JapOcc 16

A set of three stamps was issued on November 12, 1942 to "point out the increasing danger of famine brought about by the War". The stamps promoted production and conservation of food, depicting a farm scene.

Known as Food Production Campaign semi-postals, the stamps were printed in Manila by lithography on unwatermarked paper. The surtax (the +centavo values in the denomination) went to the Philippine Red Cross.Printing quantity: 2c+1c (one source says 300,000 and another says 400,000), 5c+1c (200,000) and 16c+2c (one source says 50,000 and another says 80,000).

JapOcc 15

The last commemorative issue of the Japanese occupation was a set of three stamps for the first anniversary of the Philippine Republic belatedly released on January 12, 1945 (first day covers of this issue are dated October 14, 1944). The album page says "The recurrent air raids in Manila and provinces by the American forces during this period of the War disrupted the normal activities of the people."

These are better known as the Laurel Issue because these portray Jose P. Laurel whose presidential term lasted from 14 October 1943 to 17 August 1945. Stamps were printed locally by lithography on unwatermarked paper, imperforate, and issued without gum.

Printing quantity: 5s (750,000), 7s (one source says 500,000 and another says 650,000) and 20s (one source says 350,000 and another says 500,000). "s" stands for sentimos.

JapOcc 14

Two values of the "vinta and clipper" airmail stamps of 1941 were overprinted for the second anniversary of the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor, surcharged with new values, and issued on May 7, 1944. 

Printing quantity: 5c on 20c (285,000) and 12c on 60c (165,000).

JapOcc 13: souvenir sheet

And, a semi-postal souvenir sheet of the National Heroes stamps was issued on February 9, 1944, the 107th birth anniversary of Jose Burgos.

Printed locally by lithography on unwatermarked paper, imperforate, and issued without gum. Printing quantity: 200,000. It was sold at the post office for ₱1. The extra amount went to a fund for care of heroes' monuments.Interestingly, on the sheet it reads REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS whereas on the three stamps the NG has a tilde above, the old way of writing it.

Year of the Rat

New Issue alert:

Cebu 450th founding year

New Issue alert:

Merry Christmas

Have a merry

and philatelic

Christmas!

JapOcc 13: imperf stamps

Imperfs of the National Heroes issue were released on April 17, 1944.

Printing quantity: 200,000 for each value.

JapOcc 13: perf stamps

A set of three stamps featuring the portraits of Jose Rizal, Jose Burgos and Apolinario Mabini was issued on February 17, 1944.

Known as the National Heroes issue, the stamps were printed locally by lithography on unwatermarked paper, perforated 12.

Printing quantity: 5c blue (500,000), 12c carmine (300,000), 17c orange (200,000).

JapOcc 12: souvenir sheet

Also issued on October 14, 1943 was this semi-postal souvenir sheet of the three Kalayaan values, the first souvenir sheet of the Philippines.

Imperforate, measuring 127 x 177mm, printed locally by photogravure on unwatermarked paper and issued without gum, it was sold at the post office for P2.50. Printing quantity: 100,000.

Interestingly, the triangular cancel at right, which was also applied on first day covers of the Kalayaan issue, has KALAYAAN NG PILIPINAS whereas the stamps have KALAYAAN NANG PILIPINAS. Yes nowadays we would write NG before a noun, and NANG before a verb or adjective, but long before NG came about there was only NANG for a noun, verb or adjective.

JapOcc 12: stamps

On October 14, 1943 came the Kalayaan issue of three values: 5 centavos blue, 12 centavos orange and 17 centavos pink. These were designed by Guillermo Tolentino (1890-1976), who was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts in Sculpture in 1973 (two of his notable works are the Bonifacio Monument and UP Oblation) and featured a Filipina in the foreground and the Rizal Monument and Philippine flag in the background.

The stamps were printed in Manila by photogravure on unwatermarked glazed newsprint (take extra care in handling these stamps) both perforated and imperforate (the latter were issued without gum).

Printing quantity: 5c (750,000 each for perf and imperf), 12c (650,000 each for perf and imperf), 17c (500,000 each for perf and imperf).

International Civil Aviation Organization

New Issue alert:

Commission on Higher Education

New Issue alert:

JapOcc 11

The 350th anniversary of the printing press in the Philippines was commemorated with an overprinted stamp issued on June 30, 1943.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the small COMMONWEALTH overprint on the Juan dela Cruz stamp were deleted and the original 20-centavo value was surcharged to 12 centavos. The overprint Limbagan is Tagalog for printing press.
Printing quantity: 350,000.

JapOcc 10

On May 7, 1943 the anniversary of the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor was commemorated with a two-stamp set printed in Japan by photogravure on unwatermarked paper.

The 2-centavo carmine and 5-centavo green both depict a Japanese sentry at left, a map of Bataan-Corregidor-Manila at middle, and the Japanese flag, a warplane and a battleship at right. Printing quantity: one source says 1,000,000 each and another says 1,000,500 each.
Katakana inscriptions mean Philippine Postage (upper panel), Fall of Bataan and Corregidor First Anniversary (top of central design), May of 18th year of Showa (lower panel), and centavo (below the denomination at right).

JapOcc 9: P5

And the ₱5 definitive was issued on April 10, 1944. Same design as the 12 centavos, 16 centavos and 2 pesos. Printing quantity: 60,000.
Of the 14 definitives, this one had the lowest printing quantity.

FSCC auction December 2019

Some two dozen bidders participated in today's auction of the Filipinas Stamp Collectors' Club held at Manila. Close to 500 philatelic and nonphilatelic lots were offered.

Electric irons, mugs and other stuff were raffled off to members and all partook of refreshments (sushi, chicken empanada, etc) during the Christmas fellowship.

Shown above is a pane of 50 imperforate Boy Scout stamps of 1948 that I won as one of six different sheets in a folder.

JapOcc 9: P2

The ₱2 definitive was issued on September 16, 1943 and was reportedly sold out on the first day, so a second printing was made, released on April 10, 1944. Total printing quantity: 80,000. Same design as the 12 centavos and 16 centavos.

JapOcc 9: P1

The ₱1 definitive was issued on June 7, 1943. Same design as the 5 centavos, 10 centavos and 21 centavos. Printing quantity: 260,000. Note the change in the katakana characters from the centavo values.

JapOcc 9: 25c

The 25-centavo definitive was also issued on August 16, 1943. Same design as the 2 centavos and 6 centavos. Printing quantity: 1,890,000.

JapOcc 9: 21c

The 21-centavo definitive was issued on August 16, 1943. Same design as the 5 centavos and 10 centavos. Printing quantity: 750,000.

Pasko 2019

New Issue alert:

JapOcc 9: 20c

The 20-centavo definitive was issued on August 16, 1943. Same design as the 1 centavo and the 4 centavos. Printing quantity: 650,000.

JapOcc 9: 16c

The 16-centavo definitive was also issued on July 14, 1943. Same design as the 12 centavos. Printing quantity: 1,300,000.

JapOcc 9: 12c

The 12-centavo definitive was issued on July 14, 1943. It shows someone on a vinta (presumably in waters of the Sulu Archipelago or the Zamboanga peninsula where it's usually found). Printing quantity: 650,000.

JapOcc 9: 10c

The 10-centavo definitive was issued on July 14, 1943. Same design as the 5 centavos. Printing quantity: 1,950,000.

JapOcc 9: 6c

The 6-centavo definitive was issued on July 14, 1943. Same design as the 2 centavos. Printing quantity: 520,000.

JapOcc 9: 5c

The 5-centavo definitive was issued on April 1, 1943. It illustrates Mount Fuji and Mount Mayon (the coconut trees are definitely on the Philippine side!). Printing quantity: 45,000,000.

Of the set of 14 definitives, this one had the highest printing quantity.

JapOcc 9: 4c

The 4-centavo definitive was issued on June 7, 1943. Same design as the 1 centavo. Printing quantity: one source says 1,300,000 and another says 1,800,000.

JapOcc 9: 2c

The 2-centavo definitive was issued on April 1, 1943. It shows a woman planting rice (presumably in Albay, if that's Mount Mayon in the background). Printing quantity: 10,400,000.

APO auction December 2019

With only ten bidders participating in today's auction of the APO Philatelic Society, it was indeed a buyer's market, with many lots selling just for their starting bids.

Competition was stiff, however, for some philatelic lots that had open bids!

Shown here is a pane of 100 Jose Rizal official stamps of 1964 that I won.

With only 380 lots or so of philatelic and numismatic interest the sale was over in less than two hours.

Deep Sea Shrimps

New Issue alert:

DEEP SEA SHRIMPS

November 20, 2019    DEEP SEA SHRIMPS OF THE PHILIPPINES II
The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) is issuing a souvenir sheet of five topical issues featuring “Deep Sea Shrimps of the Philippines II” on 21 November at the Green and Wild Expo 2019.
Shrimps are detritivores - living things which consume decomposing animal and plant material. They are invertebrates with exoskeletons which encase their bodies for protection and structure. These shellfish live at different depths of the ocean, and some deep sea shrimp live at depths upwards of 5,000 meters.
The shrimps of the Philippines featured here fall under the order Decapoda. Decapods are crustaceans with ten legs. Mino Nylon Shrimp (Heterocarpussibogae de Man, 1917) are under the same family (Pandalidae) as the Narwhal Soldier Shrimp (PlesionikanarvalFabricius, 1787) and Hayashi’s Nylon Shrimp (HeterocarpushayashiiCrosnier, 1988) as featured on the souvenir sheet. The Domino Shrimp (Parapenaeussextuberculatus Kubo, 1949) are characterized by their bright orange spots on their mostly white body. Their pleopods (swimmerets/swimming legs) are marked by a bright spot on the near middle of each appendage. AcanthephyraarmataA. Milne Edwards, 1881 known as the Brilliant Red Carid, are shrimp known for their intensely hued red carapace. Meanwhile, Rock Shrimp (SicyoniaparajaponicaCrosnier, 2003) are harder shelled than the other shrimps listed here, hence its name. It can be identified for the small darker spots on the dorsal half of its body.

JapOcc 9: 1c

On different dates over the period 1943-44, a set of 14 definitive stamps were issued. Shown here first is the lowest value, 1 centavo, released on June 7, 1943. The main design pictures a nipa hut. Printing quantity: 1,250,000.

The 14 stamps were designed and printed in Tokyo on watermarked paper and perforated. All were engraved except the 2c, 6c and 25c which were typographed.

For collectors not familiar with these stamps, they could easily mistake these for stamps of Japan or, in at least one instance I know of, the Ryukyu Islands. This is because inscriptions are in Japanese. The top one is in kanji characters for PHILIPPINE POSTAGE and bottom one in katakana characters designate either centavo or peso.

SEA Games

New Issue alert:

JapOcc 8

Two values of the "vinta and clipper" airmail stamps of 1941 were overprinted on January 23, 1943 for the first anniversary of the Philippine Executive Commission, a provisional government created after the fall of Manila.

The 8-centavo carmine was surcharged to 2 centavos with a printing quantity of 400,000 and the P1 sepia was surcharged to 5 centavos with a printing quantity of 200,000.

JapOcc 7

More "woman and carabao" stamps were overprinted, this time marking the first anniversary of the Greater East Asia War.

This was issued on December 8, 1942 with a printing quantity of 400,000.

The Japanese characters mean GREATER EAST ASIA WAR FIRST ANNIVERSARY and the 4 centavos was surcharged to 5 centavos.

JapOcc 6

The first commemorative issue of the Japanese Occupation was this overprinted 4-centavo "woman and carabao" (allegory of Agriculture) stamp of 1935, surcharged 2 centavos with a deleting bar covering UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the overprint reading CONGRATULATIONS FALL OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR 1942.

It was a victory stamp for the Japanese forces, hence the CONGRATULATIONS part of the overprint.This was issued on May 18, 1942. Printing quantity: one source says 100,000 and another says 200,000.

JapOcc 5: third Kalibapi

The third and last KALIBAPI stamp is this P1 surcharge on the P4 Montalban Gorge with large COMMONWEALTH overprint. Printing quantity: 19,975.

Collectors here call this stamp as "uno sa kuwatro".

The KALIBAPI issue is so called because it was the KALIBAPI that asked for its issuance.

JapOcc 5: second Kalibapi

This is the second of three KALIBAPI stamps.

50-centavo surcharge with an arced deleting bar on the P1 Barasoain Church small COMMONWEALTH overprint. First printing quantity of April 30, 1943: 20,000. Second printing quantity of September 7, 1944: 125,000.The second printing was in time for CONSTITUTION DAY as the postmark indicates on covers bearing this stamp.

JapOcc 5: first Kalibapi

Three more provisional stamps were issued, on April 30, 1943, all known as the KALIBAPI issue.

KALIBAPI stands for Kapisanan ng Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas, a political party founded during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

The first of the three is this 12-centavo Salt Spring stamp with deleting bars covering UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the small COMMONWEALTH overprint. Printing quantity: 310,000. This was the new rate for registered mail, reduced from 16 centavos.

JapOcc 4

Stocks of the 16-centavo Magellan's Landing stamps were reportedly sold out by January 10, 1943, so the next day January 11 a new 16-centavo provisional was issued.

This time the 30-centavo Blood Compact stamp with small COMMONWEALTH overprint was surcharged with deleting bars covering UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, COMMONWEALTH and THIRTY. Printing quantity: one source says 210,000 and another says 300,000.16 centavos was the rate for registered mail.

Philippine Fungi

New issue alert:

JapOcc 3

Another provisional was this 5-centavo surcharge with deleting bars on the 6-centavo allegory of a Filipina commonwealth issue.

This came out on September 1, 1942 with a total printing quantity of 1,000,000 for both the brown and golden brown stamps.

Philippine Rivers

New Issue alert:

JapOcc 2

Also released on March 4, 1942 was this 16-centavo Magellan's Landing stamp overprinted with deleting bars covering United States of America and the small COMMONWEALTH overprint. Printing quantity: 160,000.

Philippine Birds

New Issue alert:

JapOcc 1

First issue of the Japanese occupation.

Provisional issued by the Japanese Military Government on March 4. 1942 with deleting bars in black covering UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and COMMONWEALTH OF THE. Printing quantity: 3,000,000.The original stamp is the 2-centavo apple green issue of April 14, 1941.

Pinoy Music Icons

New Issue alert: