PhilPost strengthens services thru partnerships
By Amorganda A. Saludar
CEBU CITY, Sept 20 (PIA) -- The Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) Visayas intensified its services by partnering with other government agencies and private entities as well as adopting modern technology.
In a Association of Government Information Officers 7 forum, PhilPost 7 Director for Operations Ben Quiros said at present they are already developing the system of their services in a form of electronic mailing.
“We already develop the service system and applied for electronic mailing and other service wherein PhilPost will accept mail and the sender can check their mailing status through internet,” Quiros said.
The PhiloOst also partnered with the i-BAYAD center, which means that the postal corporation can now accept payments for electric and water bills, among other payments.
PhilPost is already accepting payments for Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) but only for four major postal offices such as Cebu Central, Mandaue City, Lapu-lapu City and Talisay.
Quiros said aside from the MCWD, there are other government agencies and private entities that expressed willingness to partner with PhilPost in delivering its services to the public particular in payments and mailing services.
The Philpost 7 official however, clarified that the partnership only involves the provider and the PhilPost customers, while clients here, are not involved in the agreement or in any payments pertaining to the partnership of service.
“The PhilPost will have to sign a memorandum of agreement with the provider and the customer is out of the payment mode with regards to the payments in the partnered services,” Quiros said. (FCR/AYS/PIA-7, CEBU)
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NDRRMC strongly calls for conduct of quake drills
By Amorganda A. Saludar
CEBU CITY September 20 (PIA) --The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reiterated its call for government agencies to conduct earthquake drills and information and education drive on earthquakes by the third quarter of 2012.
The need to conduct an earthquake drill and strengthen earthquake preparedness comes after the series of earthquakes that shook the country resulted in loss of lives and damages to properties.
Under RA 10121, preparedness and mitigation included conduct of earthquake drills as a key strategy in reducing disaster risks.
Also seen to have a vital factor to lessen the risk of calamities such as earthquake is the formulation of evacuation plans for the residents settling near critical structures, the NDRRMC stated.
Aside from this, a memorandum issued by NDRRMC Executive Director and Administrator of the Office of Ciivl Defense Undersecretary Benito T. Ramos directed all member agencies, NDRRMC chairpersons, regional and local DRRM councils and OCD regional directors to submit a documentation of all their Information, Education Campaign (IEC) and advocacy activities.
This documentation should be incorporated and attached to the final reports which will be submitted to the NDRRMC OPCEN not later than October 24, this year for this to be consolidated and submitted to the office of the President.
Recorded serious incidences of earthquake include the recent 7.7 magnitude offshore earthquake in Guian, Eastern Samar that caused alarm to the entire country and as a result a Tsunami Alert 3 was being issued.
Another recorded case of earthquake was the occurrence of a 5.6 magnitude in Bukidnon and a 5.9 magnitude in Sultan Kudarat as well as the occurrence of a 5.9 eartquake affecting many parts of Negros Oriental and other areas in Central Visayas as well as other neighboring provinces in the Visayas Island. (FCR/AYS/PIA-7, CEBU)