UPU aids PHL Post in rebuilding postal network following typhoon
The Universal Postal Union is to invest CHF 100,000 (USD 114,000) in renovating a major postal facility in the Philippines following the severe damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan. The massive storm that hit last November saw 37 post offices damaged in the Viscayas region of the country, with the islands of Samar and Leyte particularly badly hit.
PHL Post said buildings were damaged or destroyed and many postal vehicles and equipment were lost.
So far, only a dozen of the affected post offices have resumed operations.
The UN-affiliated UPU, which oversees the global postal network, said yesterday that it will use its Emergency and Solidarity Fund to help PHL Post to completely renovate the three-storey postal facility that serves about 40 post offices in towns throughout Leyte, Samar and the Eastern Samar region.
The UPU said work is expected to start in July.
The agency will work with the United Nations Development Programme in Manilla to source the necessary suppliers and materials.
The rebuilding plan cakes after a joint mission by the UPU and the US Postal Service sent experts to the Philippines last month to assess damage to postal buildings, and assess the current network’s security measures.
The UPU said some Posts have pledged to donate to the cause following an appeal.
The agency said great efforts have been made by PHL Post to re-establish basic postal services following the typhoon. The postal network has been reconfigured and the backlog of postal items has been processed.
At the same time, the Post has taken part in national relief efforts, partnering with the country’s Department of Social Welfare and Development to distribute cash grants to 18,000 beneficiaries through the UN World Food Programme.
PHLPost chief executive and Philippine Postmaster General Josephina Dela Cruz said: “Leyte and Samar were severely affected by the typhoon and locating beneficiaries is a major problem, but with the dedication of our employees we can bridge the gap to deliver the assistance extended by generous agencies.”
Some 200 postal workers were employed in the area affected by the typhoon, all of whom have been accounted for, though many have suffered trauma. The postal facility being renovated had employed 44.
Dela Cruz said: “We have lived through many storms, but this one was something else. We really appreciated the response from the UPU and its member countries. It pays to be part of the UPU community.”
