To celebrate the occasion, Postmaster General Josefina de la Cruz and the corporation’s Board of Directors, headed by Chairman Cesar Sarino, have designated the period as “Postal Consciousness Week,” with  festivities kicking off on November 8 with a street-dancing competition at about 5:30 a.m. to be followed by the Flag-Raising Ceremony at about 8:30 a.m.

A special program is also set to start at 9:30 am with the opening of the philatelic exhibit and the launching of the International Year of the Forest special commemorative stamps. PhilPost will also hold simultaneous activities in all regional offices nationwide.

De la Cruz said Metro Manila students and the public will also be treated with a free philatelic lecture from well-known stamp collectors, an on-the-spot letter writing contest, a trade fair exhibit sponsored by the Filipino Inventors’ Society Inc. and sale of selected food items under the program One Town, One Product (Otop) project. PhilPost will also introduce the information-technology kiosks for the latest products in the postal courier industry.

On the same day, the PhilPost will award this year’s Outstanding Postal Workers.

A blood-letting program, in cooperation with the Philippine Red Cross, will be held on November 9 to be participated in by National Capital Region employees.

On November 10 corporate partners-clients and the media will be feted with a thanksgiving dinner, dubbed as “Partners Day.”

De la Cruz recalled that the Spaniards started the postal service in the country in 1783 when Governor General Jose Basco y Vargas formally organized the postal system in the islands. At that time, Basco issued detailed instructions regarding the rules, rates, routes and the setting up of various post offices in the islands. Undoubtedly, he was emulated as the most farsighted and energetic among Spanish governors general to the Philippines.

On April 2, 1992, by virtue of Republic Act 7354, the Postal Service Office became the present-day Philippine Postal Corp.

(Sara Fabunan)