By: Andrea Eleanor Cabaron
The burned remains of the Manila Post Office, set to be repurposed. Photo courtesy of PhilStar.
The historic Manila Central Post office which was “totally burned” last May, will be repurposed for heritage tourism rather than being demolished, according to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco.
Frasco stated that the DOT has met with the Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the National Museum to discuss plans to restore the charred remains of the heritage building.
“According to PHLPost, they are open to the utilization of the property not purely anymore as a post office, but as a mixed-use facility that would result in a creation of a cultural corridor within the city of Manila, especially considering its proximity to other heritage sites such as Intramuros,” Secretary Frasco said.
The rebuilding of the post-office is agreed upon restoring it as a “mixed-use facility” and preserving it as part of the City of Manila’s heritage corridor.
“We will take into consideration everything said here. But definitely, we want it to be a cultural center, not a post office (anymore). And it should not be demolished. It has to be retrofitted, not for demolition to build (another) high-rise. That’s (within) the historic quarters of Manila.” Senator Loren Legarda said.
Legarda is yet to convene as designated chairperson of the special Senate committee tasked to look after the restoration of the Manila Central Post Office.
Fire Incident
The 97-year-old iconic building caught fire on the night of May 21, 2023. The fire started at 11:41 pm, and it took over eight hours to be declared as under control by Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan in a brief statement on Monday.
The firefighters continued their mapping operations as of the mayor’s 3 pm update to ensure that all flames have all been put out.
They reported that the fire originated at the southern part of the basement where office supplies, thinners, paint cans were stored close to the car batteries. The self-discharge of the battery resulted in “thermal run-away” causing the sudden build-up of heat and pressure eventually leading to explosion, the BFP reported on June 6, 2023.
The case was officially ruled as “accidental in nature” and that the fire incident investigation was considered closed and solved.
The BFP stated that the estimated cost of damage has reached 300 million.
The heritage treasure was built by the renowned Filipino architects Tomas Mapua, Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano with American architect Ralph Doane in 1925. The Manila Central Post Office building was considered as the “grandest building” during its time and was inaugurated in 1927.
The Manila Central Post Office Building was declared as Important Cultural Property (ICP) by the National Museum in 2009.
The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, the building is entitled to receive government funding for its restoration.