The 2nd Stamp Collector's Night

It's a 5-in-1 celebration at the Manila Post Office:

1. The 2nd Stamp Collector's Night

2. The celebration of the Stamp Collecting Month which is every November

3. The Launching of the Pope visitation stamps

4. The 160 year Aniversary of the Philippine stamp

5. and the awarding of those designs that won for the Pope stamp and the ASEAN stamp design competition.

Stamp Collecting Night?

Ok... Ok.

FYI: Stamp Collecting is considered as the biggest hobby in the world and uhhh... Wait. There is quite some confusion here. Stamp collecting is not philately. Stamp collecting is included in the subject area of philately, but philately itself is more than just stamp collecting. It is the study of stamps and postal history.

So now you know.

The 1st Stamp Collector's Night was held at Manila Central Post Office in Lawton Manila, November 21 2013 and their guest of honor was Former President Fidel V. Ramos who is said to be a stamp collector. Well, we can also add here that it was Former President Ramos who signed Presidential Proclamation 494 which makes the month of November as National Stamp Collecting Month.

Now, on the 2nd Stamp Collector's Night, the highlights of the events are the issuing of special stamps to celebrate the papal visit on January 2015. Oh, and there was even a contest for the design. Also, it was about the unveiling of the stamp for the 160-year anniversary of the first Philippine stamp.

Invocation by Mr. Enrique V. Tagle

Hon. Cesar N. Sarino (Chairman and BOD) giving the welcoming remarks

The First Philippine Stamp
One of the highlights of the event was the 160-year anniversary of the first Philippine stamp.

According to historians and philatelists, the first stamps were issued on 1 February 1854 and it has the a profile of an effigy of Spanish Queen Isabela II and take note, we are also known as the first Asian country to use stamps.

Now, look closely at the stamp. Hmmm... frankly speaking, it was a very crude work (I thought Queen Isabela II here has a beard.)

The stamps were made by Filipinos, first engraved and then printed in the establishment of Plana, Jorba y Compaña in Manila. The inks that were used were purchased on local Chinese stores and  were printed on white wove paper.

Sadly, you will notice that the name "Filipinas" was not printed with the stamps.

On the Papal Visit

There were already 2 Popes that visited the Philippines, and this coming January 2015, Pope Francis will by the 3rd Pope to visit the country.

That's why Philpost held  an on-the-spot stamp design contest last Oct. 24. With a themed “A Nation of Mercy and Compassion,” the contest was open to students and professionals.

The student category is composed of elementary, high school and college students from public and private schools. The professional category is open to artists, designers, illustrators and other interested parties.

The top two winning designs will be featured in the Papal Visit Postage Stamps to be launched by PhlPost for local and international circulation and the winning designs would be featured in a special souvenir frame to be given to the Holy Father.

There was also the Papal Exhibit Preview of Pope Francis Souvenir sheet that was held at the Manila Central Post Office (November 10 to 14) and will again travel in the following venue:  Manila Cathedral (November 17 to 21) and at the University of Santos Tomas (November 24 to 28). The exhibit showcase the stamps issues which commemorate the Papal Visits to the country.

Speaking of Papal Visits in the Philippines...

Do you know that there were already two Popes that visited the Philippines?

The first Pope that visited the Philippines was Pope Paul VI (November 27-29, 1970) and he was considered the first  Vicar of Christ to set foot on Southeast Asian soil. 

Unfortunately on his arrival at the Manila International Airport, he was attacked by a Bolivian painter dressed in clerical garb named Benjamin Mendoza y Amor Flores. He attacked the Pope with a 33-centimeter blade. The Pope’s personal secretary, Msgr. Pasquale Macchi, broke the attack by grabbing Mendoza and throwing him to the ground, yet the Pope was wounded in the chest because of the attack.

Pope John Paul II came to the Philippines 2 times... er, well he have visited the Philippines 3 times. The first was in 1973 when he was still Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow in Poland.

The first visit of Pope Paul II was on February 17-22, 1981 where he beatified San Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions who were martyred in Nagasaki in 1637. It was said to be the first beatification of saints outside Rome. 

The second visit was on January 12-16, 1995 at the time of the 10th  World Youth Day that was held here in Manila. There were almost 5 million people attended the ceremonies at Rizal Park. It was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest gathering of people in one event and was also considered the biggest gathering so far in the Pontiff’s 16-year reign.

First Place Winner

ASEAN
THE Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) have launched a nationwide stamp-designing contest. Now, the winner will be the Philippine’s official entry for the ASEAN Commemorative Stamps design competition to be held in Thailand.

The theme was, "One Vision, One Identity, One Community."

Now, who will be the lucky winner?
                   

Senator Grace Poe was the honored guest on the said celebration. One thing that I learned that night about Senator Poe was that she got the highest number of votes of more than 20 million in the May 2013 elections and that is said to be the highest in Philippine electoral history. 

Mr. Willard Cheng. He is an ABS-CBN  reporter that have been collecting stamps since he was 8 years-old.

Hon. Ma. Josefina M. Dela Cruz (Postmaster General and CEO) introducing the Guest of Honor

Guest of Honor: Senator Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) announced the winners of the nationwide ASEAN Stamps Design Contest and the Philippine’s official entry for the ASEAN Commemorative Stamps design competition to be held in Thailand.

A Joint Issue of the ASEAN Community Commemorative Stamps shall be released to welcome the “ASEAN Economic Community” in 2015.

Fangon Tadeo IV of Bustos, Bulacan- Third Prize

Rommer Fajardo of Imus, Cavite- Second Prize

Arnaldo C. Ramirez, Jr. of San Pedro City, Laguna – First Prize

And the winner of the ASEAN  nationwide ASEAN Stamps Design Contest and the Philippine’s official entry for the ASEAN Commemorative Stamps design competition to be held in Thailand.

• Arnaldo C. Ramirez, Jr. of San Pedro City, Laguna – First Prize
• Rommer Fajardo of Imus, Cavite- Second Prize
• Fangon Tadeo IV of Bustos, Bulacan- Third Prize

Now who will not take this opportunity? Stamp collectors and PHLPOST employees asking the guest of honor, Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares signed an autograph.

More on the event...

While taking some pictures of the event, I've noticed this guy who was busy sketching Sen. Poe's face.

Wow! He's fast.

He was able to finish the sketch in no time and was able to give the drawing to Sen. Poe before she left the Post Office.

More collectors and visitors...

And the food was great.

Until the next Stamp Collector's Night @ Rence Chan and Dennis Dy Ko.