THE SPEED AIRMAIL SERVICE
By: Emil P. Garcia, Jr., Postal Journal Staff
The Speed Airmail Service of the Bureau of Posts was
first established pursuant to administrative Order No. 2 dated
April, 1961. It formally started operation on May 3, 1961 and
initially covered 8 major cities: Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Bacolod,
Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Cotabato. Later, it effected
its first expansion program with the addition of 5 cities: Iligan,
Dipolog, Ozamiz, Roxas and Tagbilaran.
The service during its early inception was then not
popular among the mailing public until the early 70's when it
started to gain nationwide patronage because of its speedy and
efficient transmission and delivery of mail matters within the
24-hour period from the date of posting.
The establishment of the service was intended to
provide postal patrons in the Greater Manila Area and suburbs and in
some cities with the means of obtaining fast and efficient delivery
to them of letters and other mail matters transported by airplanes
upon arrival thereof at the respective airports.
Immediate deliveries of such kind of mail matters are
effected by motorized mailmen to their respective addressees without
being treated or handled at the post office if none has been
established near the airport so as to reduce handling time lag. If a
post office exists at the airport, then processing will be done at
the said office before it is immediately delivered to the
addressees.
More motorized mailmen have recently been assigned to
this kind of service in the Greater Manila area and other speed
airmail points in cities and provinces.
On account of the considerable increases of mail
matters sent through this means, postal authorities thru the Mail
Transportation Planning Section, Postal Planning Division, have been
devising ways and measures for the nationwide expansion of the
service to cover as much as possible all airmail points in the
country. Arrangements with Philippine Airlines, the official
carrier, have been undertaken to lend support and cooperation to the
service by considering speed airmail bags as V-cargoes (valuable
shipment.)
Effective 13 October 1975, the two-way Manila to
other key cities and provinces, speed airmail service has been
expanded to include a two-way service from cities and provinces in
Luzon to cities and provinces in the Visayan and Mindanao. The
transmission and delivery of mails will be coursed through Manila as
the transit office and still maintain the 24-hour mail delivery
target.
The following is the updated list of the expanded
speed airmail service points throughout the country:
TO AND FROM MANILA (TWO-WAY)
-
Aparri, Cagayan
-
Bacolod City
-
Baguio City
-
Basco, Batanes
-
Boac, Marinduque
-
Cagayan de Oro City
-
Cauayan, Isabela
-
Cebu City
-
Cotabato City
-
Daet, Camarines Norte
-
Davao City
-
Dipolog City
-
Gen. Santos City
-
Iligan City
-
Iloilo City
-
Kalibo, Aklan
-
Legaspi City
-
Mactan Airport, Cebu
-
Naga City
-
Ozamiz City
-
Puerto Princesa City
TO AND FROM CITIES AND PROVINCES IN LUZON, VISAYAS
AND MINDANAO VIA-MANILA
-
Aparri - Cebu City
-
Aparri - Iloilo City
-
Aparri - Bacolod City
-
Aparri - Davao City
-
Baguio - Cebu City
-
Baguio - Iloilo City
-
Baguio - Bacolod City
-
Baguio - Davao City
-
Basco - Cebu City
-
Basco - Iloilo City
-
Basco - Bacolod City
-
Basco - Davao City
-
Boac - Cebu City
-
Boac - Iloilo City
-
Boac - Bacolod City
-
Boac - Davao City
-
Cauayan - Cebu City
-
Cauayan - Iloilo City
-
Cauayan - Bacolod City
-
Cauayan - Davao City
-
Legaspi - Cebu City
-
Legaspi - Bacolod City
-
Legaspi - Davao City
-
Legaspi - Iloilo City
-
Naga City - Cebu City
-
Naga City - Bacolod City
-
Naga City - Iloilo City
-
Naga City - Davao City
-
Pto. Princesa - Cebu City
-
Pto. Princesa - Iloilo City
-
Pto. Princesa - Bacolod
-
Pto. Princesa - Davao City
-
San Jose, Mdo. Occ. - Cebu City
-
San Jose, Mdo. Occ. - Iloilo City
-
San Jose, Mdo. Occ. - Bacolod City
-
San Jose, Mdo. Occ. – Davao
-
Tuguegarao – Iloilo City
-
Tuguegarao – Bacolod
-
Tuguegarao – Davao City
Speed airmal dispatches to Manila include speed
airmail matter for Manila, Quezon City, San Juan, Pasay City, Makati,
Mandaluyong and Caloocan City.
Expansion of the delivery area of speed airmail for
Greater Manila includes Paranaque, Las Pinas and Pasig.
Speed airmail rates are: P1.50 for every 50 grams or
fraction thereof with a minimum charge of P3.00 for each separately
addressed envelope. Minimum weight is 5 kilos.
