MANILA, Philippines – Maaaring ipaayos at buuing muli ang nasunog na gusali ng Manila Central Post Office building sa pamamagitan ng contingency at calamity funds, ayon kay House Deputy Speaker at Batangas 6th District Rep. Ralph Recto nitong Lunes, Mayo 22.
Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Recto na maaaring gamitin ng pamahalaan ang P13 bilyon na contingent fund sa ilalim ng kontrol ng Pangulo, at ang P19.03 bilyon na calamity fund sa ilalim naman ng National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
Ang Post Office Building ay isa sa popular na historical landmarks ng bansa.
“Pwede pagkunan ang P13 billion Contingency Fund, which is the national emergency fund, which the President controls. Nandiyan din ang NDRRMC or Calamity Fund, which has a beginning 2023 available balance of P19.03 billion. The fire which hit this national historical landmark is undoubtedly a certifiable disaster,” ani Recto.
“Under RA (Republic Act No.) 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, ‘national historical landmarks, sites or monuments’ shall be entitled to ‘priority government funding for protection, conservation and restoration’,” giit ng mambabatas.
Maaari din umanong mag-ambag ng pondo ang mga negosyante lalo na’t hindi rin kaya ng
Philippine Postal Corporation na sagutin ang kabuuang gastos para sa repair.
“Taipans can also help in reconstruction, and their donations, under Section 35 of RA 10066 ‘shall be exempt from the donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from the gross income in the computation of the income tax of the donor,’” paliwanag ni Recto.
“Hindi kaya ng pondo ng Philippine Postal Corporation ang pagbangon. In 2020, net surplus nito ay negative P240 million. Lugi pa. Noong 2021, nakapagtala ng positive net surplus na P106 million, kulang pa rin,” pagtataya niya.
Matatandaan na nitong Lunes, Mayo 22 ay tinupok ng apoy ang gusali ng Manila Post Office, na umabot pa sa general alarm bandang 5:54 ng madaling araw at idineklarang fire under control pagsapit ng 7:22 ng umaga.
Sa kabila na natupok na ang malaking bahagi ng gusali, naniniwala si Recto na maaari pa ring maisaayos ang gusali dahil hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na napinsala ang Post Office.
“The Post Office is an art work designed and built by Filipino geniuses. It was an architectural jewel of the bygone Pearl of the Orient. This is not the first time it was destroyed. Firebombed by US and Japanese forces, it was reduced to rubble during the Battle of Manila,” pagbabahagi niya.
“Even though short of cash, the newly-born Philippine Republic made sure that it would rise from the ashes of war, because such would be proof of a new nation’s determination to rebuild. Because they believed then, as we must do now, that to let it physically disappear is to purge it from our people’s memory,” sinabi pa ni Recto. RNT/JGC
