13 May 2014 - A delegation from the Philippine Postal Corporation headed by Postmaster General Josefina dela Cruz held an official visit to Italy from April 15 to 22 to further strengthen institutional linkages between PhilPost and the Poste Italiane as well as the Vatican Post.

The Postmaster General presented to Pope Francis the framed Papal Stamps of His Holiness at the St. Peter Square right after the 10:00 a.m. General Audience in Vatican City.  The Pope Francis Stamps commemorate the second year of his pontificate as the leader of the Catholic Church.

The PhilPost delegation likewise held an institutional meeting with their counterparts at the Poste Italiane headquarters in Rome to further strengthen its Postepay Card project launched in Rome last year.  The Postepay Card, aimed at the Filipino community in Italy, has significantly lowered the costs of remittance fees for Filipino nationals in Italy, which greatly benefits their families in the Philippines.

Postmaster General dela Cruz also meet with officials of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to strengthen linkages with IFAD in support of its thrust to  improve food security by scaling-up the impact of remittances.  The PhilPost is spearheading efforts to use its vast postal network and workforce to cut down transfer costs, reduce travel time and limit the dangerous journeys that people from rural areas routinely make in order to collect money sent from abroad. PhilPost is currently implementing a door-to-door type of remittance service in rural areas by using its vast network all over the Philippines.

Postmaster General dela Cruz and delegation also held consultation meetings with the Filipino community, particularly with the Confederation of Filipino Communities in Tuscany, to further explore projects for the benefit of Filipinos in Italy. END