Guarding the Last Mile: PHLPost joins the fight to protect wildlife from traffickers

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The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has taken a proactive stance in safeguarding the last mile of delivery from illegal wildlife trafficking by joining forces with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

During a workshop facilitated by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, PHLPost, along with the three agencies and 14 Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) operators, engaged in collaborative discussions to develop the country’s first-ever policy designed to regulate the transport of wildlife across last-mile delivery services.

Ms. Lorie Ann Hinacay, Acting Chief of the Inspection and Investigation Division, presented how PHLPost can further enhance its detection and prevention efforts against illegal wildlife trade. She highlighted the importance of enforcing safeguards such as mandatory screening, content verification, and documentation checks.

She also emphasized the value of inter-agency coordination and proposed the establishment of a real-time communication channel among PHLPost, BOC, DENR, and law enforcement agencies to ensure swift information exchange and response.

“Putting a stop to wildlife trafficking is a tall order. It takes all of us working together to ensure the protection of wildlife,” she said.