The Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Wednesday that it is ready to assist in rehabilitating the historic Manila Central Post Office after it has been hit by a massive fire on Sunday.
In a report from PNA, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said that the DOT regards the decades-old structure as a “cultural treasure,” which deserves national attention and support.
In a media forum, Frasco said: “We note the remarks that has been made by the city government of Manila that has assured that it will not be torn down and from our end in the DOT, recognizing the heritage value of this structure, we are prepared to follow through on the direction that the Marcos administration would take in terms of how to rehabilitate the structure.”
“Especially considering that our attached agency, TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority) has long led the assistance in terms of rehabilitation of heritage structures,” she added.
In 2018, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the Post Office building as an Important Cultural Property (ICP) for having “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance.”
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection, an estimated P300 million worth of assets were lost due to the conflagration, along with parcels, government IDs, documents, and paintings.
