Postmen to play Cupid on Valentine

Romance is in the mail, the old fashioned way: with flowers and chocolate delivered by hand.

This Valentine’s Day, mail carriers of the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) will play Cupid by giving chocolate and flowers to recipients of the Valentine’s Day cards and letters they deliver.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza Jr. said Philpost came up with this idea to help Filipinos connect with their loved ones.

"Philpost will be delivering not only the usual cards and letters, but also chocolate and flowers... to make this Valentine’s Day celebration a memorable one," Mendoza said.

"Despite our modern technology, such as the use of (text messaging), it is still different when love is expressed through the sending of flowers, chocolates and Valentine’s Day cards," he said.

Philpost also opened an exhibit of various love letters yesterday at the Central Post Office at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.

The exhibit aims to show that love letters are still the best way of expressing one’s feelings for one’s beloved, Mendoza said. "Unlike text messaging, love letters can be kept for a long time."

Besides the chocolates, flowers and love letter exhibit, Philpost’s Telecommunication Office (TELOF) will offer free calls in the Visayas and Mindanao to make this Valentine’s Day celebration a "memorable one."

Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) spokesman Dante Lantion said the TELOF kicked off its "Libreng Tawag" program yesterday. The program runs until Feb. 15.

The program will benefit TELOF subscribers in the Visayas and Mindanao, who will be entitled to free, five-minute inter-island calls. The program does not cover Luzon.

"The primary purpose of this project is to help TELOF subscribers greet their loved ones through the telephone. These free calls will enable them to strengthen their ties (with their loved ones) despite their distance (from each other)," Lantion said.