DICT Rolls Out Amnesty Program for Unauthorized Delivery Service Operators

In a move aimed at formalizing the country’s growing delivery services sector, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has issued Department Circular No. HRA-002, Series of 2025, launching an Amnesty Program for colorum Private Express and/or Messengerial Delivery Service (PEMEDES) firms. The program offers a time-bound opportunity for unauthorized operators to legitimize their services without facing administrative penalties.

 

The Circular, issued on June 26, 2025, comes in response to the rapid rise of informal delivery service providers driven by the expansion of e-commerce and online platforms. Under DOTC Department Circular No. 2001-01, delivery service providers are required to secure an Authority to Operate from the DOTC (now DICT). Those operating without one are considered “colorum” and are subject to sanctions.

 

Through the Amnesty Program, the DICT aims to promote public safety, protect consumers, and bring informal operators into regulatory compliance. The amnesty will run for six months, starting from the date of the DICT’s notice of effectivity of the PEMEDES Portal.

 

Highlights of the Amnesty Program

 

• Firms currently operating without a valid Authority to Operate, or with expired, suspended, or revoked authorizations, may apply.
• Applicants must disclose operational details, including the number of messengers and scope of clientele, and submit an affidavit of undertaking and a waiver of right to contest future penalties.
• Submissions will be done exclusively through the PEMEDES Portal, which supports online forms, digital signatures, status tracking, and digital payments.
• Qualified applicants will receive a six-month Provisional Authority to Operate (PATO) featuring a unique QR code for verification.
• Firms that fail to apply during the amnesty window may face cease and desist orders and administrative sanctions.

 

The DICT emphasized that the program is not a substitute for securing a formal Authority to Operate. Rather, it is a transitional mechanism to encourage voluntary compliance from delivery firms that have yet to regularize their operations.

 

By implementing this amnesty, the DICT reinforces its regulatory oversight over domestic postal commerce and affirms its mandate under the DICT Act of 2015 to promote a secure, inclusive, and accountable ICT environment. 

 

As of this writing, the PEMEDES portal has yet to be open to the public. To learn more about this circular, click here.