Lacuña: We will restore Manila Central Post Office

The Manila City government will coordinate with the national government for the restoration of the fire-gutted Manila Central Post Office (MCPO), Mayor Honey Lacuña said Monday.

In a video message, Lacuña allayed fears that the historic building might be burned due to planned construction projects, saying that Manila’s first postal office has been declared an important cultural property in 2018 and its area a “heritage zone”.

This means no other infrastructure projects can be built in the said area except for the MCPO, she added.

“Kaya nga po ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Maynila ay makikipagtulungan sa ating national government na maibalik, ma-restore ang dating imprastraktura kung saan nakatayo ang Manila Central Post Office,” the mayor said.

(That’s why the Manila government will coordinate with the national government to restore the infrastructure where the MCPO was located.)

The Bureau of Fire Protection earlier reported that the total damage from the fire was estimated to be around P300 million. Seven individuals likewise sustained injuries from the incident.

Lacuña confirmed the blaze started at the building’s General Services Office, which was located in its basement. She explained the fire immediately spread to other floors and made it hard for firefighters to extinguish it due to its confined space and high temperature.

The fire broke out Sunday evening and reached the first alarm at 11:41 p.m. It escalated to general alarm, or its highest fire alarm level, at 5:54 a.m. on Monday and was declared under control at 7:22 a.m.

In the meantime, the mayor said the Manila Central Post Office operations will be moved to the Foreign Surface Mail Distribution Center (FSMDC) building. — Sundy Locus/ VAL, GMA Integrated News