INTRODUCTION
Malugod ko kayong binabati sa inyong pagdiriwang ng ikalawang anibersaryo ng ating Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost).

Sa loob ng mahigit na siyamnapung taon mula nang itatag ang unang regular post office noong ika-30 ng Hulyo, 1898 sa Kabite, ang serbisyo ng koreo ay nanatiling isang pangkaraniwan at mababang ahensiya ng gobyerno.

Hindi ito nabigyan ng sapat na suporta ng pambansang pamahalaan upang makasabay ito sa pag-unlad ng pandaigdigang sistema ng koreo. Sa ganitong kadahilanan isinabatas ang RA 7354, na siyang bumuo sa Philippine Postal Corporation.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE POSTAL SERVICE
RA 7354 unleased the potentials of the national postal system by transforming the bureau of post from a government line agency dependent on the national government for budgetary allocations into an income-generating, self-reliant government corporation. The law has imbued the national postal system with maximum flexibility by giving to the corporation full control of its human and material resources, with a view to enhance communication services to our people.

Two years after, we now see, in the discernable improvement in our postal service, how well-advised the bureau’s transformation to a corporation was.

I am pleased to note that our postal workers nationwide have regained the public’s trust and confidence in the national postal system. They now complete the delivery, as a matter of routine, of 85 percent of intra-city mail within Metro Manila in 24 hours, and a similar 85 percent between Metro Manila and other cities within 48 hours.

This greater efficiency has resulted in a 15-percent increase in revenues during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year.
CORPORATE GOALS
This accomplishment proves that the corporate approach to development is an effective tool to improve the delivery of basic services to our people. I have constantly espoused this approach, and I hope the commendable results we have posted here will encourage other managers in government to follow this PhilPost’s success.

I am confident that PhilPost, with a clear corporate vision and a firm grasp of its mission, will secure more gains in our postal service, eventually making it at par with international standards.

As a corporation, PhilPost must maintain cost effectiveness and resource efficiency to generate profits, but without sacrificing high quality service, which is PhilPost’s foremost goal and real bottom line.

As stipulated in “PhilPost 2000!!!” which I consider to be a sound and do-able medium-term corporate plan — the postal system will use modern technology to enhance the skills and optimize the productivity of postal workers. This is essential, if we are to provide the efficient communications required to attain our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!”.

I am therefore confident that PhilPost will have established itself as a very viable business enterprise even before it undertakes privatization.

With PhilPost’s bright prospects, I am sure that postal workers will be more than willing to become stakeholders in the corporation’s management and ownership — which is the plan of its board of directors and officers.
THE PHILIPPINE POSTAL INSTITUTE
Before embarking on its privatization, I believe that PhilPost shall have likewise already developed a corps of committed professional personnel through the Philippine postal institute, which was launched only the other day.

With the institute, we hope to pursue our basic development strategy to undertake a sustained process of people empowerment through human development and by enhancing our world competitiveness.

Together with the leaders of the major postal workers’ unions — the Postal Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP), the Kapisanan ng mga Kawani ng Koreo ng Pilipinas (KKKP) and the Postal Corporation Employees Association (PCEA) — the institute can effectively cultivate throughout the postal service the work ethic that we need.

This work ethic must be characterized by the highest norms of industry, productivity, technical skills and quality.

Philpost can do much, more so now that its management has entered into a historic covenant for industrial peace and corporate growth to establish a community of postal officers and workers that is based on awareness of mutual responsibilities.

I note with pride that Philpost is the first GOCC to forge such a covenant with its workers. This undertaking will help Philpost easily expand its market for postal services and products and provide the efficient postal services that our people deserve.

Naniniwala ako na sa pamamagitan ng patuloy na pagtutulungan ng mga namamahala at mga manggagawa sa Philpost, higit ninyong mapagaganda ang paghahatid ng serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan.
THE PHILIPPINE POSTAL SAVINGS BANK
Next month we will formally re-open the Philippine Postal Savings Bank (PPSB), which should expand banking services in the countryside and substantially help in the mobilization of savings for community development.

The Philippine Postal Savings Bank, in addition, will absorb the quasi-financial functions currently being done by PhilPost, such as the handling of the popular postal money order and the delivery of check letters to the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) members and to our pensioner-war veterans.

PhilPost shall also re-introduce the thrift stamps — which I so fondly remember to be part of my younger days as a student and stamp-collector. With the thrift stamps, we hope to further inculcate among the young people of today the exemplary virtue of saving for the future. By instilling this virtue, we hope not only to deepen investment resources, but also to widen the doors for the youth to participate in nation-building.
CLOSING
In closing, let me again offer my commendations to the officers and staff of PhilPost on its second anniversary. I hope that you will build on the good things you have started.

I urge all of you to continue rallying behind our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!”, and thus realize a more progressive nation for ourselves and for our children.

Inaasahan ko na patuloy ninyong pag-iibayuhin ang inyong serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan sa pamamagitan ng mga katangiang tunay na Pilipino tulad ng pagkakapitbisig at pagtutulungan, pagiging masipag at masinop at higit sa lahat, ang pagmamahal sa ating bayan.

Maraming salamat po, at mabuhay kayong lahat!