It was the evening of May 21, 2023 when a huge fire gutted the historic Manila Central Post Office building.
In her State of the Nation report, Vonne Aquino said the fire lasted for almost 30 hours before it was finally put out. The blaze started from a car battery inside a storeroom that exploded.
Among those reduced to ashes were irreplaceable stamp paintings.
The neoclassical building was constructed in 1926. It was designed by Filipino architects Juan Arellano and Tomas Mapua and Ralph Doane, an American consulting architect to the Philippine government.
Aside from the 2023 fire, the MCPO building sustained considerable damage during World War II. It was restored after hostilities in 1946.
Tourist Mae Mendoza said the edifice is “very nostalgic” for her. As a child she remembers sending letters abroad to her mother who was an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).
Kenneth Gatchalian, another tourist, said it is a pity that he missed the opportunity to visit the post office in the past but hopes it will be restored when he returns to Manila.
The historic building will soon be brought back to its original splendor.
On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the restoration, retrofitting and rehabilitation of the soon to be century-old structure.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the President has instructed the department to properly and immediately restore the important and iconic landmark. The DPWH will create detailed architectural and engineering designs.
Maximo Sta. Maria III, the Postmaster General and CEO of PhilPost, said even before the fire, a conservation management plan had already been formed when the Manila Central Post Office was declared as an Important Cultural Property in 2017.
The building will undergo three phases when work begins this January.
“The structural integrity is being assessed since we are trying to determine what the fire-damaged portions of the building can still be restored and whether a more comprehensive and thorough repair is required, that is the retrofitting stage,” Sta. Maria said.
The first portion of the restoration will focus on the facade and lobby, with completion targeted by the 1st quarter of 2026. This will coincide with the Philippine hosting of the ASEAN Summit.
There will be new additions to the Manila Central Post Office when it reopens its doors to the public.
“We will establish the first postal museum in the country. It’s going to be a mixed use building, meaning we will allot a space for innovation or innovation lab or innovation hub wherein, people, stakeholders can have a venue for exchange of knowledge, Sta. Maria added. —RF, GMA Integrated News
