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Manila Central Post Office

Coordinates: 14°35′44″N 120°58′45″E / 14.5955°N 120.9791°E / 14.5955; 120.9791
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Manila Central Post Office
The Manila Central Post Office in 2012
Map
General information
TypeNeoclassical
Architectural styleNeoclassical
AddressLiwasang Bonifacio, Magallanes Dr., Ermita, Manila, Philippines
Current tenantsPhilippine Postal Corporation
OwnerGovernment of the Philippines
Design and construction
Architect(s)Juan M. Arellano, Tomás Mapúa
National Historical Landmarks
Official nameManila Central Post Office Building
TypeBuilding, government institution
RegionNational Capital Region
Marker DateJune 2, 1994

The Manila Central Post Office, often called the Post Office Building, is the main postal office of Manila, which also serves as the headquarters of the Philippine Postal Corporation. It also houses the main mail sorting-distribution operations of the Philippines.

It is located along the banks of the Pasig River in Lawton, Ermita and lies at the northern end of Liwasang Bonifacio. Its location along the Pasig was a part of the Burnham Plan of Manila for easy water transportation of mails. Its central location with converging avenues made the building readily accessible from all sides.[1]

The original building was designed by Juan M. Arellano and Tomás Mapúa in neoclassical style.[2] However, it was severely damaged in World War II during the Battle of Manila and was subsequently rebuilt in 1946 while retaining most of its original design.[2]

Before midnight on May 21, 2023, the building was severely damaged by a massive fire that started in the basement and spread throughout its floors.[3]

History

The Post Office, circa pre-1930
Aerial view of the Post Office, 1932

The Philippine Postal Corporation 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.

The current building was designed by Juan M. Arellano, Tomás Mapúa and Ralph Doane in neoclassical style.[2] The construction of the building began on 1926 under the supervision of the architecture firm of Pedro Siochi and Company.

The plans on completing the post office building was made public on November 28, 1927, but the awarding of the project happened a year after in 1928. From August 2, 1920, up to January 9, 1922, the foundation was laid out. The work was put on hold because of the scarcity of funds but was reported to be 56% complete towards the end of the year. The completion of the building was continued in February 1928.[4]

Proposals for the completion of the Manila Post Office Building were made known on November 28, 1927, but the awarding of the project was made only in 1928.[5]

The building was severely damaged in World War II during the Battle of Manila and was subsequently rebuilt in 1946 while retaining most of its original design.[2]

After the Philippine Postal Corporation was placed under the direct supervision of the Office of the President, the building houses a modern and efficient look with its mechanized automatic letter-sorting machine, new Postal Code system, airmail, motorized letter carriers and other facilities.[6]

In 2018, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the Manila Post Office building as an "important cultural property" (ICP), meaning that it had "exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines", allowing it to receive government funding for its protection, conservation and restoration.[7]

2023 fire

The post office building after the May 2023 fire

On May 21, a massive fire hit the Post Office late in the night and was declared under control more than seven hours after it erupted. The Manila Fire Station said the fire started past 11 pm Philippine Standard Time (PST) in the General Services Office located in the building's basement and spread throughout the structure.[3][8] It was placed on the highest fire alarm level, which is general alarm, at 5:54 am, the following day,[9] which required the assistance of all available firetrucks in Metro Manila.[10] Over 80 firetrucks arrived at the scene.[11] Firefighters said the light materials inside the building, such as letters and parcels, contributed to the intensity of the fire.[8] The fire was completely put out more than 30 hours after it started, at 6:33 am on the morning of May 23.[12]

The edifice was completely gutted, with Postmaster General Luis Carlos saying that "from the basement to the ground floor all the way up to the fifth floor; the structure was still there, but the ceiling had fallen down."[13] He also said letters, parcels and the postal agency's entire stamp collection were likely destroyed, but clarified that only the mail service in Manila was affected by the fire.[10] He admitted that the building had no water sprinklers, citing its age.[8] The Philippine Statistics Authority later confirmed that some national IDs for delivery in the capital were affected.[10] An official of the Bureau of Fire Protection said the internal wooden structure of the building was burned all the way from the basement to the third floor.[14] Fifteen people, mostly firefighters, were injured, while the amount of damage was estimated to be worth around ₱300 million.[9][12][15]

In the aftermath of the fire, the Philippine Postal Corporation said it was transferring the central office's operations to the Foreign Mail Distribution Service in Delpan, Tondo, Manila,[8] while the business mails service for private corporations was to be moved to the Central Mail Exchange Center at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay.[10]

The Manila city government said that the building will be restored[16] and allayed fears that a new building will be built in its place.[17] The National Commission for Culture and the Arts vowed to assist with the restoration.[18] Senator Robin Padilla called for a legislative inquiry into the incident.[19]

Architecture

Corner detail of the post office building

The Manila Post Office was strategically located by Daniel Burnham at the foot of Jones Bridge because of two reasons. First was that the Pasig River could be used conveniently as an easy route for delivering mail and secondly, the post office could be accessible from all sides including Quiapo, Binondo, Malate, and Ermita.

Considered to be Juan Arellano's magnum opus, it was designed in the neoclassical style that expressed order and balance. The costs of its construction was worth one million pesos. Fronting the huge, rectangular volume are the 16 Ionic pillars lined that are lined up above the steps just before entering the lobby.[20] The main body of the building is capped by a recessed rectangular attic storey and flanked and buttressed by two semi-circular wings. Inside, the main lobby has subsidiary halls at each end housed under the semi-circular spaces roofed with domes.[6]

  • The Manila Central Post Office during World War II. (1945)
    The Manila Central Post Office during World War II. (1945)
  • View of the Post Office from the Pasig River
    View of the Post Office from the Pasig River
  • View of the Post Office from Jones Bridge
    View of the Post Office from Jones Bridge
  • Aerial shot of the Post Office
    Aerial shot of the Post Office
  • Mail envelope certified by PHLPost
    Mail envelope certified by PHLPost
  • Historical marker
    Historical marker

References

  1. ^ Moore, Charles (1921). "Daniel Burnham: Planner of Cities". Houghton Mifflin and Co., Boston and New York.
  2. ^ a b c d Philippine Postal Corporation – History Archived December 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "Fire hits Manila Central Post Office". Manila Bulletin. May 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Alarcon, Norma (2008). The Imperial Tapestry: American Colonial Architecture in the Philippines. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. p. 140. ISBN 978-971-506-474-3.
  5. ^ Wood, Leonard (1925). Annual report of the Governor General of the Philippine Islands. Washington D.C.: Washington G.P.O.
  6. ^ a b de la Torre, Visitacion (1981). Landmarks of Manila: 1571–1930. Makati: Filipinas Foundation, Inc. p. 13.
  7. ^ "Manila Post Office Building declared 'important cultural property'". CNN Philippines. November 24, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d "Fire razes decades-old Manila Central Post Office". Rappler. May 22, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Fire razes Manila Central Post Office". CNN Philippines. May 22, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d de Guzman, Karen (May 22, 2023). "Fire guts Manila Central Post Office". ABS-CBN News.
  11. ^ Gulla, Vivienne (May 22, 2023). "Manila Central Post Office fire leaves 11 injured, P300M damage". ABS-CBN News.
  12. ^ a b Rita, Joviland (May 23, 2023). "Manila Central Post Office fire declared out after more than 30 hours". GMA.
  13. ^ "Fire Guts Manila's Historic Post Office Building". New York Times. May 22, 2023.
  14. ^ Magramo, Kathleen (May 22, 2023). "Inferno tears through Manila's historic Central Post Office". CNN.
  15. ^ Rita, Joviland (May 22, 2023). "BFP: 7 hurt, P300M worth of damage in Manila Central Post Office fire". GMA.
  16. ^ Caliwan, Christopher Lloyd; Patinio, Ferdinand (May 22, 2023). "No new building to rise on site of fire-hit Manila Post Office". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Patinio, Ferdinand; Caliwan, Christopher Lloyd (May 22, 2023). "No new building to rise on site of fire-hit Manila Post Office". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; May 22, 2023 suggested (help)
  18. ^ "NCCA saddened by Manila Post Office fire, vows to help in restoration". ABS-CBN News. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Bordey, Hana (May 22, 2023). "Senate inquiry into Manila Central Post Office fire sought". GMA News. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  20. ^ Lico, Gerard (2008). Arkitekturang Filipino: A History of Architecture and Urbanism in the Philippines. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. p. 310. ISBN 978-971-542-579-7.
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