DSC history

[This is taken verbatim from an insert to the DAVPEX '83 souvenir program.]

History of Davao Stamp Collectors

     It was on a day of love, February 14, 1982, when a group of friends gathered at the Europa  Law Office to form the Davao Stamp Collectors. Sharing a common love for stamps, they thought it significant to organize on Valentine's Day. The handful that were present listed down the names of their friends who were also collecting stamps and they promised to invite them to the next meeting. The turn-out of more members the next meeting showed the enthusiasm of the organizers to really establish a bigger and stronger club. Atty. Rodolfo Sarenas, former Davao City Mayor, who is himself an advanced collector, became the club's adviser. He conducted lectures  for the beginners and provided the stamps that were raffled among the members at every meeting. Soon, these raffles became the main attraction of the meetings.

     The members were not contented to meet once every three months. The beginners wanted to learn more from the more advanced collectors and the amateurs needed to exchange duplicates with one another. Other members simply must show off their recent acquisitions from international circuits. And so it came to pass that meetings were held every last Sunday of the month.

     One of the members, Orwin Austria, a high school student at the Ateneo de Davao University, was commissioned to form a chapter in his school. Not long afterwards, he became an adviser himself of the first school chapter in Davao City. Joy Platon of the Immaculate Conception College, High School Department, also recruited members from her school. They were accepted as junior members of the club.

     In the meantime, with the free publicity for the club provided by the Sunday Philatelist, Mr. Mandy Labayen in his column in the Sunday Express, more stamp collectors joined the club. Mr. Labayen, erstwhile President of Philippine Stamp Collectors, and Ms. Linda Stanfield of Spenders Philippines, Inc., in Manila provided the philatelic newspapers and materials which were the features of every meeting. Don Carlos Inductivo and his sons, Boy and Chuck, who sent congratulatory wishes to the club on the occasion of its formation, continued to give support to the members through the mails.

    Davao Stamp Collectors has contributed its share to international philately. Through Mr. Gustavo Ingles of the Philippine Philatelic Auction Club, it helped Mr. Gene Garrett of the International Philippine Philatelic Society with his research on issues of Philippine stamps used during the Japanese occupation with postal cancellations from Davao City.

     To celebrate its first anniversary, the members decided to hold this first philatelic exhibition and, to further impress its significance to the philatelic world, a souvenir card is being issued with a special cancellation mark.

     It is hoped that Davao Stamp Collectors will continue to promote philately in this part of the country and live to hold more exhibits through the years.