# Mail delivery??



## mrtibbs (Jan 2, 2012)

I have read here several times regarding mail delivery to the philippines, being not very good. There has been mentioned to use a VFW post as a delivery point to recieve one's mail. My question is ths..... May anyone secure a mail box at any VFW post, regardless they are a veteran , or not? I have sent some mail to my gf in the philippines with maybe 50% sucess rate of delivery. Fortunately, lost mail was not anything significant, just greeting cards. Nonetheless, its very disappointing knowing your mail is not getting to ones's person there.

I do have plans to retire there in perhaps 2-3 years from now and am doing all my homework now , as much as possible. Also , how does one find out locations of the VFW posts there?

Thanks much in advance!!


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

mrtibbs said:


> I have read here several times regarding mail delivery to the philippines, being not very good. There has been mentioned to use a VFW post as a delivery point to recieve one's mail. My question is ths..... May anyone secure a mail box at any VFW post, regardless they are a veteran , or not? I have sent some mail to my gf in the philippines with maybe 50% sucess rate of delivery. Fortunately, lost mail was not anything significant, just greeting cards. Nonetheless, its very disappointing knowing your mail is not getting to ones's person there.
> 
> I do have plans to retire there in perhaps 2-3 years from now and am doing all my homework now , as much as possible. Also , how does one find out locations of the VFW posts there?
> 
> Thanks much in advance!!


One way of sending mail more securely is to send it certified or registered mail. Many friends of mine do this. As far as the VFW, the mail box service here at my VFW is operated by the RAO which also has a post box service at their location. The VFW is nearer to me than the RAO. There are two types of mail service at the VFW and the RAO. One is for retired military with 20 or more years. The mailing address is a USA address that uses embassy mail to the USA embassy in Manila. The RAO (embassy warden) picks it up and bring it to the RAO or VFW. The other type that I use is for those that are not retired military. My mailing address is a PO Box in Manila, everyone can use this. The embassy warden currier also picks the mail up and delivers to the RAO or VFW. There is actually only one PO box that everyone shares. One ask the clerk for one’s mail. Most pinay would be shy to go to the VFW or RAO to get their mail. Maybe sending certified or registered might be better.


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## mrtibbs (Jan 2, 2012)

Phil_expat said:


> One way of sending mail more securely is to send it certified or registered mail. Many friends of mine do this. As far as the VFW, the mail box service here at my VFW is operated by the RAO which also has a post box service at their location. The VFW is nearer to me than the RAO. There are two types of mail service at the VFW and the RAO. One is for retired military with 20 or more years. The mailing address is a USA address that uses embassy mail to the USA embassy in Manila. The RAO (embassy warden) picks it up and bring it to the RAO or VFW. The other type that I use is for those that are not retired military. My mailing address is a PO Box in Manila, everyone can use this. The embassy warden currier also picks the mail up and delivers to the RAO or VFW. There is actually only one PO box that everyone shares. One ask the clerk for one’s mail. Most pinay would be shy to go to the VFW or RAO to get their mail. Maybe sending certified or registered might be better.


Thank you for the quick reply. I am thinking more in line with me getting my mail delivery when i move there, not my gf, Heheheeh. I am not a veteran, having never been in the service. I was just registered into the draft as the US was pulling out of Vietnam, so I was never drafted. 

I will be living in Malolos City in Bulacan Province when I finally make the move in about 2-3 years . as I plan for now. By the way.. what is RAO? 

Thanks again!!


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

mrtibbs said:


> Thank you for the quick reply. I am thinking more in line with me getting my mail delivery when i move there, not my gf, Heheheeh. I am not a veteran, having never been in the service. I was just registered into the draft as the US was pulling out of Vietnam, so I was never drafted.
> 
> I will be living in Malolos City in Bulacan Province when I finally make the move in about 2-3 years . as I plan for now. By the way.. what is RAO?
> 
> Thanks again!!


The RAO is Retired Activities coordination Office, the local embassy warden. You could use the mail service there or the VFW. I have been told US banks will not send credit cards to other countries so you might have to use a mail forwarding service for that.

welcome


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

knowing the efficiency of Phil Post (including workers caught on CCTV when they were busy helping themselves with the contents of the mail .. though could not be fired, Fil style .. )

I always either use DHL, or LBC .. LBC, delivers in 3 to 5 days, Singapore to Luzon / Baguio

Philpost delivers in 3 weeks, if at all it reaches the other end, and LBC is NOT Expensive .. 

Plus they deliver to the door step.. 

Now, LBC Large boxes ? that's a different story though


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

ecureilx said:


> knowing the efficiency of Phil Post (including workers caught on CCTV when they were busy helping themselves with the contents of the mail .. though could not be fired, Fil style .. )
> 
> I always either use DHL, or LBC .. LBC, delivers in 3 to 5 days, Singapore to Luzon / Baguio
> 
> ...


I use LBC a lot myself but I believe the topic here is regular postal mail. LBC does not have mail have a mail forwarding service in the USA.


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

LBC does do mail forwarding as well, and even locally in Philippines, those who value the mail use LBC ... maybe it is a conspiracy by LBC to make PhilPost inefficient enough so it can be privatised .. like Philippine Airlines ..  

In Singapore, oyou tell them it is 'document' and you get the document pouch .. a-la DHL

I am sure they do it in US too.. 

Well, for outbound, LBC consolidates and ships by DHL

For inbound, they use their own Hari Ang Padala delivery .. and for a hundred peso or so, my other half does post stuff from Baguio to Batanes, Laoag, and Abra and all,.. and delivered within 3 days instead of PhilPost 1 week plus plus .. if at all it is received ..


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

ecureilx said:


> LBC does do mail forwarding as well, and even locally in Philippines, those who value the mail use LBC ... maybe it is a conspiracy by LBC to make PhilPost inefficient enough so it can be privatised .. like Philippine Airlines ..
> 
> In Singapore, oyou tell them it is 'document' and you get the document pouch .. a-la DHL
> 
> ...


Thanks, all the years I use LBC I did not know that. If a mail forwarding service they have an address I can give my friends, relatives and business in the USA and they will forward it to the Philippines?


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

Check with LBC.

Last statistics show that there are more Filipinos in US, than the combined population of Singapore !!!


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

Phil_expat said:


> The RAO is Retired Activities coordination Office, the local embassy warden. You could use the mail service there or the VFW. I have been told US banks will not send credit cards to other countries so you might have to use a mail forwarding service for that.
> 
> welcome


You might want to check with your bank/credit card issuer. I have a retiree box at the RAO and I was able to use that address as my billing address for my Credit Cards/Debit Card. To the banks, it's an overseas US Military address. I recently was able to receive my new Credit Cards/Debit card without issue. I also was able to buy a MagicJack Plus online and have it sent to this address (as the package was less than 14oz). I recommend that you get some kind of VOIP phone with a US Number before you get here. That way you can make no cost calls stateside and use it for your reference number on your credit cards. I also recommend getting (if you don't already have) a Visa that uses VeriSign or a MasterCard that uses Securecard. Most vendors over here (especially airlines) won't allow you to book online unless you have one of the above. This also goes along with notifying your financial institution that you will be living here and to have the transactions/online banking unblocked for the Philippines...


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## FxDragons (Dec 7, 2012)

I see the responses. I will look at the box using the RSO. Still more homework to do for sure.


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

jon1 said:


> You might want to check with your bank/credit card issuer. I have a retiree box at the RAO and I was able to use that address as my billing address for my Credit Cards/Debit Card. To the banks, it's an overseas US Military address. I recently was able to receive my new Credit Cards/Debit card without issue. I also was able to buy a MagicJack Plus online and have it sent to this address (as the package was less than 14oz). I recommend that you get some kind of VOIP phone with a US Number before you get here. That way you can make no cost calls stateside and use it for your reference number on your credit cards. I also recommend getting (if you don't already have) a Visa that uses VeriSign or a MasterCard that uses Securecard. Most vendors over here (especially airlines) won't allow you to book online unless you have one of the above. This also goes along with notifying your financial institution that you will be living here and to have the transactions/online banking unblocked for the Philippines...


You are right, I am NOT retired military so my RAO address is a PO BOX in Manila. My banks will not send my new credit cards to a Manila P.O. Box.


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

I ran across this list of RAO's in country at raonews3

I am not sure how up to date it is but may be a good starting point for someone researching in the future;

BACOLOD: OSCAR SMITH, USAF RET
(Alternate) P.O. BOX 217 
BACOLOD CITY, ****** OCCIDENTAL 6100
[email protected]
BAGUIO: LEN HARVEY, USAF RET
47 MISSION ROAD, CRYSTAL CAVE
BAGUIO CITY 2600
TEL NO. 074-442-3468, FAX: 074-442-4205
CP NO. 63915 328 0757
[email protected]
CAGAYAN DE ORO: MIKE FARRELL, USMC RET
#2 VILLA MARIA PASCO VILLAGE, TABLON 
CAGAYAN DE ORO, MISAMIS ORIENTAL 9000
[email protected]
DAGUPAN CITY: ROBERTO MACARAEG
FORMERLY NSO BLDG
A.B. FERNANDEZ EAST
DAGUPAN CITY, 2400
CP NO. 63919-848-9317 
TEL NO. . (075) 696-9106 or (075) 653-3347 
[email protected]

DAVAO: ALBERT ENCARNACION, USN RET
DAVAO CITY 8000
[email protected]
LAOAG CITY: ERIC ALLAN CHURCH
BRGY. 5 LAOAG CITY,
ILOCOS NORTE
PHILIPPINES 2900
TEL.# (077) 770-4252
CEL # 639189035206
[email protected]
LA UNION: EUGENE BROWN, USN RET.
#01 GREEN VALLY RD COMPOUND
PARINGAO, BAUANG, LA UNION 2501 
TEL NO. (072)607-6725 
[email protected]

LEYTE: ROBERT L. BOLICK USAF RET
ALEGRIA, SLAUTERHOUSE RD.
ORMOC CITY, LEYTE 6541
CEL# 09279770509 
[email protected]
JOSEPH GROVER 
LAPU-LAPU ST.
TOLOSA, LEYTE 
CEL NO.(63)9189061181 
[email protected]

NUEVA VIZCAYA: MARIO E. ANTES
#56 BRGY.ALMAGUER SOUTH,
BAMBANG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, 3702
CELL# +63939-910-3997/
+63928-500-1986 
[email protected]

CLARK FIELD: LEONARD JONES 
PSC 517 BOX R C
FPO AP 96517-1000
[email protected]

Also, here is the link to the Subic RAO Retired Activities Office (RAO) Subic Bay, Philippines


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

There is also on in Marikina [email protected] Nida Dulao
49 Colt St. Rancho Estate 1, 1800 Marikina City, Marikina


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## SublationUSAF (May 29, 2014)

I just use US Global Mail then I look at the picture of mail I have received and discard the junk.. it's great to set a forwarding mailing address and have credit cards and stuff sent to. They can also scan the mail item so you can read it or forward it to an address. 

I have found it to be reliable. Nothing has been lost that I've forwarded. 

If you choose to sign up let me PM your email address to me so I can refer you. I think we both will get a free month. But be patient if I don't respond right away. In southern leyte the mobile Internet is not reliable so I travel to San francisco or liloan to use internet café.


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## bbazor (Nov 18, 2013)

SublationUSAF said:


> I just use US Global Mail then I look at the picture of mail I have received and discard the junk.. it's great to set a forwarding mailing address and have credit cards and stuff sent to. They can also scan the mail item so you can read it or forward it to an address.
> 
> I have found it to be reliable. Nothing has been lost that I've forwarded.
> 
> If you choose to sign up let me PM your email address to me so I can refer you. I think we both will get a free month. But be patient if I don't respond right away. In southern leyte the mobile Internet is not reliable so I travel to San francisco or liloan to use internet café.


What do they charge for the service?


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## Travelling Surfer83 (Oct 28, 2014)

It's 3-4 weeks after posting from the UK that my girlfriend receives the mail on Mindinao. It's slow but I have had 100% success so far


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Travelling Surfer83 said:


> It's 3-4 weeks after posting from the UK that my girlfriend receives the mail on Mindinao. It's slow but I have had 100% success so far


You are extremely lucky so far. From now till after the middle of Jan, it almost comes to a complete stop due to the holidays and theft.


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

Jet Lag said:


> You are extremely lucky so far. From now till after the middle of Jan, it almost comes to a complete stop due to the holidays and theft.


Mail = letters, yep, they don't get pilfered

Anything else, gets lost along the way very easily

Hence LbC or JollyB and their likes


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## colemanlee (Nov 17, 2014)

If its important I use LBC..I have had many people send me stuff from the states regular mail and I never got it...


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I have been here (Iloilo) for 2 years and have never had anything lost or stolen in the regular mail. I use Traveling Mailbox as my US address and mail forwarding company. I have received packages, envelopes, 3 or 4 credit cards, my drivers license... the mail is slow - but never had any issues.


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## overmyer (Aug 15, 2013)

Tukaram said:


> I have been here (Iloilo) for 2 years and have never had anything lost or stolen in the regular mail. I use Traveling Mailbox as my US address and mail forwarding company. I have received packages, envelopes, 3 or 4 credit cards, my drivers license... the mail is slow - but never had any issues.


I have been here in Bacolod City since 2006. I also use a private mail box service, with mail forwarding, as my US address. I too have never had any lost/stolen/damaged mail issues with PhilPost. I can't say the same for the US Postal service. Not only did I have several issues with them damaging my mail but I would frequently receive my neighbors mail (and vice versa).


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