Heritage advocates condemn planned demolition of Santa Mesa Fire Station

Heritage advocates condemned the impending demolition of the century-old fire station in Santa Mesa, Manila, to give way to a road widening project.

In a statement on Tuesday night, 18 March, Renacimiento Manila, a cultural organization working toward the cultural rebirth of Manila, lamented that the Santa Mesa Fire Station is one of Manila's four remaining prewar fire stations.

"The Santa Mesa Fire Station is the last station to be built by the Americans during their rule, being completed in 1919. This makes it more than a century-old, way past the 50-year requirement to be a presumed important cultural property under RA 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act," its statement read.

The Santa Mesa Fire Station, situated along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Barangay 629 Zone 63 in the Santa Mesa district, is estimated to have been constructed between 1919 and 1920, making it approximately 105 years old.

According to Manileños For Heritage (M4H), it has been informed that the demolition of the fire station will pave the way for the road widening on Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard.

While Renacimiento supports the upgrading of Manila's fire protection, it stressed that "it must not come at the cost of wiping out the very history and heritage of the said firefighting institutions."

In a separate statement, M4H also condemned the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) for granting clearance for the demolition of the Santa Mesa Fire Station "without any public consultation."

"The structure, one of Manila's oldest fire stations, is an important cultural landmark dating back to the early 20th century. Despite early petitions and calls for a cease-and-desist order to protect the structure, NHCP has failed to engage the local community, particularly the residents of Santa Mesa, who have been actively monitoring the issue," its statement also read.

Citing the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, M4H said the supposed "proposed reconstruction" plan by the Bureau of Fire Protection is "a complete demolition and replacement of the heritage structure—a direct violation of heritage laws."

In response, M4H has submitted a formal memorandum to the NHCP Board of Commissioners, demanding an immediate special board meeting to revisit its decision and rescind NHCP Resolution No. 50, s. 2024, dated December 12, 2024.

"We call for public consultation before any lifting of heritage status, a mandatory 15-day public notice period for such cases, and consideration of relocating the structure rather than outright demolition. Our memorandum further highlights the legal and administrative consequences NHCP officials may face for failing to follow due process."

The DAILY TRIBUNE has reached out to the NHCP but has yet to receive a response.