In a reiteration of support for the country’s historical sites, the Department of Tourism and its construction arm, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, is allotting P15 million to rehabilitate the fire-engulfed Manila Central Post Office.

In a statement on Friday, the DoT said the budget is for the Detailed Architectural and Engineering Studies for the state of conservation assessment and pre-restoration work of the Manila Central Post Office building, an architectural icon and one of the oldest landmarks of the Philippine capital, which was torn through by a massive fire on 22 May 2023.

The neo-classical building is an iconic backdrop of the beautified Pasig River Esplanade at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.

“Apart from promoting our tourism gems, the Department of Tourism views it imperative to support the preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of our country’s cultural and heritage sites, very much our tourism assets. The Manila Post Office has witnessed the life and times of our nation, forging friendships, familial ties, commerce and trade, and etching history through its postal services. Rehabilitation gives opportunities for transformation to benefit the promotion of our culture, arts, and history. Of course, tourism can create added opportunities for livelihood for our fellow Filipinos,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.

Further, she said that the earmarking of government funds for the conservation assessment and pre-restoration work on the country’s Central Post Office is a timely and necessary move since the national government has already laid the groundwork for the Pasig River Urban Development project, dubbed the Pasig Bigyan Buhay Muli, done under the guidance of the Office of the First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

“When the Manila Central Post Office was destroyed in a massive fire, we lost not just a building but a tower that holds the rich history and past of the Filipinos. We are delighted to have worked closely with the Philippine Postal Corporation, the management of the Manila Central Post Office, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to ensure the proper and meticulous restoration of the landmark. Certainly, once completed, this will add to the tourism activities to be spurred in the area, especially as our President and First Lady have begun transforming the Pasig River,” Frasco added.

To recall, Secretary Frasco, who also sits as the chairman of TIEZA, on August 2023, proposed to assist in the rehabilitation of the Manila Post Office during the Inter-Agency Task Force for Cultural Heritage meeting composed of cultural authorities, National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the National Museum of the Philippines, and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Philippine Postal Corporation the DoT, and the City of Manila.

The restoration project requires an integrated and multi-sectoral approach considering the depth of the damage and the cultural relevance MCPO holds.

Under the Terms of Reference submitted by the NCCA to TIEZA, the cultural commission said that the “endeavor is deemed necessary in finding ways to preserve the remnants and assess its conservation potential.”

“In preparing the conservation plan, it is important that key decision makers, including the technical working group of the cultural agencies, must have extensive knowledge and expertise on heritage preservation. They must carefully consider the structure/s function, significance, history, character, materials, past interventions, and existing condition of its physical components. Hence, a Detailed Architectural and Engineering Studies or DAES is a fundamental requirement before the commencement of any restoration works,” the document said.