UPS (NYSE: UPS), one of the world’s largest integrated logistics providers, has introduced new service enhancements in the Philippines to boost international trade prospects for many of the country’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMB).
The enhancement sees pickup times for export shipments and customer service bookings from the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna and Batangas extended by up to one hour.
Meanwhile coverage of UPS’s Worldwide Express Freight (WWEF) service – a guaranteed door-to-door express freight service that delivers heavy, palletized shipments to destinations worldwide in as little as one business day – has also been expanded to 129 more postal codes in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Tarlac and Zambales.
“When we talk to small business owners, they often tell us they wish they had more hours in a day; so we’re delighted to be able extend pickup cutoff times to give our SMB customers in these areas more time to increase the number of orders they can process on a daily basis,” said UPS Philippines Managing Director Russell Reed.
“Getting those orders delivered to customers on time is also vital. UPS Worldwide Express Freight is a guaranteed service that allows businesses to replenish inventory faster and reduce the risk of stock-outs thereby improving their customers’ experience. For manufacturers, they can rely on receiving critical inventory and replacement parts quickly to minimize costly downtime.”
These enhanced services come as the Asian Development Bank raised its 2022 growth forecast for the Philippine economy to 6.5% from a previous 6% projection in July, following relaxed mobility restrictions in the country, increased vaccinations as well as a rebound in investment and household consumption. The growth is expected to trickle down to the rural countryside and across the provinces, cities and towns.