city is hosting the first-ever “Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia Eco Bike and Run Challenge” on March 15-16, 2025.