MANILA — Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tsuge Yoshifumi, met with officials from the Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) on Tuesday to explore ways Japan can assist in improving PHLPost’s services through digitalization.
According to Philippines News Agency, a former Postmaster at the Nagoya Moritaka Post Office, met with PHLPost Chairman Stephen Cruz and Postmaster General and CEO Luis Carlos to discuss enhancing the agency’s Universal Postal Obligation, particularly in reaching remote areas. The discussions also focused on potential collaborations for modernizing mail exchange centers and exploring cooperation in banking services.
Tsuge emphasized the importance of strengthening diplomatic ties and cooperation between Japan and the Philippines, noting that trust between the two countries’ postal agencies has been deepened through previous collaborative efforts. He expressed confidence that the partnership would contribute to the further development of postal services in the Philippines, particularly in digitalization, which is crucial for meeting the increasing demands of e-commerce.
During the visit, Tsuge and his team toured the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City. Japan, which boasts one of the world’s best postal services, is the only Asian country to achieve level 10 in the Universal Postal Union’s Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD) 2022.
“We are very much honored to be visited by the State Minister of Japan for Foreign Affairs,” said PHLPost CEO Luis Carlos. “The collaboration being offered is a welcome initiative to PHLPost, and through strengthened partnerships and good governance, we are committed to embracing innovation and fostering closer ties with our stakeholders.”