A Look at the Historic Manila Central Post Office Before the Fire

Tragedy struck shortly before midnight.

manila central post office fire before and after
PHOTO BY AZ Camiling spot.ph archives, facebook / manila PIO

(SPOT.ph) The decades-old Manila Central Post Office was gutted by fire while Manileños sleep minutes before Monday midnight and continues to burn for almost half a day, a tragedy for one of the country's national historical landmark. 

The neoclassical-style building, which survived the Battle of Manila during World War II, was declared an "important cultural property" by the National Museum of the Philippines in November 2018 for possessing "exceptional cultural, artistic and/or historical significance." 

Fire is under control as of 7:22 a.m., but it has yet to be extinguished by the Bureau of Fire Protection. As we await for fire to be put out and more details on the extent of its damage, here's a look back on how it looked like before tragedy struck.

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

Here's how the Manila Central Post Office looked like before the fire:

Manila Post Office 1930s
The Manila Central Post Office in the 1930s.
PHOTO BY Wikimedia Commons
Manila Post Office Top View in 1930s
How it looked like in November 1932.
PHOTO BY Wikimedia Commons/War Department. Army Air Forces
Article continues after this ad.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Manila Post Office after the war
The Manila Central Post Office survived the Battle of Manila during World War II.
PHOTO BY Wikimedia Commons/Glenn W. Eve
manila central post office at night
The Manila Central Post Office at night.
PHOTO BY wikimedia commons
manila central post office columns
People inside the massive halls in early 2020.
PHOTO BY az camiling / spot.ph archives
Article continues after this video.
ADVERTISEMENT
watch now
manila central post office columns
A closer look at the lonic columns that frame the building, as they were in early 2020.
PHOTO BY az camiling / spot.ph archives

Also read:
What's Next for the National IDs, Parcels Inside the Burning Manila Central Post Office?
Heritage of the Manila Central Post Office: A Short History

The Manila Central Post Office after fire hit historic the building:

Up close manila central post
The facade as fire burns inside the building.
PHOTO BY MPIO/Facebook
manila central post office fire
An aerial view of the Manila Central Post Office during the fire.
PHOTO BY facebook / manila PIO
Article continues after this ad.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
manila central post office fire
Fire reached General Alarm, highest fire alarm level, at 5 a.m.
PHOTO BY facebook / manila PIO
manila central post office fire
Firefighters at the site.
PHOTO BY facebook / manila PIO

Also read:
Is Manila Replacing Culture With Condos? City Mayor Puts End to Central Post Office Rumors
What to Do After a Heritage Structure Catches Fire? Escuela Taller Explains

Share this story with your friends!

Help us make Spot.ph better!
Take the short survey

Read more stories about

Latest Stories

Load More Stories