(SPOT.ph) The Manila Metropolitan Theater (a.k.a. MET) in Manila City is much revered for its Art Deco style, not to mention that it's designed by one of the acclaimed architects in the Philippines and National Artist Juan M. Arellano. So you can only imagine everyone's excitement when it hosted its first theatrical production—although a semi-exclusive one that's strictly for streaming—in October 2021 since it closed its door in 1996. But just a few days after it mounted National Artist Ryan Cayabyab's live show on Independence Day, a fire hit the newly renovated building on Friday, June 17. According to the MET, there's no significant damage to the structure, save for a part within the complex that's undergoing renovation as part of the restoration project's third phase.
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The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management declared the fire under control at 9:23 a.m., then announced fire out at 9:41 a.m. The blaze lasted for less than an hour and reached up to the second alarm.
The MET released an official statement at 10:17 a.m.: "Nagmula ang sunog sa isang silid sa unang palapag ng Padre Burgos Wing na gusali na pangkasalukuyang isinasaayos sa ilalim ng Phase III ng proyekto. Hindi na kumalat pa ang sunog sa ibang bahagi ng complex o ng Tanghalan, at tuluyang naapula ng pasado alas-9 ng umaga. Walang naitalang pinsala sa buhay o pag-aari, maliban sa ilang luma at bulok na mga kagamitan na tinanggal mula sa iba't-ibang bahagi ng Tanghalan."
Quick History of the Manila Metropolitan Theater
The MET was inaugurated on December 10, 1931. Like the rest of Manila, it was partially destroyed during World War II. A restoration was initiated by then-governor of Metro Manila Imelda Marcos in 1978, only for the venue to be closed down again in 1996. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo attempted to revive the theater in 2010, but the project didn't push through. By 2012, the theater was completely abandoned.
In 2015, the Government Service Insurance System sold the property to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which initiated a restoration project. This was in partnership with the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The theater was reopened for a day on December 14, 2016, to celebrate its 85 years as well as recognize the efforts of heritage conservationists, artists, and volunteers of the restoration program formerly known as METamorphosis. The restoration efforts took a pause due to internal problems and restarted in 2019.