The management of the Metropolitan Theater (MET) said that its screenings of digitally-restored Filipino classic films would continue after a fire broke out in one of its wings on Friday morning.
Reports said that a fire broke out in a room on the first floor of Padre Burgos Wing, which was still being renovated, at 8:55 a.m.
It was raised to a second alarm and by 9:41 a.m., the fire was declared out.
The MET said there were no reported casualties, injuries or damage to property, except for some old and rotten equipment removed from various parts of the stage.
The theater thanked the authorities who helped put out the fire, as well as those who expressed solidarity on social media amid the incident.
“Patuloy lang nitong pinagiigting ang aming damdaming lalong maglingkod upang tuluyang buhaying muli ang ating Tanghalang Bayan,” it said on a statement.
The MET, known for its Art Deco style, was inaugurated in 1931 and has long been known as a classic venue for events involving arts and culture.
The venue received the national historical marker in 1978 and was named a “national cultural treasure” in 2010.
It was closed in 1996 and only recently reopened in 2021, after 25 years.
Following the incident, a Twitter user announced that the scheduled screenings of old films would continue on Sunday.
“+ The Met also assured na tuloy po ang screening sa Sunday, so tara na’t suportahan po natin,” the user wrote, adding a screenshot of the MET account responding to a Facebook user about the event.
+ The Met also assured na tuloy po ang screening sa Sunday, so tara na't suportahan po natin😁🙏 https://t.co/lkJwIic7ZR pic.twitter.com/KtfA2vqED1
— raven (◜◡◝) (@chowmowan) June 17, 2022
The MET on Thursday announced that it would screen the digitally-restored versions of Peque Gallaga’s “Oro Plata Mata,” Eddie Romero’s “Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon” and Gil Portes’ “Markova: Comfort Gay” on June 19.
The initiative is part of the theater’s “Mga Hiyas ng Sineng Filipino” program which offers to screen restored films.
MET said that the screenings would continue after the fire incident.
“TULOY PO TAYO SA LINGGO,” it announced on Friday evening.
