The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has rolled out a fully digital system for regulating private courier and delivery services nationwide, following the implementation of Department Circular No. HRA-005 s. 2025, which took effect on September 17, 2025.
Under existing laws and executive issuances, the DICT holds regulatory authority over Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) operators, including the issuance of Authorities to Operate (ATOs).
The new circular standardizes and digitizes the registration and evaluation process for courier firms, replacing manual, paper-based submissions.
The department said the online system now covers the entire ATO application process — from filing to evaluation — aimed at improving transparency, reducing processing time, and easing compliance for operators across the country.
Before the circular took effect, DICT issued an average of only 10 to 12 ATOs per year due to manual processing constraints. Since September, the department has issued 56 ATOs in about three months, a sharp increase attributed to the shift to digital processing.
The DICT said the streamlined system is part of the government’s broader push to modernize regulatory services and improve the ease of doing business, particularly in logistics and last-mile delivery, a sector that expanded rapidly with the growth of e-commerce.
Courier and delivery firms are now required to register and secure permits through the DICT’s online platform to legally operate nationwide.
