MANILA: The Department of Tourism (DOT) is allocating PHP15 million for the rehabilitation and restoration of the Manila Central Post Office gutted by fire in May last year.
Through its infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the budget allocation is for the building’s detailed architectural and engineering studies for the conservation assessment and pre-restoration work.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said it was “imperative” to support the preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of cultural and heritage sites — the country’s 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,’ Frasco said in a statement on Friday.
The neoclassical building is an architectural icon and one of the oldest landmarks of the Philippine capital.
It sits along the banks of the Pasig River at Liwasang Bonifacio.
The project’s first p
hase involves the creation of plans for the pre-restoration work while the second phase includes the creation of the rehabilitation and conservation plan that will be implemented.
Source: Philippines News Agency