In an attempt to revive an otherwise stagnant government corporation, Postmaster General and CEO Josefina M. Dela Cruz appealed to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom to support the new products and services of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost).
“PHLPost has new products and services which are not offered by current players in the remittance industry in the Kingdom. By supporting these, you’ll not only help jumpstart PHLPost but also help save the jobs of 11,000 compatriots back home,” Dela Cruz said on Friday.
PHLPost launched its e-Postmo service, an electronic postal money order. With the new service, OFWs send money and their beneficiaries receive the amount on the same day, assuming that the remittance is received and delivered or collected before 5 p.m. in the Philippines, which is five hours ahead of Saudi time. Dela Cruz, the former governor of Bulacan province, said that if she and her team succeed in turning PHLPost around, the “11,000 employees who would lose their jobs won’t need to work as OFWs.”
“Before, beneficiaries received checks to cash with the post office, which sometimes did not have the necessary amount. Now, they receive the remittance through electronic transfer,” she said.
Dela Cruz also said that beneficiaries receive exactly the amount remitted to them, “because PHLPost has no hidden charges.” She noted that some banks charge fees in the Kingdom for sending money to the Philippines. When the amount is received, it’s less than expected because of “hidden charges”.
Dela Cruz stressed that sending money through PHLPost is the most convenient way of transferring money to the Philippines “because of the wide distribution of post offices in accessible locations.”
Starting next month, PHLPost’s postal payment service will be available in Saudi Arabia (through Al-Rajhi Bank), Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
At present, it’s already available in post offices in Brazil, Brunei, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Just go to the nearest post office or bank in the country where you are to remit your money. Your beneficiary in the Philippines will be contacted to choose from different modes of delivery, such as cash pick-up at the post office, cash door-to-door delivery, credit to account and postal money order,” she said.
In the cash pick-up at the post office, beneficiaries receive the money instantly at the post office within 24 hours. Through cash door-to-door delivery, the beneficiary receives the money right at his or her doorstep within 24 hours. Credit to account enables the beneficiary to withdraw the money from his or her bank account or ATM within 24 hours. Beneficiaries in remote areas will be issued a postal money order check for encashment at the post office in 5 to 10 days’ time.
PHLPost has 2,000 post offices all over the Philippines.
Some OFWs had mixed reactions on the introduction of PHLPost’s services to OFWs in the Kingdom.
“It’s rather late in the day for PHLPost to have come to reach out to OFWs and introduce its services. There are so many Philippine banks now serving the remittance needs of OFWs in Saudi Arabia,” said Dan Velasco. Oscar Domingo agreed with him but he said, “There’s hope if OFWs rally behind Dela Cruz’s call for support.” Resty S. Sibug added, “The only way for PHLPost is to be optimistic.”
“It should give the best service possible to OFWs, like expeditious remittances to beneficiaries back home,” he said.
Leny Cleofe said that she would try to send money through PHLPost although she had been availing the services of another bank.
Ernie S. Perez said, “Let’s rally behind PHLPost’s cause of turning things around and be a vibrant player in the remittance needs of OFWs so that it could help the government in its campaign of ‘matuwid na daan’ (right path).”
Joanna Espinosa said, “I have the impression Dela Cruz had touched a chord in the heart of the OFWs, most of whom expressed support.”
OFWs asked to support PHLPost’s online money transfer
