The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced sweeping reforms for the Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) sector aimed at improving rider welfare and enhancing service accountability across the growing delivery industry.
DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda on Tuesday outlined key components of the initiative, including a one-time fuel subsidy and support in accessing PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG benefits for delivery riders—but only for those registered under the DICT system.
“When the delivery provider registers, we can track their performance… we can provide [riders] with benefits,” Aguda said, stressing that official registration is a prerequisite for support.
The reforms, enabled by the DICT’s regulatory mandate under Republic Act No. 10844, also respond to mounting consumer complaints about delivery delays, errors, and poor service consistency. Aguda cited issues such as delivery rerouting, lack of transparency, and difficulties in cancelling transactions—problems the new PEMEDES system is designed to eliminate.
In a significant step toward digital governance and transparency, the DICT will launch a new automated PEMEDES website next month, in time for National ICT Month. The platform will function as a performance monitoring and registration portal, publishing service metrics such as delivery time and loss rates to help consumers make informed choices and promote corporate accountability.
From a commercial standpoint, these reforms will impose stricter oversight on logistics providers, potentially raising compliance costs for unregistered operators while favoring those who formalize operations. The initiative also aligns with the Marcos administration’s digitalization agenda, positioning delivery workers as “frontliners of the modern era” who deserve institutional support.
For companies in the fast-growing e-commerce and last-mile delivery sector, registration under PEMEDES will not only be a compliance measure but a competitive advantage in an increasingly regulated and consumer-aware market.
