Cebu Stamp Club In Catmon

Cebu Stamp Club members convoyed in four cars today to the house of Australian members Kenneth and Gina Turner in Catmon town, which is 45 kilometers away from the city.

The couple treated the group with a sumptuous lunch and lots and lots of stamps, postcards and covers.

It was a fun-filled day for everyone who came. Thank you Kenneth and Gina for your hospitality.

EDSA 28: Kapitbisig Tungo sa Pagbangon

Today is the 28th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. We remember this day as the day we  regained freedom from the dictatorship of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Let the spirit of this peaceful revolution live on as we strive to make this nation free of corruption and poverty.

Cebu Stamp Club's 2014 Mega Exhibit

Cebu Stamp Club's 18th Anniversary presentation this year celebrates the sainthood of St. John Paul II, St. John XXIII and San Pedro Calungsod.

Vatican To Release Canonization Stamps

 

The Vatican Stamp and Coin Office will release these beautiful Canonization stamps featuring Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII on March 21, 2014 along with a joint issue with Poland. 

In Cebu Stamp Club's past Pope John Paul II exhibits, the said office was one of our major sponsors. (photos courtesy of Catholic News Service)

2013 Philippine Stamps Issues (January to December)

Here's the complete 2013 Philippine Stamp Issues (singles, se-tenants, blocks of 4, souvenir sheets, miniature sheets and pre-stamped envelopes) issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPOST) from January to December 2013.

I compiled it these beautiful stamp issues into a photo collage. 

Playing Around With An Android App

I find it cool after I converted one of my photos to a colored sketch using one of the apps I downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Selyo ug Kasaysayan sa Fort Ends in March

Cebu Stamp Club's historical stamp and photo exhibit "Selyo ug Kasaysayan sa Fort (Stamps and History at the Fort) which opened in April last year will finally end on March 31, 2014.

With more than a thousand local and foreign visitors visiting the fort everyday, we are proud to say that this is the club's most viewed exhibit of the club to date.

I personally thank the City Government of Cebu headed by Honorable Mayor Michael Rama, the Philippine Postal Corporation led by Director Carlo Reynalda Argana, Himlayang Pilipino Life with its Assistant Vice President for Vismin Mr. Charles Mark Uybengkee, Fort San Pedro Executive Director Erwin dela Cerna, Cebu Star Wars Club, Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, Mary Kay, Emie Patalagsa, Mary Luz Alaura, Director Rowena Montecillo, Atty. Clarence Paul Oaminal, Dante Luzon, Edwin Uy, Richard Beethoven Uy, Ricardo Teves, Elmer Silva (deceased), Jerald Kervin Uy, Aileen Simbajon, Hsingyi Uy, Khezh Rylette Uy, Duchess Blythe Uybengkee, Marvin Bonjoc, Edmund Gruenbaum, Steve and Dinah Potolin, Kenneth and Gina Turner, Rachel Betos, Eli Espina, Florence Balungcas, Flora May Combate, Nimfa Dakay, Jessa dela Pena, Ferdinand Butch Talon, Reina Kupperblatt, CNU Tourism Management Students (OJT) and everyone who have contributed in making this endeavor a tremendous success.

Happy Hearts Day Folks!

Wishing one and all a day full of Love and Happiness. Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps Energize Me! (re-published)

I was checking my friendster account when I stumbled on a blog I did a year ago. I kinda like what I wrote in that blog in FS so I am re-publishing it here. So here goes...

"It is six minutes to 5:00 AM but I am still wide awake. Earlier, I found out that the Cebu Stamp Club official website at http://cebustampclub.tripod.com is now the 23rd most viewed stamp organization site ranked by Google. Knowing that all the hard work and the sleepless nights have paid off gave me a sense of fulfillment and excitement.

Founding the club and managing it as well as being its webmaster, editor and writer is no joke. I can't imagine how I got all this energy and enthusiasm to go on.

The passion I have for philately and the active promotion of the stamp collecting hobby energizes me. Yes, stamps energize me. It made me who I am.

I recall an old friend who once told me that he loves to lick the back part of a stamp before mounting it on his album pages. He never uses water on a container but prefers to give his personal signature in each of the stamps he mounts by means of his saliva. Doing so gives him a natural high.

There are many stories I know about stamps energizing people. I have seen members who stay wide awake during the mountings and setting up of our stamp exhibits in malls. They don't even get paid a single cent by doing so. Full of energy and enthusiasm, they happily volunteer and do it for the love of the hobby.

At this moment, I am transported back in time when I first began collecting stamps. I can still feel the joy and excitement whenever a new stamp comes my way. Oh, what a feeling!

Later today, I will be bidding a sought after Philippine Commonwealth set in Ebay. Just thinking of having it in my collection contributes to my feeling of restlessness.."

The photo above is my mint United Nations year album featuring New York, Geneva and Vienna stamp issues.

My First Stamps

ABS-CBN Cebu's Mark Mayol asked me a question that I recalled nobody asked for a long time. "What was you first stamp?" The words floated in my mind. Such a very basic question but no one ever thought of asking me!

I started collecting when I was in high school. The death of my grandfather Uy Kieng San (Charles Uy) led me to start collecting stamps. Weeks after he died, I happen to open his steel cabinet. What I saw amazed me! Before my very eyes were hundreds and hundreds of envelopes from China and Taiwan. In the later part of his life, my grandfather started an import/export business and communicated frequently with Taiwanese and Chinese companies and corporations.

The envelopes bore beautiful stamps from the two countries. Instinctively, I started cutting the stamps from the envelopes and was able to amass several boxes of these stamps. Soon, I saw myself exchanging the doubles to my friends and acquaintances.

The more stamps I exchanged, the more new stamps I accumulated. It was then that I started to segregate the stamps by countries and topics.

It was in 1994 that I started buying mint Philippine stamps and first day covers in the post offices. From that time on, my collection widened. My specialization would include different era in Philippine history. Spanish Dominion, Aguinaldo Period, American Occupation, Philippine Commonwealth, Japanese Occupation and the Republic Period.

I soon found myself collecting Canada Year sets, United Nations year issues, American Presidents on stamps, Popes on stamps, birds, fishes, butterflies, scouting on stamps, dinosaur, Kings and Queens of England, and Princess Diana.

Who would ever thought that those first China and Taiwan stamps I had would lead me to found Cebu Stamp Club, Incorporated, write about stamps in my regular column in the Freeman newspaper, write stamp articles in Sun Star Daily Cebu, win awards in National, Regional and local stamp competitions, create different publications featuring stamps, and design, maintain and publish philatelic websites.

Those stamps made me who I am and I thank God for introducing me to this very wonderful hobby called "the hobby of kings, and the king of all hobbies."

To me "stamps will never die, they just fade."

New Cory Stamps Soon?

The late president Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino was featured several times on Philippine stamps. Most of these issues were released during her incumbency.

Unlike in the United States where there is a law that prohibits a living person to be featured on a US stamp, the Philippine Postal Corporation has issued stamps of famous personalities such as boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran, and incumbent presidents.

With the passing away of Cory last August 1, 2009, there is a clamor to make her a national hero and a saint. Some people want her portrait to be placed beside her husband Ninoy on the 500 peso bill. Of course, I believe that Philpost will be coming out soon with a new Cory Aquino commemorative stamp. Last November 27, 2008, two new Ninoy Aquino stamps were issued. Click here to view the Ninoy stamps.

The new Cory Aquino stamps will surely be a big hit among collectors. I can't wait to get my hands on them once Philpost decides to come out with these stamps!

The photo featured above are just some of the Cory stamps Philpost released years ago. Check out http://philippinepresidents.110mb.com for the complete set.

A Tribute to Cory Aquino

Now it's final. I just got the confirmation today from the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission of the Cebu City Government that we will have a joint exhibit again this August.

Cebu Stamp Club, Incorporated's major philatelic event this month will open at the 2nd floor of Ayala Center Cebu Mall on August 27-29, 2009 in cooperation with the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) and Cebu Star Wars Club.

The exhibit titled ”Selyo at Kasaysayan 2009.. A Tribute to Cory Aquino” coincides with the country’s celebration of the Philippine Heroes month and highlights stamps and philatelic materials that feature Cory Aquino, our heroes, presidents and our country’s history with some stamps dating as far back as 1898 and 1906.

This is our tribute to the late president and to the men and women who made this country great.

Proudly a Cebu Jaycee!

It's almost election time again for the JCI-Cebu or the Cebu Jaycees. My good friend Edwin Al Cuizon who was my buddy during my Jaycee years took the time to inform me that the group will be electing a new set of Board of Directors and officers. JCI Cebu has always lived up to the expectation of molding great leaders in business and politics in the Philippines.

Cebu Stamp Club's success can be credited to my Cebu Jaycees training. The leadership style, the management and operations along with the external activities such as stamp exhibits are all applied learnings from the Jaycees.

I still vividly recall the first time I joined the Cebu Jaycees in 1999 under the leadership of then Cordova Mayor Arleigh Sitoy. I had to balance my time with my family and the organization. As the years went by, the things I learned from the organization (LOM in the Jaycee parlance) made me a better individual. My writing and editorial career took to a new level when I sat as the Editor-in-Chief of the club's publication, Nucleus for a couple of years.

I miss those Jaycees days! The fun, the parties, the politics and the friendships as well as the different projects and activities are forever etched in my memory. Maybe one of these days, I will be able to have the time to mingle again with my Jaycee buddies and help the Lom in my own little way regardless who sits as president.

The Cebu Jaycees will always be a part of me and I am proud to be called one!

Check out this link for more Cebu Jaycees and Cebu Stamp Club joint activity photos..