Mark your calendar peeps, Manila’s most popular theater is set to reopen this April 2021!

On a Facebook post on Sunday, January 3, 2021, the National Quincentennial Committee (NCQ) has announced the huge news about The Manila Metropolitan Theater (a.k.a. the Met) grand reopening.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) are working together to finish the restoration of the Metropolitan Theater (MET) in Manila, before the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan led by then chieftain Lapu-Lapu, on 27 April 2021.

Surviving the most tragic bombings during the war, the historic venue for the Philippines' performing arts is set to host the evening show, which is just one of the many commemorative rites planned for marking the occasion of the victory of Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.

During the last five years, improvements on the theater were evident as Manila Mayor Isko Moreno shared some photos of the restored building as part of his key projects for the city.

According to a write-up written by Spot.ph, a restoration was initiated by the 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.

“A declared National Historical Landmark and National Cultural Treasure, [the] MET witnessed the development of the country through time. It is also a landmark of Filipino excellence and oneness with humanity through arts and culture,” wrote the NCQ.

Surely, this will be a blast! Check out NCQ official website to know more about the event.