MANILA, Philippines — Since it opened in 1991, amusement park Star City Complex has attracted around 1.5 million revelers a year, with visitor arrivals peaking every Christmas season.
Thus, when the park was destroyed by fire last October, the complex did not open last Christmas. Many were devastated, most especially, Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and her ballet company Ballet Manila, who have made Star City and its adjacent Aliw Theater their home.
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“Of course, it was a different Christmas,” Lisa confessed in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com.
“Usually, my company is dancing in Star City all throughout the Christmas holidays. We normally even have three to four performances on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day. And this Christmas was quiet. We all went on short vacations. I went out with my family.”
Nonetheless, Lisa and her family, who own the complex, were relieved when the Bureau of Fire Protection confirmed that the fire that hit the park was not due to arson.
“It was a very different Christmas. But it was a really great Christmas gift that we got the results of the investigation before Christmas, and so we could really celebrate Christmas in a really positive mood because of the results of the investigation,” she shared.
“Of course, (we were relieved) because we’re protected by insurance, so we are able to rebuild right away and you know, that’s the plan now.”
According to her, Star City’s reconstruction is in full swing, so it could hopefully re-open before Christmas this year. — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo, editing by Erwin Cagadas Jr.