First in Philippine Postal History: Mike Planas heads the Post Office as both Chairman and Postmaster General

The once most modern and leading center of postal services within Asia needs a major upgrade after being left behind locally and internationally. Likewise, the traditional postal service industry in the Philippines is experiencing a significant decline, driven by the rapid rise of digital communication methods. This trend highlights the urgent need for the Post Office in the Philippines to diversify and innovate its services to adapt to the changing landscape and remain relevant in an increasingly digital economy.

Chairman and Postmaster General Mike Planas has made his agenda as the head of the agency to revive and revitalize the Post Office. He is set to upgrade and create new product lines as well as build alliances across the logistics value chain to boost revenues.

The Post Office in the Philippines is uniquely positioned with an extensive network of properties strategically located across the country, many of which are currently underutilized. These properties are prime real estate for capitalizing on the growing logistics sector. By repurposing these sites into state-of-the-art logistics hubs, the Post Office can effectively support and enhance logistics operations, drawing parallels with successful postal service transformations globally.

“Logistics is the backbone of modernization by effectively moving forward the flow of goods and mail. We have to revitalize and upgrade the postal service to meet the daily needs of the Filipinos and make its mark as one of top earner Government Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC),” he said.

The new Chairman and Postmaster General of The Post Office is also capitalizing on the renewed interest for the arts and culture. “The Philippines is experiencing a renaissance in the promotion of arts and culture. The Post Office has been always part of our nation’s history. Our postage stamps have the tangible record of our rich culture, heritage, and history. We are excited to fuel the interest for collecting stamps and other philatelic items, as well as introduce new products that promote our nation’s history and culture.”, Planas said.

Before his stint at the Post Office, Chairman and Postmaster General/CEO Mike Planas has an remarkable academic background from the University of the Philippines (UP Diliman), American University and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). He previously served as Councilor in Quezon City and as Consultant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Source: Philippine Postal Corporation