PPC January 2016 auction

Over a dozen bidders came to the auction of the Philippine Philatelic Club held today at the Philpost lobby.

There were 430 philatelic and nonphilatelic lots. It took just two hours for this sale to conclude!

mourning cover

This must have been a mourning cover, judging by its black borders around the envelope.

For Philatelic Purposes Only

Lightly handstruck at lower left corner is the two-line message reading

NO CONTENTS - NO MESSAGE
For Philatelic Purposes Only

and if you're wondering what for -- this is a first day cover!

Collectors' Connection

The first three editions of Collectors' Connection, dated March 1997, June 1997 and September 1997, and published quarterly by the Manila Stamp Collectors' Club (renamed later to Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club), contains a wealth of good advice for the beginning collector, especially the editorial and the sections titled Basic Philately, The Stamp Language, Philatelic Geography, Collectors' Workshop, and Basic Don'ts of Stamp Collecting.

But it's not only for the beginners, as some news and features also cater to other collectors.

Josefina Tiongson Cura and Eliezer A. Jimenez comprise the editorial staff. This newsletter was "published quarterly in order to promote philately. It is distributed free to all MSCC members and patrons of Philately."

At that time, the monthly MSCC fellowship, auction and bourse every third Sunday was held at the Philatelic Library & Museum situated on the 3rd floor of the Philpost Bldg. Annex. The Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club has continued the same schedule but it is now held at the Philpost lobby, as the Philatelic Library & Museum has been closed.

In her second Mixtures column, Mrs. Cura announced that the MSCC "is the first stamp club in the Philippines to be on the Internet."

A revival of this newsletter would be great!

UPU letter writing contest

PRESS RELEASE: PHLPost launches Int’l letter writing contest

January 27, 2016

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) invites students 15-years old and below to join the 45th Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Letter Writing Competition for Young People.

To select the country’s official entry to the international competition, PHLPost has organized a nationwide letter writing contest inviting young people to focus on the theme” “Write a letter to your 45 year old self”. Children around the world are encouraged to take a flight - into their imagination, while writing a letter to themselves in the future. The competition also coincides with the 45th edition of the international contest.

The national winner will be sent by PHLPost as the Philippines’ official entry in the worldwide letter writing contest organized by the UPU International Bureau. The top winner will receive a gold medal and a certificate, as well as other prizes to commemorate their win. The gold medalist will also be offered a trip to the UPU headquarters in Berne, Switzerland.

Entries for the national competition must be recent and original letters written in English according to the theme of the competition. It must not exceed the limit of 1000 words in length. The composition must contain the elements of a letter, place and date, addressee’s address, opening and closing salutation and signature.

On a separate sheet of paper, the participant must indicate the following information: Number of words of the letter, complete name and address, Gender of Candidate, Age and /or Date of Birth, Colored 2×2 Photo, Name and Address of School/Grade or Year Level and Contact Numbers (Telephone/Cellphone Number).

The first prize winner will receive P20,000.00 cash; second prize- P15,000.00 and third prize- P10,000.00. All winners will also be awarded medals, plaques and albums of Philippine stamps. The top three winning school will also received cash prizes and a plaque from PHLPost.

The criteria for judging are structure as a letter -20%; adherence to the theme- 30%; creativity -30%; and Use of language-20%.

All entries must be mailed at any post offices nationwide by Domestic Express (DEMS) or Registered Mail only, not later than March 11, 2016 to: UPU 45TH International Letter Writing Competition for Young People (2016), Post Shop, Philately and Museum Division, Philippine Postal Corporation, 3/F, Central Post Office Building 1000 Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila.

For more information, please call Ms. Arlene Tiquia Labao, Project Officer of the Post Shop, Philately and Museum Division at tel. no. 527-01-08 or 527-01-32. Please visit PHLPost website at: www.phlpost.gov.ph., Facebook account @PHLpost, Twitter account @Ppostofficial and Instagram account @phlpostofficial.

MECHANICS:

https://www.phlpost.gov.ph/files/45th_international_letter_writing.pdf

Observer's

"It is surprising that more do not collect the Philippines, which range from 19th century Spanish colonies, through the US era (interrupted by Japanese occupation) to the present-day republican stamps -- nearly all of them in common everyday use. This is a country offering a great deal to those more interested in stamps as stamps than as an investment or a picture gallery." 

--Anthony New, Observer's Book of Stamp Collecting, Bloomsbury Books, London, revised 1989

Davao scouting cover

Here's one more Scouting cover: the stamp was issued for the 1977 National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts, which was held from December 28, 1977 to January 5, 1978 at three places (Isabela, Cebu and Davao -- I was there in Davao with my fellow grade school Scouts), and a handstamp for the "First National BSP Little League Baseball Championship" that I presume was also held in Davao City from April 11 to 15, 1978.

Scout Limbaga

Probably made by or for a collector of Scouts on stamps, the connection here is that Scout Limbaga is in Pasonanca Park, Zamboanga City, which is the subject of the stamp issued for the Philippine Tourism Series of the 1970s.

Spenders stiffener

Found this advertisement of Spenders Philippine Stamps used as a stiffener for the Garcia presidential credo FDC. 

Romulo scouting

Carlos P. Romulo, honored on the stamp for his 80th birth anniversary and as "Mr. United Nations", was one of the seven charter members, not of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, but of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, which was created on October 31, 1936, by Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon.

San Sebastian

New Issue alert:

PRESS RELEASE: PHLPost issues San Sebastian College-Recoletos 75th commemorative stamps

January 21, 2016

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) released new commemorative stamps marking the 75th Foundation Anniversary of San Sebastian College-Recoletos (1941-2016).

Rev. Fr. Nemesio D. Tolentin, OAR, President, SSC-Recoletos Manila and Director Joel Otarra, OIC Postmaster General unveiled the commemorative stamps presentation frame which was held at the St. Thomas of Villanova Library, San Sebastian College-Recoletos campus in Manila, January 20.

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) issued the postage stamp to commemorate the founding of the university as an institution by the Augustinian Recollect Fathers.

The commemorative stamp features the sprawling campus of neogothic architecture, including the iconic spires of its gothic Basilica, elegantly situated at the heart of Manila.

The Church of San Sebastian, a National Historical Landmark, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica, which is the only all-steel church in the Philippines.

PHLPost commissioned Amstar Co. to print 101,000 copies of the stamps, to be sold at P15 each starting January 20, 2016.

The event highlights the opening and blessing of the commemorative exhibit by SSC-Recoletos Manila Religious Administrators and PHLPost officials.

The stamps and official first day cover are now available at the Post Shop, Central Post Office, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila and area post offices nationwide. For inquiries, please call 527-01-08 or 527-01-32.

Philampex '76

PHILAMPEX '76, the Philippine-American Photo-Philatelic Exhibition, was...

...first held from May 11 to 17, 1976, at the Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center (with the International Philippine Philatelic Society as co-sponsor). The United Nations opened a postal station at the Center, and on May 13 the 50th anniversary of the Manila-Madrid Flight was commemorated.

...next held at the Casino Español at Manila from May 20 to June 7, 1976...

....then at the U.S. Naval Station Library at Subic from July 2 to 4, 1976...

...at Clark Air Base from July 16 to 28, 1976...

...and back at the Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center from August 9 to 14, 1976.

Whew!

Collectors must have had a heyday gathering all the souvenir covers with different cachets and special cancellers!

Oro Jaycees

The Junior Chamber of Cagayan de Oro was formed in 1949 (two years after the national organization) and the chapter received its charter in 1950. This slogan cancellation dated April 15, 1950, was used for that day only in Cagayan de Oro (then part of Misamis Oriental province). Cityhood came two months later on June 15, 1950, but there was no slogan cancel for this occasion.

Phl-Japan joint issue

In today's edition of The Philippine Star --

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/01/19/1544106/phlpost-issue-stamp-featuring-philippines-japan-ties

-- is the headline reading

 

PhlPost to issue stamp featuring Philippines-Japan ties

80 years ago today

This was mailed exactly 80 years ago today.

Davao at that time was only one province. It was divided into three provinces in 1967 and Baganga was made part of Davao Oriental.

Cost of mailing at that time: 2 centavos!

FSCC January 2016 auction

There were 534 lots, philatelic and nonphilatelic, listed in the auction catalog of today's sale by the Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Society held at the Philpost lobby.

Foreign philatelic lots included singles and sets (mint or used), FDCs, postal cards, commercially used covers, souvenir sheets, mixtures, and a couple of Topical Time editions.

Philippine philatelic lots included stamps of all eras, FDCs, specimens, souvenir sheets, first flight covers, and slogan cancel covers.

No need to mention the nonphilatelic lots!

There were about 30 bidders who came, although 40-50 people were around.

Constitution Day

The post office applied a special cachet to covers dated February 8, 1948, commemorating Constitution Day.

This refers to the old 1935 Constitution, which was signed by Claro M. Recto, president of the Constitutional Convention. The current Constitution in use was created on October 15, 1986, and ratified on February 2, 1987.

Rizal two first day cancels

There are also two first day cancels on this postal card: First is the overprint on the postal card for the 50th anniversary of Rizal's martyrdom on Dec. 30, 1946, with the purple post office cachet, and added later is the second for the 87th birth anniversary of Rizal on June 19, 1948, with the green definitive issued on that day and the blue post office cachet.

all about the stamps

Have you read this article?

http://www.eaglenews.ph/all-about-the-stamps/

This was published in yesterday's eaglenews.ph and titled All About the Stamps.

UN Week slogan 1954

The slogan cancellation on this cover for the 1954 United Nations Week was used from October 15 to 24, 1954.

Looks like the theme for the week honored "The World's Mother" but the Philippine stamp used was the 1952 commemorative marking the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Educational System showing a boy student and a girl student!

The boy student, by the way, looks like the twin sister of the girl student!

Roxas inauguration

It wouldn't be until July 4, 1947, when the first Roxas stamps were issued, that's why there's none on this special event cover for the Inauguration Day of President Manuel A. Roxas first cancelled on May 28, 1946, and subsequently one year later.

The cachet was handstamped by the post office.

EFO antismuggling overprint

Overprint shifted to right

After my November 23, 2015 post on this blog, I had a feeling I would find this EFO of the Rizal green definitive overprinted in 1966 (minus the 1973 surcharge) with the red overprint shifted to the right.

My first EFO discovery this year, last Saturday. This is unrecorded in the IPPS EFO catalog.

Fall of Bataan cover

Got this slogan cover in today's APO Stamp Auction held at the Philpost lobby.

I wonder if the other odd anniversaries of the Fall of Bataan (this one is for the 33rd) were also commemorated philatelically. This cacheted cover, if I'm not mistaken, was prepared by Spenders Philippine Stamps.

Less than 10 bidders came to the sale. There were 426 lots listed but only a little more than 350 were allowed by the auctioneer.

Balagtas cover

The purple post office cachet is handstamped while the Manila Variety Store Co. cachet is printed on this special event cover commemorating the 160th birth anniversary of the poet Francisco Balagtas, also known as Francisco Baltazar, whose Florante at Laura is required reading in Philippine schools.

Rizal two-in-one FDC

There are two first day cancels on this cover.

First is the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal, with the purple post office cachet, and second is the Rizal green definitive overprinted for official use, which date of issue falls on the 52nd anniversary of his martyrdom, with a blue post office cachet for the occasion.

philatelic exhibitions

There's only one listed for the Philippines in Wikipedia's list of philatelic exhibitions --

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_philatelic_exhibitions_(by_country)

It's the "PHICIPEX 1954 Philippine Centenary International Philatelic exhibition, Manila, 25 April-9 May 1954".

World Peace Day

If it's World Peace Day, why the World War II bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

This special event cover marked the second year anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, and the Peace Festival held there in 1947.

anti-tuberculosis slogan

This 1947 Manuel Quezon first day cover received another use later for a slogan cancellation, but the Rizal sepia stamp is of the Commonwealth period!

The first day of usage for this slogan cancel dated August 19, 1948, coincided with the 70th birth anniversary of Quezon. It was used until September 19 of the same year.