Manila’s historic post office building, nearly 100-year-old, situated along the Pasig River near Manila Bay, was destroyed by a massive fire in the Philippines capital overnight. More than 80 fire trucks were sent. The fire was in cintrol only after more than seven hours. Seven people, including five firefighters, sustained minor injuries. Nobody was in the building when the fire started. An investigation was underway on Monday to determine the cause of the fire.
The Manila Central Post Office designed by two Filipino architects, Juan Arellano and Tomás Mapúa, was a neo-Classical-style structure built in 1926. It was declared an “important cultural property” in 2018, being a national historical landmark. The fire began in the basement. All the internal wooden structure of the building was burned. Among the many items presumed to have been destroyed in the fire were valuable works of art that were being copied for stamps. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate finance panel chairperson Juan Edgardo Angara will be pushing for funding for the restoration of the historic building.
