Manny and Bubut Tangco together with their one-year-old tiger, Economy.

As a young man, Manny Tangco, owner and manager of Malabon Zoo, often wondered why a man would build something as beautiful as Taj Mahal in the name of the woman he loves. Until Bubut Obusan came strutting her way to his life.

Manny remembers the day so vividly, like it was only yesterday. He arrived in his office and found his desk, drawers, and cabinets completely empty. Then, in came a lady who looked him straight in the eye without saying a word. It was like a scene in a romantic movie. Well, not exactly. But it was close to that.

“I was caught off guard. It was as if the clouds outside stirred in rapid movements and there was a sudden haze inside the room,” Manny said. “I learned later that she was a new employee in our company and one of her first tasks was to bring all my stuff to my new office because of my promotion. I was smitten the first time I laid eyes on her.”

It went on from there. They became friends, worked together, and got to know each other more. Then one Sunday, Manny mustered the guts to ask her out. They shunned the typical candlelight dinner and spent their first date shopping for plants.

“I asked her if she wanted to shop for plants and she said yes. So we drove to Puerto Azul in Cavite to buy all sorts of plants and took a walk on the beach after that,” he shared.

As their relationship flourished, so did the number of horses, lions, tigers, grizzly bears, monkeys, birds, fishes and various plants in Manny’s collection. And when he decided to resign from the corporate world to work full time on his animals, he finally proposed to Bubut.

“It was funny because we were plant shopping in Tagaytay that time. He bought this huge palm tree he’s been saving up for and asked me to marry him. I didn’t notice the ring he was holding so I thought, ‘Is this an engagement tree?’” Bubut recalled laughing. 

They got married in 1989 and together they developed and improved a small garden and turned it into one of Malabon’s main attractions, the Malabon Zoo.  Manny’s personal collection of flora and fauna got the attention of the media and soon enough his face was seen everywhere from television to the front pages of newspapers. Bubut, on the other hand, chose to stay in the background.

“Early on in a relationship, you have to know and you have to accept that there can only be one star in the family. He works very hard for me and for our children; he’s very passionate about his animals. It’s not just lip service. It’s not just saving the environment because going green is the in thing now. Manny breathes it, he does it, and it’s not just for show. What you see is what you get,” she explained.

But Manny refused to bask in the spotlight this time. According to him, this interview should be dedicated to his wife – her unconditional love for him and their sons: Carlos, 14; Martin, 17; and Emil, 20, her kind heart, and even to her beauty that still captivates him until now.

“Everything is written about me and absolutely none about her. My wife never ceases to amaze me. Not once did she ever have a bad mood. She never quarreled with me. She always welcomes me with a smile. She’s there to guide me. She spoils me like a child,” he said smiling.

Married for 21 years, Manny and Bubut draw inspiration from the wisdom, advice, and humor of Father Bel San Luis SVD. They follow his column, read his books, and hear his mass. They learned from him that love should be unconditional and laughter and humor are essential in keeping the marriage alive.

“Our favorite story from Father Bel is about a husband that sends flowers to his wife every Valentine’s Day. When the husband died, the wife was surprised to receive a bouquet of flowers the next February. With the bouquet came a note from the husband explaining the arrangements he did with the florist. The note says: ‘Every year the flowers will come to you. The only time it won’t is when the flowers are delivered and no one answers the door. When that day comes, the florist will bring the flowers to a special place – your grave – and then we’ll be together again forever,” Manny and Bubut shared tearfully.

“The story really touched us. That’s why I told my wife a few days ago: ‘One lifetime is not enough to show you how much I love you. I want to show you how much I love you for all eternity.’ Then I placed a picture of the Taj Mahal on my table,” he said smiling.

On their simple gestures of love

He said: She never lets me drive, either the driver drives for me or she will. This gives me a chance to rest and focus on upcoming tasks when we’re off to somewhere.

She said: He’s very generous with his time, with his love, he’s very sweet. When he comes home from the zoo he’ll ask me, ‘Mama, how are you?’ even if he’s the one working all day outside.

On depending on each other

He said: At social gatherings and business meetings, she is never a few feet away from me. She’s there to whisper names to me so I can warmly greet or remind me of the last meeting and business agreements. There seems to be an invisible wire that connects us. Like electricity flows from her to me. The farther she is, the weaker and more helpless I become.

She said: He’s never grumpy, even if I wake him up in the wee hours of the morning. He never shouts and still very pleasant. Whenever he’s doing something and I need his attention or when he’s doing something and I need him, he’ll drop anything and focus on me.

On sweetest thing they did for each other

He said: She spoils me. She knows I’m very busy with the zoo so she takes care of the rest. The food I eat, the clothes I wear, the things I read, and even gadgets I use are determined by Bubut. 

She said: He champions the rights of even the smallest animal and I guess if you ask me what’s the sweetest thing he has ever done for me, I would say he has given me and my sons a better future. The animals and the environment are our future. Without them, the world would continue to crumble before our very eyes.

On their passions

He said: Aside from plants and animals were also passionate about art works and cars. I honestly believe she’s an F1 driver in her past life. She can drive with ease any kind of vehicle from the largest SUVs to the fastest sports cars!

She said: I am passionate about everything that he is passionate about, especially with the animals. When I was growing up, there were no animals in our house, not even a dog.  And then when I met Manny, I realized that maybe my love for animals has always been there but it was never really manifested until the time I met him.