The first postage stamps used in the Philippines were issued by Spanish colonial authorities in 1854, or 14 years after the world’s first stamps had been issued by Great Britain. Since then, Philippine stamps have followed the country’s history through its many periods. The first Spanish Philippine stamps do not bear the name of the country but are identified through the portrait of the reigning monarch, in this case, Isabella II in profile with a coronet. Denominations are 5 and 10 cuartos, 1 and 2 reales. These were handengraved on metal plates and thus differ from each other in many minute details. One carries the word carros instead of carreos, a genuine error valued by stamp collectors.
During the early Spanish regime in the Philippines, the exchange of letters and communications were limited to those belonging to the officials of the government and the dignitaries and priests of the Catholic church, the letters, communications, and documents were carried by “badageros” who rendered free services to the colonial government. Badageros either hiked or rode on horseback in dispatching the early postal service from “Tribunal (town hall) to tribunal or to the “Casa Real” (provincial capital).
The badageros who acted as courier (counterpart of our present postman) were also called the “Polistos” classified as male citizens from 18 years who did not hold any public office like the “Gobernadorcillo” (Mayor), “Teniente primero y segundo” (vice-mayor), the Juez, “Cabesas” (councilors), the Commesarios” and “Cuadrillos” (Policeman) and “Escribanos (clerks). Badageros performed their courier services by rotation. Two Badageros were assigned every day at the Tribunal to be relieved the next day. If letters or communications were rush in nature, the badageros had to go and dispatch them even at midnight.
The ship carrying mail from Manila came to Dumaguete two times a month, but those from Iloilo and Cebu came weekly to Bais and the capital. This same boat that our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal took for Dapitan his place of exile in 1892.
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Dumaguete City Post Office 1914 THROWBACK:
Town postal workers took time for a pose in front of the Bureau of Post with our local Postal Officials and US Postal Services Officials (in color), corner Flores Avenue and Katada Street, Dumaguete town
Photo Collection : Historian & Stamp Collector Prof. Penn Larena
Color in Photo : Andy Pedrosa |
At the beginning of the American Occupation, the first samples being the current U.S. overprinted with the Philippines (1899).In 1906, the first stamps under the American insular government were issued each one in a set of 14 inscribed with Philippine Islands / United States of America.
In 1920 the American teachers were the ones who encourages the people of the community to collector Postal Stamp and this also the period in time that our residents received airmail postal services and limited stamps were issued for experimental and exhibition airmail flights. One of the pioneer American Stamp collectors in Dumaguete is the American contactor and Freemasons Clyde V. Powers.
In 1943 during the Japanese Occupation and World War II was a normal operation of postal service like other provinces in the Philippines but close monitor by the Japanese Imperial Forces. Juvenal Villanueva-Somoza and Prof. Leoncio B.Tulabing from Tanjay City were among Philatelic collectors but some of their collections were given to the Japanese as payment for goods for the family in 1944. Most of the stamp during this era were printed in Tokyo Japan
In the 1950s this is a new beginning era of Philatelic collecting worldwide people enjoy collecting for fun and as a hobby among the pioneer collectors is Dr. Vicente Guzman-Sinco For his distinguished career in public service or educational administration, he received several citations, gold medals of merit, or diplomas of honor from the University of Minnesota in 1956, the Philippine YMCA in 1959, the Jose P. Laurel Memorial Foundation in 1962, the Texas Southern legal Foundation in 1962, the University of the Philippines in 1970, and the Rizal Pro-Patria Award in 1972 from the Republic of the Philippines; in addition to five honorary doctorates from Ohio Northern University (1952), the University of Manila (1958), Silliman University (1962), Central Philippine University (1968) and the University of the Philippines (1970).Mr & Mrs. Manuel Utzurrum Jr a true blue Sillimanian and active church member of Silliman University Church and Mrs. Monserat Magbanua a civic leader and girl’s scout executive council.
Marcos Era of the 1970s was the first special issue for Negros Oriental the T.V. Pavilion Requested Philippine Tuberculosis Society Negros Oriental Chapter.80s was also a new Beginning of stamp collectors in grade school and high school students were into it exchanging paper, stationery, and sticks. A taste of the glory of Negrense personality was in a souvenir sheet of stamps in 1994 Jose Yulo , 1995 Rafael Salas , and our very own Sen. Jose Romero in 1997.
The fifth of a series of souvenir sheets and first-day covers issued by Philippines Postal Corporation to publicize for the centenary of Philippine Independence Date of Issue June 14, 1997 Pantaleon Villegas a native of Bacong Negros Oriental & hero during the Philippine Revolution is included in this series. Sixth of a series of Souvenir sheets and the first day of Negros Uprising 1898 issue. November 5, 1998, one of the frame presentations of the Negros Uprising Stamp to Bacolod City for its unveiling with no less than the Chair of the National Centennial Commission Salvador Laurel Jr. and Philippine Centennial Movement Chair Gloria Angara doing the honors. It was a joint project by Cebu Stamp Club, Inc and Negros Navigation attended by Richard Allan Uy, Ricardo Teves, and top executives of NN. This event was never an exhibition but an unveiling ceremony. First Dumaguete Philately Society later part of the 90s was organized by Monserat Magbanua as President and Richard Rauscher an American Citizen with French ancestry as Vice President. I remember a stamp exhibit about Philippine History and other related topics was held in Lee Super Plaza one of the shopping malls in Dumaguete in the 90s.
In 2008 during 108th Silliman University Founder Day celebration was the idea to bring an exhibit to Dumaguete City was a result of email communications between Richard Uy and CSCI Board member Aidalyn Arabe who hails from this city. Once it was decided to pursue the project, letters were sent to Dr. Elizabeth Susan Vista-Suarez, Cultural Officer of Silliman University and Mr. Dinno Depositario, the Vice President of Student Life and External Affairs of the Foundation University.
The exhibit was titled “The Philippines, The Land Of Heroes.. A Retrospect Through Stamps.” With the sponsors coming in, everything was in place. The exhibit title was changed to “Selyo At Kasaysayan.. A Retrospective of Filipino Heroes Through Stamps.” The exhibit posters, tarpaulins, invitation letters and programs were printed by Silliman University. Cebu Stamp Club came out with its posters, tarpaulins and invitation programs.This unique exhibit retells and miniaturizes Philippine history. It is like a picture storybook but instead of using pictures, we use stamps to portray our history. One of the exhibit materials taken from my collections has been a winner in a National Competition as well as in Regional Competitions. Sometime in May, Penn Villanueva Larena invited his uncle, Postmaster General Hector RR. Villanueva of the Philippine Postal Corporation to grace the occasion. True enough, the postmaster came to the opening of the exhibit.
The well-attended program opening in Dumaguete City started at 3:00 PM with the Invocation and National Anthem sung by Silliman’s Ating Pamana led by Dr. Elizabeth Susan Vista-Suarez. The Welcome Address was done by Prof. Isabel Dimaya-Vista who was the former chairman of the Cultural Affairs Committee. Year after Cebu Stamp Club members based in Dumaguete organized a corps. group of five persons leads by Gary Rosales, Richard Rauscher, Penn Larena Aidalyn Arabe and Midfred Ong.
A monthly meeting started in July of 2009 and share of taught was held at the Girls Scout office near the Capitol Building. The first stamp exhibits for the newly established stamp club were held at Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria ( COSCA ) during the 50th anniversary of the institution at the Main Library sponsored by COSCA, Matiao Transport Co. and Expressions Flowers.
Dumaguete Stamp Collectors Club in partnership with Foundation University, Philipost ( Dumaguete Post Office ), and Matiao Transport Co.Presents “Thematic and Accumulation” A non-competitive Philatelic Exhibit on Olympics, Philippine Christmas, Tourism, lighthouses , Japanese Occupation 1940s-1950s ,Aviation and UP Past Presidents. The grand opening will be on Dec 14,2009,viewing time is from 8:30am- 5:00pm .Come and Visit this one in a lifetime exhibit and learn the world of stamp collecting.
Allan Uymatiao, Penn Larena,Gary Rosales, Rafael C. Quirante Jr , Joseph Miag-ao Ojales, Jane Dimalig of the Dumaguete Post Office.
The Philippine Postal Corporation Iloilo District Area 6, with the support of the Dumaguete City Post Office, Robinson’s Place, and Dumaguete Stamp Collectors Club, did a rare stamp exhibition as well as spearheaded different Postal ID Activities. Formally opening the exhibit were PhilPost Dumaguete Postmaster Rafael C. Quirante Jr., Dumaguete Stamp Collectors Club President Gary P.Rosales; Postmaster Joseph Miag-ao Ojales; and St. Paul University Dumaguete External Affairs Officer Penn T. Larena.
Through the exhibit that featured Philatelic stamps and first day covers, local philatelic exhibitors Mr. Allan Bennett Uymatiao, Milfred Ong , Richard Rauscher, Penn T. Larena and Gary Rosales, hoped to increase the public’s awareness of one of the most loved hobbies of all time — stamp collecting.
According to Rosales, Philately is a stress reliever and is both educational and fun. One can learn the culture, history, and traditions of different countries just by collecting stamps.
This coming November 28 to December 3, 2018, Thailand will host the 2018 World Stamp Exhibition which will be one of the world’s high profile philatelic events displaying approximately 2,500 frames of exhibits from all Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) member countries. Total value of stamps is estimated at over 4,000 Million Baht (100 Million Euros).
