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.
The original building was designed by Juan M. Arellano, Tomás Mapúa, and Ralph Doane in neoclassical style. 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.
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.
History
Manila's first post office was established in 1767. During the early years of the American occupation, the Philippine Commission created the Bureau of Posts, which later became the Philippine Postal Corporation, through Act No. 462 issued on September 15, 1902.
The current building was designed by Juan M. Arellano, Tomás Mapúa and Ralph Doane in neoclassical style. The construction of the building began on 1926 under the supervision of the architecture firm of Pedro Siochi and Company.
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 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. The completion of the building was continued in February 1928.
World War II
The post office was severely damaged in World War II during the Battle of Manila, after it suffered heavy artillery bombardment and saw fierce room-to-room fighting between the Americans and Japanese, who converted the edifice into a fortress by heavily barricading the rooms with sandbags and barbed wires.
The building was a key property for the Japanese as it was earthquake-proof and built with heavily reinforced concrete, making it impervious to direct artillery, tank, and anti-tank fire. On February 19-21, 1945, the post office was hit by artillery fire from the Americans as they bombarded it, and the assault set its interior ablaze. On February 22, the Americans were able to enter the post office through a window and eliminated the Japanese who retreated to the basement. The capture of the post office enabled the Americans to advance their plan in retaking Intramuros from the Japanese.
Post-war
The building was subsequently rebuilt in 1946, retaining most of its original design.
In the 2000s, there were negotiations between the Philippine government and the Sino Group, which owns the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, to convert the Post Office building into a five-star hotel. However, then-Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon said the plan fell through due to political instability in the Philippines at the time. Sino Group expressed renewed interest in the project in 2012 but did not push through. A subsequent designation of the area as a heritage zone later ensured that no other structure could be established in the area aside from the post office.
After the Philippine Postal Corporation was placed under the direct supervision of the Office of the President, the building housed a modern and efficient look with its mechanized automatic letter-sorting machine, new Postal Code system, airmail, motorized letter carriers and other facilities.
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.
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. A subsequent investigation traced the exact source of the fire to a self-discharging car battery in the room.