By Gabriela Baron
State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said Tuesday, May 23, that the Manila Central Post Office building is insured for P604 million as it vowed to assist in the restoration of the iconic establishment which caught fire Sunday evening.
In a statement, GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso assured the GSIS is willing to extend a loan to Philpost for the reconstruction of the historic site.
“To facilitate the insurance claims, we immediately dispatched our adjusters to the fire scene today even though no fire-out has been declared yet,” Veloso continued.
“We also deployed drones to completely evaluate the affected structures. We are very much aware of the historical significance of the building and we would like to assist in its rebuilding efforts in every possible way,” he added.
Veloso also said the GSIS will offer its warehouse in Pasig to serve as Philpost’s temporary workplace.
“Philpost needs a transitory workplace to allow it to seamlessly maintain its vital services while its restoration is going on,” the GSIS chief said.
“The building has been declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines and its loss will have a huge impact on our rich cultural heritage. We need to bring it back to its original splendor,” he added.
The Philpost building was designed by Juan Arellano and Tomas Mapua in the neoclassical style and was completed in 1926.
It was the main mail-sorting and distribution hub in the Philippines and was the central office of the Philippine Postal Corporation.
The fire, which lasted for over 30 hours, was declared a fire out at 6:33 a.m. Tuesday. It reportedly started in the basement of the post office building around 11:41 p.m. on Sunday.
The blaze reached the general alarm or the BFP’s highest alarm level at 5:54 a.m. Monday. Fire damage is currently pegged at P300 million.
READ MORE: BFP: 18 hurt during Manila Post Office fire
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