Shows Go On After Fire Hits Restored Manila Metropolitan Theater

The shows must go on. And so they did.

The newly restored Manila Metropolitan Theater (MET) was hit by a fire on Friday morning, June 17. The Philippine Art Deco building had just reopened to the public in 2021 after being closed for 25 years since 1996.

According to a statement by the MET via Facebook on the same day, the fire started in a room on the first floor of the Padre Burgos Wing, which is currently being renovated under Phase III of the project.

The MET added the fire did not spread to the other areas of the complex or theater and was completely extinguished just past 9 AM. There were also no human casualties and damage to any properties, save for a few old and rotting pieces of equipment that were removed from different areas of the theater.

The MET is scheduled to screen digitally restored and remastered films on June 19, namely Peque Gallaga's "Oro, Plata, Mata," Eddie Romero's "Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?" and Gil Portes' "Markova: Comfort Gay."

On the afternoon after the fire, The MET confirmed that the shows on Sunday would go on.

"Let's continue on Sunday," it said on Facebook.