I sent my 20-something nephew to mail some cards last Christmas.

I was floored by his response: “How do I send these by mail?”

So I walked him through the process—from finding the nearest branch of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) to going to the teller to have each envelope weighed for the exact postage needed, to dropping it in the mailbox.

I realized PhilPost really has an identity crisis with young people who communicated only through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, often using their smart phones.

But I don’t think PhilPost’s latest offer, to deliver advertising materials like brochures and flyers, is the way to boost its profile. But it was not effective. People received all kinds of junk mail that often ended up in trash cans.

PhilPost should rethink this new service, which goes against current trends and practices. Competitive prices and efficient, reliable service will go a long way in making people patronize the government postal service.

Missing package

I still send stuff by post. I have friends who like hand-written letters, pretty greeting cards and stamps. In fact I get boxes of greeting cards as gifts.

A recent experience reminded me there was an advantage to having a civil servant (postman), who had accountability as a government employee, delivering letters and packages. Having walked through our neighborhood for years, the postman practically knew every household and had become almost a friend.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) sent my new card through a courier service. Records of the courier company showed my “authorized representative” received the card two days after it was sent.

The name of my “authorized representative” was totally unfamiliar. I asked my neighbors, most of whom had lived in our community for decades, and they, too, had not heard of the person who signed for the package.

After PhilHealth’s Moppet B. Varlez followed up with the courier service, my card was found and finally delivered.

I asked the new messenger where they got it. He told me the first courier simply dumped a bunch of letters and packages in an office building, had the guard at the reception sign for them, then quit his job without a “by your leave.”

Fortunately, the guard left the stuff that did not belong to them untouched, so the new courier was able to retrieve them.

Women’s Month

Robinsons Malls celebrates Women’s Month with exciting events, shopping sprees and instant prizes. The mall chain is holding market fairs and bazaars especially for women the whole month of March.

Follow RobinsonsMalls on Facebook and Twitter, @RobinsonsMallsOfficial on Instagram.

Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; e-mail [email protected]