PHLPost, gov’t agencies craft first policy to curb wildlife smuggling

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has joined the national campaign to curb illegal wildlife trafficking by strengthening safeguards in last-mile delivery operations, partnering with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

During a workshop facilitated by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, PHLPost and the three agencies met with 14 Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) operators to craft the country’s first policy regulating the transport of wildlife through last-mile delivery services.

Ms. Lorie Ann Hinacay, Acting Chief of PHLPost’s Inspection and Investigation Division, outlined measures the corporation can adopt to enhance detection and prevention of illegal wildlife trade. These include mandatory screening, content verification, and documentation checks for parcels.

She also emphasized the importance of inter-agency coordination and proposed establishing a real-time communication channel among PHLPost, the BOC, DENR, and law enforcement agencies to enable fast information exchange and rapid response.

“Putting a stop to wildlife trafficking is a tall order. It takes all of us working together to ensure the protection of wildlife,” she said.

PHLPost said that as the country’s primary last-mile delivery service provider, it remains committed to a reliable postal network while upholding safety, accountability, and responsible handling of mails and parcels nationwide.