MANILA, Philippines – Sinabi ng Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) nitong Lunes, Oktubre 6 na humihiling ito ng P500 milyong badyet para sa restoration at retrofitting ng Manila Central Post Office na nasunog noong 2023.
“The restoration of the building will signal the new era of the postal service in the country, as we all know have been declining in the past years,” pahayag ni PHLPost acting postmaster general at chief executive officer Maximo Santa Maria III sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Finance para sa proposed budget para sa 2026.
“It will restore to its original structure which includes the interior and the foundations. So the project will cover not only the restoration, retrofitting, and rehabilitation of the entire structure,” dagdag ni Santa Maria.
Matatandaan na noong Mayo 2023 ay sumiklab ang sunog sa makasaysayang MCPO.
Tumagal ito ng 30 oras at nagdulot ng P300 milyong halaga sa pinsala.
Samantala, sa pagdinig ay tinanong ni Senador Mark Villar ang PHLPost kung ikinokonsidera nito ang relokasyon ng headquarters mula sa MCPO.
“The design obviously was done way before any of these technologies were available… Have you ever considered some other possible uses?… Maybe you could hold office somewhere where it’s more ideal for the nature of your business?” tanong ni Villar.
“When it was declared as an important cultural property in 2018, it’s pre-pandemic. So we immediately did a conservation management plan, consulting heritage experts on how to preserve the structure. The conservation management plan includes not only the significance and the integrity of its design and engineering, but also future use,” tugon naman ni Santa Maria.
Kabilang umano sa restoration plans ay ang pagsasagawa sa lobby nito bilang isang postal museum.
Ang isa naman sa palapag ng MCPO ay magiging innovation hub na magsisilbing space technology and knowledge sharing sa mga startup.
Ipinaliwanag naman ni Santa Maria na ang Department of Public Works and Highways ang hahawak sa disenyo at konstruksyon, habang ang National Commission for Culture and the Arts ang mangangasiwa sa restoration.
Inaasahang matatapos ang restoration sa 2027.
“The design and built will be done by the DPWH, and with the supervision of the NCCA, under the RA 10066, being them as the implementing agency for conservation and restoration of heritage properties,” ayon kay Santa Maria. RNT/JGC
