Fire breaks out at Manila’s iconic Post Office building after 30 hours

The replacement of the Manila Central Post Office is announced by the Mayor of Manila Lacuna-Pangan.

Lacuna addressed these concerns in a televised briefing, emphasizing that the Manila Central Post Office site is protected under the municipal government's zoning legislation and its designation as an Important Cultural Property.

The Manila Central Post Office building, which opened in 1927, was designed by architects Tomas Mapua, Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano, and Ralph Doane. It was designated an Important Cultural Property in November 2018.

The Philippine Postal Corporation had its headquarters here.

“To those who have doubts that another structure could be built on the Manila Central Post Office site, don’t worry. The site where the post office is built, according to our zoning ordinance, is an institutional zone,” the city chief executive said in Filipino.

General institutional zones, according to a Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board handbook on comprehensive land use planning, are meant for institutions such as government offices, hospitals and clinics, and academic, research, and convention facilities. Special institutional zones are designated for certain sorts of facilities, such as welfare homes, orphanages, and military bases and camps.

“Apart from that, the Manila Central Post Office was declared in 2018 by National Museum as an important cultural property.,” she added.

The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 safeguards a geographical area's historical and cultural integrity and supports assets designated as ICPs eligible for government assistance. It also makes the selling of cultural property illegal.

The fire at the Manila Central Post Office caused P300 million in damage, but PHLPost will continue operations at Surface Mail Exchange. The city government is in talks with PHLPost to provide assistance.