Featured Image courtesy of Spot.image
Raging fire photos compiled by Benjamin Cuaresma
Firefighters tried their best to save the Manila Central Post Office, considered one of the country’s historic landmarks that was gutted down by fire at the break of dawn on Monday (22 May 2023). Firefighters claimed the fire started at exactly 11:45 p.m. Sunday night and raged on for eight (8) long hours that reduced the historic edifice into rubbles.
It was gathered that the general alarm was raised at around 5:54 AM, and by 7:22 AM on Monday, the fire was declared under control although radio reports say small pockets of inferno are still evident until now. Damage was estimated at P300M according to the Bureau of Fire Protection although the historical value of the 97-year-old edifice will remain priceless to many hearts among Filipinos.
The Manila Central Post Office building was designed by Juan M. Arellano, Tomás Mapúa, and Ralph Doane in a neoclassical style. The construction of the building began in 1926 under the supervision of the architecture firm of Pedro Siochi and Company.
The Philippine Postal Corporation, owner of the building, traces its beginnings to Act No. 462 of the Philippine Commission on September 15, 1902, creating the Bureau of Posts. Before that, Manila’s first post office was established in 1767. (Amado Inigo/MTVN)
