Senator Loren Legarda on Monday urged authorities to investigate the cause of the fire in the Manila Central Post Office to avoid it from happening again.

In a statement posted on her Twitter account, Legarda expressed her dismay at the massive fire in one of the country’s historical buildings.

“I am deeply saddened by the news that the Manila Central Post Office, one of the historic buildings in the country and declared an Important Cultural Property (ICP), was engulfed by a massive fire that started late night Sunday,” she said.

I am deeply saddened by the news that the Manila Central Post Office, one of the historic buildings in the country and declared an Important Cultural Property (ICP), was engulfed by a massive fire that started late night Sunday.

— Loren Legarda (@loren_legarda) May 22, 2023

The Manila Central Post Office, designed by national artist Juan Arellano, has been built since 1926.

“This building is one of the oldest and most iconic structures in the Philippines that has been an essential part of our history, surviving many calamities and the Battle of Manila during World War II,” she said.

Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts in the 19th Congress, has been a known advocate and patron of culture and the arts.

The Senator stressed that the incident was "indeed tragic and heartbreaking."

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the fire started at 11:30 pm on Sunday, May 21.

The fire was raised to General Alarm and it was declared under control at 7:22 am on Monday.

The BFP is suspecting that the fire came from the building's basement.

As of this writing, investigations are still going.

Written by Stephanie Anne Santos, DZRH News Online Intern