The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) is seeking a P500 million budget for the restoration and retrofitting of the historic Manila Central Post Office (MCPO), which was gutted by fire in 2023.
“The restoration of the building will signal a new era for the postal service in the country, which, as we know, has been declining in recent years,” said PHLPost acting postmaster general and CEO Maximo Santa Maria III during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the agency’s proposed 2026 budget.
Santa Maria added that the project will restore the building to its original structure, covering not only the interior and foundations but also the overall rehabilitation and retrofitting of the entire structure.
The MCPO fire broke out in May 2023, starting in the basement and spreading to the upper floors. The blaze, which lasted over 30 hours, caused an estimated P300 million in damages. The Bureau of Fire Protection classified the fire as accidental, triggered by an overheated car battery that ignited nearby combustible materials, including office supplies, paint, and thinner.
During the hearing, Senator Mark Villar asked if PHLPost had considered relocating its headquarters from the MCPO, given the building’s age and design limitations.
Santa Maria explained that when the building was declared an important cultural property in 2018, a conservation management plan was immediately developed in consultation with heritage experts. “The plan includes not only the significance and integrity of its design and engineering, but also its future use,” he said.
Under the restoration plan, the MCPO lobby will be transformed into a postal museum, while one of its floors will become an innovation hub for technology and knowledge sharing with startups.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will handle the design and construction, with oversight from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to ensure compliance with heritage conservation standards under RA 10066.
The project is targeted for completion in 2027.
“The design and build will be done by the DPWH, under the supervision of the NCCA as the implementing agency for the conservation and restoration of heritage properties,” Santa Maria added.
