MANILA, Philippines — Long before there were smartphones where one can track one’s delivery while waiting for it to arrive, there was JRS Express. There was no need for a real-time tracker because people trusted that the written letter they’ve been longing for, or the fragile parcel they’re sending their loved ones will arrive the following day, safe in the hands of JRS’ fleet of dedicated men.
This trust has never changed.
After six decades of unparalleled service to the Filipino, JRS chairman, CEO and president Antonio M. Claparols looks back on the company’s humble beginnings, milestones and challenges, and hopes for a brighter beginning after the pandemic.
Humble beginnings
Since its establishment 60 years ago, JRS Express has been among the leading express delivery companies in the Philippines. Popularized by its trademark express-delivery service, the company has provided value-added logistic services to all its customers through its nationwide network of branches.
Aiming to be among the leading courier and logistics companies of the world, JRS Express has earned itself an unblemished reputation as a vital contributor to the economy and a nation builder for more than half a century.
It would only take a few short decades before courier, express, parcels (CEP) services to take form and totally captivate the Filipino consumer. The convenience of having your documents or packages delivered straight to your door the very next day, would be the trademark of JRS Express.
“The company was envisioned to connect the Filipino people and unite the country. In the beginning, it was a small but competitive industry; just a handful of players were there. To make us stand out from the rest, we specialized on next-day delivery and on-time service—qualities that we are known for to this day,” Claparols recalls.
Trademark service worthy of fame
Today, JRS Express hosts an impressive chain of more than 440 branches nationwide, manned by over 3,500 employees aboard with more than 2,000 vehicles to safely deliver each package and parcel from hubs to homes. Operating 24/7 and 365 days a year, JRS Express is a trusted name in next-day deliveries, covering more than 41,935 barangays or 99% of the archipelago.
As a testament to impressive growth, wide reach and peerless reliability, JRS Express was awarded by the Consumer Union of the Philippines (CUP) as the Most Outstanding Messengerial and Courier Company of the Year, five times in a row. Capping this stellar achievement, the company has been installed as a Hall of Famer during the highly touted CUP Awards on June 27, 2003.
“For me, the single most defining moment of JRS Express was when the company earned the coveted the CUP Awards by winning five times in a row! That milestone enshrined us in the CUP Awards Hall of Fame,” Claparols shares.
Honoring a six-decade-old commitment
When customers visit any branch of JRS Express, they will be greeted by a wide selection of services, each catering to a specific need. They can choose from Express Letter, 1-, 3- and 5-Pounders, JRS Boxes (extra small, small, medium, large), Express Cargo, Super Express, Regular Letter, Brown Envelope, General Cargo, Documents, Small Parcel, Freight Forwarder, Lipat Bahay and JRS Pera.
The JRS Express Letter and the One-Pounder are the most popular among customers, according to the company president. With each package sent and delivered, customers are assured of the fulfillment of a promised embodied in the company mantra: “Kahit kailan, maasahan. Kahit saan, makakarating.”
But the road to the 60th year was not all pleasant and smooth-going. Claparols recalls two critical roadblocks in the company’s history. “The biggest hurdles that challenged the company was three to four oil crises. And today, it’s the colorum players,” Claparols laments.
Oil crises significantly spiked fuel prices and increased operating expenses in the courier and logistics business. Another problem is the emergence of unlicensed courier companies, fly-by-night operators undercutting legitimate freight businesses.
A diamond at 60
Yet despite these challenges, JRS Express maintains that the best way to overcome hindrances is to stay true to customer service and keep investing in its greatest asset—the hardworking men and women that ensure each delivery is made on time, all the time.
“JRS Express became the company that it is today by going that extra mile and investing in our greatest asset, our people. And by using technology as well and personal quality next-day service and excellent tracking, we are able to keep up with the fast-changing times. Looking forward, we intend to expand to more than 500 plus branches by 2021, and perhaps into the Asean,” Claparols assures.
“Being in the industry for the last six decades, our customers have been with us, and we have been there for them as well. We are there for you, not only in good times but in bad times, most especially during calamities like Typhoons Yolanda and Sendong, the 1991 Baguio earthquake, and most recently, the Taal Volcano eruption and the current coronavirus 2019 crisis,” Claparols concludes.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, JRS Express is particularly proud of its staff who continue to brave the storm to service our people and country at the expense of their lives.
Built upon the values of hard work, creativity, integrity, teamwork and loyalty, JRS Express continues its commitment to be a world-class provider of courier services, logistics and supply-chain solutions. Hardened by overcoming six decades of trials and challenges, the company paved its own path to success and like a diamond, it glitters brightly in the night—today, and for the years to come.