Stamp Designer Shows Why Manila Central Post Office Is More Than Just a Building

(SPOT.ph) Fire out at the Manila Central Post Office was officially declared nearly 31 hours after smoke was first spotted at the historic building. As Pinoys mourned the damage done to such a landmark structure—with jibes and rumors as to why swirling around online—we also saw glimpses of what the building meant to people who went there daily. Stamp designer Aggie Rarangol took to Facebook to share pictures of the structure, showing how the place was more than just a symbol.

Also read: Heritage of the Manila Central Post Office: A Short History

PhlPost stamp designer shares pictures of Manila Central Post Office

"For those who haven't been to the Manila Central Post Office yet or haven't been there for the longest time now, I just want you to know how much you've missed," said the creative on her Facebook post. In her pictures, you can spot her walking right by the columns of the facade, the massive halls inside, old artifacts and more.

Rarangol, who usually reports to the Manila Central Post Office (MCPO) five times a week, told SPOT.ph in an online exchange that she was first came on board a year and three months ago. In that time, she's launched seven stamps. "When I learned I was hired for the position and told I'll be reporting to the Manila Central Post office, I was so excited! Not a lot of people can work, everyday' in such a historical structure," she told us. And for a chance to work in a building that's been standing since 1926 and was helped designed by the renowned Juan Marcos Arellano—the same brain behind other Manila greats such as the Metropolitan Theater, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, and the Legislative Building (now the National Museum of Fine Arts)—it's easy to understand why.

Also read: How the Manila Central Post Office Is Keeping the Art of Letter Writing Alive

The historical structure was "preserved as possible the corporation can. Late last year, they scraped back the original color of the teller's counter at the lobby," shared Rarangol. People would also come in on Saturdays for the free postal heritage tour. 

"I'm hoping for the best and that recovery plan I pray would start soon. I won't be able to come like every day as before, but fingers crossed, we'll come back. Baka better na pati this time," Rarangol tells us. 

For a lot of people, the Central Post Office is a building that you pass by when you're at Lawton. From the outside looking in, it can be easy to forget how this structure has stood through a world war and remains as proof and a reminder of Manila's story. For people like Rarangol, it was something they were reminded of every day being able to work there. As she says on her post, "The best part being in it, is I get to design stamps... para sa Pilipinas."