MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE FIRE | Huge flames engulf the iconic Manila Central Post Office building at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila. Erected in 1926, the historical landmark was considered an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum in 2018. The Bureau of Fire estimates that P300 million worth of assets may have been lost. (Photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Many celebrities expressed sorrow after a massive fire gutted the historic Manila Central Post Office in Manila, which firefighters were able to put out after 31 hours.
Fire first broke out on Sunday evening, May 21, at 11:41 p.m., and was brought under control at at 7:22 a.m. on Monday, two hours after it reached the General Alarm at 5:54 a.m.
After about 30 hours, it was confirmed that the fire that burned the building was completely put out.
Following the incident, celebrities took to social media to share their thoughts about the destruction on one of the country’s cultural edifices, which had also become a shooting location for many a film through the years.
On Instagram, Regine Velasquez looked back at her role as Katherine in the 2002 film “Ikaw Lamang, Hanggang Ngayon,” where she played the role of a postal worker in the building. The movie starred Richard Gomez as Ryan, who was the singer-actress’ leading man.
“Ano na kaya mangyayari kay Katherine at sa iba pang naging bahagi ng Manila Central Post Office? Naging bahagi ng buhay ko ang Post Office, napasok ko at nakakilala rin ng mga kaibigan duon,” she said. “The Manila Central Post Office was a [h]istorical landmark. It’s so sad that this happened,” she said in the caption of her post.
Meanwhile, Lea Salonga expressed hope that the historic figure will be brought back to life, as seen in her Facebook post. “Seeing pictures of the Post Office building breaks my heart. Will there be a way to rebuild?” she said.
Khalil Ramos, who’s set to star in the film “Simula sa Gitna” with Maris Racal, shared a black-and-white photo of the building on his Instagram Stories with a sad emoji.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@khalilramos
His upcoming film will seemingly be set at the Post Office, as seen in an Instagram post by Project 8 Projects production company.
Superstar and national artist Nora Aunor also expressed her sorrow over the fate of the Manila Central Post Office during an interview with ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol which aired on Tuesday, May 23.
“Nalulungkot ako kapag nangyayari ang mga ganitong pagkakataon. May pag-asa, malaking pag-asa kasi maraming nagtu-tulong-tulong para makabangon [ito] muli,” she said.
In the same report, Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran expressed dismay over the number of documents for archives that were lost due to the fire, even as she expressed hope that the government would exert all efforts to restore the building to its former glory. “It’s very sad. I hope that they (government) would retrofit the building before this could happen (again). We lost a lot of [old paraphernalia], especially the old stamps.”
The official Facebook page of Cinema ‘76 Film Society, a Quezon City-based movie theater, shared that the architectural landmark was the filming site of the 2018 film “Hintayan ng Langit.”
“In retrospect sa nakalulungkot na balita. Bukod sa pagpapadala ng mga liham, ang Manila Post Office ay minsan na rin naging parte ng mga pelikulang maari nating balik-balikan gaya ng Hintayan ng Langit (2018),” their post read. EDV