PHILPOST: E-commerce saved courier sector

By Cheneen R. Capon
THE growing e-commerce industry worldwide has saved the multi-million courier sector in the Philippines, an official of Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) said.
“It’s true that the development of technology such as electronic mailing had an adverse effect to the mailing services such of PHLPost, but it is also the technology that saved it,” postmaster general Josie Dela Cruz said during the 23rd anniversary of the government-owned corporation.
Dela Cruz said e-commerce require physical delivery services more than electronic or email.
“E-commerce is a growing industry worldwide. It has an annual growth of 30 percent to 33 percent,” dela Cruz said. “This industry has huge potential for developing countries like the Philippines.”
She said transaction in e-commerce is not limited to the domestic market but also abroad like United States of America.
However, PHLPost is not yet the leading express service provider in the country because the sector is dominated by two large courier companies–LBC and 2Go.
“Bulk or 80 percent of our delivery is still mail, which are mostly for government offices nationwide,” dela Cruz said.
But, with its new services like the PHLPost Express, she expected that the participation of the agency would be more active.
Expanding from mailing services, PHLPost will offer express services domestically and internationally.
Dela Cruz, who sat as postmaster in 2011, said the express service is available for domestic and international destinations.
“For domestic destinations, the PHLPost Express is the fastest means of sending urgent messages, business documents or goods to addresses within the Philippines,” she said.
Generally, domestic express mail service (DEMS) items are delivered the next day after the date of mailing provided that they are posted on or before the prescribed cut-off time.
Meanwhile, Dela Cruz said the express service for international destinations “is the fastest means of sending time-sensitive items to addresses abroad.”
Any article such as documents, samples of merchandise and goods, not specifically prohibited by regulations, can be sent via international express mail service (IEMS).
“Currently, the Philippines has a bilateral agreement with 45 countries for the reciprocal exchange of express mail services (EMS) items,” she said.
PHLPost is here to stay because not the growing e-commerce industry, according to Dela Cruz.