The burning of the iconic Manila Post Office building is a chance to imagine it restored as a public arts hub, and not as a commercial establishment, according to heritage advocate Ivan Henares who now heads UNESCO’s National Commission of the Philippines.

In addressing rumors of arson, Henares said the government would never allow the now-gutted Manila Post Office to be demolished. Instead, it could have a future as the heart of a revitalized Manila civic center. That would require the removal of unsightly flyovers, a shift to pedestrian-friendly streets, and the conversion of the Intramuros golf course into a public park.

Henares urges listeners to look no further than Iloilo City as an example of effective urban transformation with its riverside esplanade and bike accessibility.