Razed Manila Post Office to become a tourist destination after it's restored
The historic Manila Central Post Office will soon become a tourist spot in Manila once it has been restored, Philpost Postmaster General Luis Carlos said.
In May of 2023, the iconic neoclassical building was gutted in a fire which caused about P300 million in infrastructure damage.
According to Carlos, the razed Post Office has since been undergoing rehabilitation with the help of the National Historical Commission, the National Archives of the Philippines, the City of Manila, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Department of Tourism.
"We've asked a little help... that it [will be a part] of the tourism circuit," Carlos told Teleradyo Serbisyo.
The building is also undergoing a detailed architectural engineering study to test the structure and find out how much it will cost to restore the building.
"Nakakalungkot but 95% [of the interior] is gone. It's just the structure. But I'm hoping, praying that the structure will hold," the Postmaster General added.
Other spots in the Manila tourism circuit include the Metropolitan Theater, Intramuros, and Binondo.
The Manila Central Post Office was first constructed in 1926 and completed in 1928. It was previously rebuilt in 1946 after sustaining damages during the Battle of Manila in World War II.
On May 21, 2023, a fire starting from the basement broke out in the neoclassical building which was put out after 31 hours.