KidZania Manila

KidZania Manila

Slogan	"Get ready for a better world." "Where kids do big things."
Location	Park Triangle, North 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
Theme	Educational entertainment
Owner	ABS-CBN Theme Parks & Resorts (73%) KidZania Edutainment Ltd. BVI (27%)
Operated by	Play Innovations, Inc.
General Manager	Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas (CEO)
Opened	August 7, 2015
Operating season	year-round
Visitors per annum	358,505[1][2]
Area	6,000 square meters (land area) 8,000-10,000 square meters (gross floor area)
Website	http://manila.kidzania.com/en-us/
Status	operating

KidZania Manila is an indoor family entertainment center in Bonifacio Global City in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a franchise of KidZania, a Mexican chain of family entertainment centers which allows children aged 4 to 14 to work in adult jobs and earn currency. The 10,000 square meter KidZania Manila is the 11th KidZania theme park in Asia and the 20th in the world.^[3] The development started in July 2013 and was opened to the general public on August 7, 2015 with 70 role-playing activities from 55 establishments most of which are sponsored by real brands.^[4][5][6] This is the first theme park venture of ABS-CBN Theme Parks & Resorts after its incorporation in 2012. It is currently helmed by Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas who acts as the KidZania Governor.

Overview

KidZania Manila operates like a real city that is built to the scale of children, complete with paved roads and vehicles, buildings and establishments, a functioning economy and its own currency. Designed for children aged 4 to 14, KidZania Manila houses more than 55 establishments most of which are sponsored by real brands with over 70 role play activities. At KidZania Manila, children perform ‘jobs’ and are either paid for their work (as a stylist, fireman, radio jockey, surgeon, etc...) or pay to get a service (university, culinary school, department store, driving school, etc...).

Upon entering Kidzania Manila, one is given a boarding pass, a map of the city, and a 50 KidZos (the official currency of KidZania) paycheck upon entry. Inside, one can work on over 70 different professions. Some establishments require children to pay a significant amount of KidZos. If one runs out of money, they must work in establishments that offer salaries. A radio-frequency bracelet is given to the children upon entry for security reasons.

Characters (Rightz Keepers)

• Urbano (right to know)
• Vita (right to care)
• Bache (right to play)
• Beebop (right to create)
• Chika (right to share)

History

ABS-CBN, an entertainment and media conglomerate in the Philippines has planned to follow the footsteps of Universal Studios and the Walt Disney Company by entering the theme park and resort business. In turn in 2012, ABS-CBN Theme Parks & Resorts Holdings, Inc. was formed with an initial authorized capital of 270 million pesos. For months, there had been rumors that ABS-CBN is eyeing a 14 hectare outdoor theme park inside the proposed 20 billion dollar Entertainment City project of PAGCOR. However the rumors did not materialize even though some blueprints have leaked over the internet. The theme park, if developed, is expected to open in 2017.^[7]

Shortly after the incorporation of ABS-CBN Theme Parks & Resorts, Play Innovations, Inc. and Play Innovations Hungary, kft. was incorporated. In July 2013, news reports show that a 1 billion peso, indoor theme park is being developed at the 6,000 square meter lot in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The brand was franchised from KidZania, a Mexican chain of family entertainment centers. According to news reports, once finished, the indoor theme park will have a 10,000 square meter of play area that will feature dozens of role-playing games sponsored by real brands such as ABS-CBN, Cebu Pacific, McDonald's, BPI, and Honda.^[8]

Based from the filing of ABS-CBN Corporation in Philippine Stock Exchange, as of December 31, 2014, the company has already invested 1.8 billion pesos for the construction of the KidZania building alone.^[9]

On October 11, 2015, a 45-minute TV special about KidZania Manila was shown on ABS-CBN network.

References

1. Full Year 2015 Investor’s Briefing Financial and Operating Results March 18, 2016 (Report). Philippine Stock Exchange. March 18, 2016.
2. R. Camus, Miguel (August 11, 2016). "ABS-CBN income jumped 76% in H1". Inquirer.net.
3. "KidZania abre su decimosegunda Ciudad de los Niños en Manila 6,". Publimetro. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
4. "Paradigm shift in teaching: KidZania Manila empowers the young…with fun?". Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 26, 2014.
5. "Here we go with KidZania Go! KidZania Manila introduces the educational entertainment concept to Filipino academe". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 4, 2014.
6. Amojelar, Darwin (February 27, 2014). "PH franchise holder of KidZania seeking tax perks for P1B play city in BGC". Interaksyon.
7. "ABS-CBN branches out to theme park dev't". The Philippine Star. August 28, 2012.
8. Camus, Miguel (November 23, 2014). "KidZania: Children learn with lots of fun value of hard work". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
9. P. Valdueza, Rolando (April 24, 2015). 2014 Annual Report (17-A) (Report). Philippine Stock Exchange. Retrieved April 27, 2015.