Post Office insured for P604 million; GSIS assisting in reconstruction

MANILA, Philippines — The gutted historical central post office building in Manila is insured for roughly P600 million with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

In a statement, GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso said the pension fund for government workers and retirees is ready to assist in the restoration of the Manila Central Post Office under the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhlPost).

Veloso said the building, which was destroyed by the nearly eight-hour fire, is insured with the GSIS for P604 million.

“To facilitate the insurance claims, we immediately dispatched our adjusters to the fire scene. We also deployed drones to completely evaluate the affected structures,” Veloso said. “We are aware of the historical significance of the building and we would like to assist in its rebuilding efforts in every possible way.”

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the building is “totally damaged” with an estimated P300 million worth of destroyed property.

The GSIS is expected to schedule a full-blown site inspection to determine the extent of damages once the BFP gives clearance. As of now, entry to the building remains impossible as the BFP deemed it unsafe.

Further, Veloso said GSIS is willing to extend a loan to PHLPost for the reconstruction of the building, which has been declared an important cultural property by the National Museum of the Philippines.

GSIS is also offering its warehouse in Pasig to serve as a temporary workplace for post office employees to continue providing services while the restoration is ongoing.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), for its part, said it will closely coordinate with PHLPost to determine the extent of the damage and assess immediate funding needs.

Postmaster General Luis Carlos yesterday said the Manila Central Post Office’s insurance fund could be used to help shoulder the cost of constructing a new building.

In a dzRH interview, Carlos admitted that the whole building of the Manila Central Post Office is insured with the GSIS. Asked if the building’s insurance would be enough to cover the construction cost of a new building, the Postmaster General replied: “I suppose so.”

He likewise admitted that he has not yet seen the insurance policy that might have been destroyed in the fire.

He said officers from the GSIS came to the fire scene last Monday and expressed their intention that “once the fire is out, they would want to be the first to enter the building so they could appraise and see the extent of the damage.”

But aside from using the insurance money to finance the construction of the new building, he is also banking on support from the government and even the private sector, since the Manila Central Post Office is a heritage building.

He is also hoping to get support from the National Historical Commission (NHC).

Casualties

The fire that gutted the decades-old Manila Post Office on Sunday before midnight left 18 people injured, including fire responders, the Bureau of Fire Protection reported on Tuesday.

Among the injured in the fire, which lasted almost 31 hours, were Joel Libutan, 36; Carlo Abrenica, 24; Toto Roslin, 43; Elaine Dacuycoy, 16; Julio Erlanda, 43; Jeremy Roque, 30; Josaphat Martin, 26; Mark Louie Guiogiuo, 31; Angelo Panado, 42; Luke Warren Challongen; Rey Christopher; Russel Ponaroche, 28; Royce Caro, 25; Daryl Aguinaldo, 34; Reynaldo Pajemolin, 48; Rosito Arboleda II, 37; Alfredo Isagre Jr., 45; Blanqueza Gener, 40.

Most suffered burns, lacerations and fractures and were attended to by emergency medical services.

Arson probers have yet to identify the cause of fire, which reached general alarm at 5:54 a.m. on Monday and was declared fire out on Tuesday before dawn.

In an interview with dzBB, BFP NCR regional director Nahum Tarroza gave a preliminary damage estimate of P300 million to P500 million, acknowledging that the figure might increase due to the significant value of antique materials involved.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged the national government to rebuild the Central Post Office for its historical significance, cultural heritage and national pride, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) taking the lead role.

“The structure was declared as an Important Cultural Property in 2018 by the National Museum, for its exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance. We should restore it as a symbol of our national pride,” he said. – Evelyn Macairan, Mark Ernest Villeza, Delon Porcalla