Philippine Azkals Clobbers Sri Lanka

One of the favorite topics I collect on stamps is football. Even before the Philippines got into the fever with the rise of the Philippine Azkals lately, I loved football together with basketball.

I was glued watching today's game on tv as the Philippine Azkals dominated the game against Sri Lanka who was no match to the passing, solid defense and goal keeping employed by the team.

The Azkals advances to the next round of the World Cup Qualifiers after defeating Sri Lanka 4-0 in a game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium that accommodated 13,000 fans. Their next stop is to defeat Kuwait this month.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) comes up with a stamp featuring the Azkals in the near future just like what they did to Manny Pacquiao who has his own stamp.

Go, go, go Philippine Azkals!

John Paul II Celebration Exhibit in August

A few days after Pope John Paul II passed away, this philatelist came out with a presentation to pay tribute to the great Pope. Interesting stamps and philatelic items from different parts of the globe were exhibited at the Mactan Shrine in Lapulapu City, Cebu; Talisay City Post Office, Talisay City; Ayala Center Cebu in Cebu City and at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation main entrance hall.

The successful exhibit tour also coincided with the launching of Cebu Stamp Club’s official website during the Ayala Center Cebu presentation. It drew a lot of members and was the start of the club’s commitment in bringing stamp collecting to the I.T. level.

On August 28, 2011 at 10:00 in the morning, to celebrate the beatification of John Paul II and to highlight Cebu Stamp Club’s 15 years in promoting philately to everyone, John Paul II Celebration Exhibit, a first-of-its-kind presentation will be launched at Ayala Center Cebu. Featured are the stamps and covers issued in the countries of the world where the late Pontiff has visited and the complete collection of John Paul II’s stamps and philatelic items issued in the Philippines. This exhibit includes large photos of the late pontiff, and the complete images of all the 265 popes in history from St. Peter to Benedict XVI. An interactive presentation, a scale model of St. Peter’s Basilica during the beatification of Pope John Paul II completes the presentation.

The Vatican Postal Administration will be shipping some materials to add that will include the Pope John Paul II beatification issue and the Pope Benedict XVI stamps issued by Vatican Post.

To cut the ceremonial ribbon, the club has thought of inviting His Eminence Jose Palma, the Archbishop of Cebu to do the honors. This will be the biggest presentation that Cebu Stamp Club has embarked so far.

Cebu Stamp Club's June 2011 CSCI Newsletter

These past months had been very hectic for me but in spite of the busy schedule at work and at home. I still found time to sit and come out with fresh issues of the CSCI Newsletter for Cebu Stamp Club.

This latest issue features a lot of interesting and exciting articles. Some of my blogs that I wrote for the month are included for those club members who don't have time to read blogs online.

The CSCI Newsletter is exclusively available only to Cebu Stamp Club members of good standing. To have a copy of the newsletter please send membership or renewal inquiries to cebustampclub_inc@yahoo.com

Canada Adds Third Royal Wedding Stamp

On June 28, 2011 Canada Post comes out with the third installment that will complete the Royal Wedding series.

The domestic Permanent™ stamp shows a candid photo of the newlyweds in their open landau shortly after completing their wedding vows at Westminster Abbey. The stamp will commemorate the first Royal Visit to Canada after their wedding.

“This stamp is an excellent way for Canadians to commemorate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first visit to Canada,” announces the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport). “I am pleased and proud that Canada will welcome the Royal Couple on their first official visit abroad.”

USPS Mark Twain Stamp is Now Out

World famous author and humorist Mark Twain was honored on a postage stamp on June 25, 2011 by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

This commemorative First-class Forever stamp is the 27th stamp in the Literary Arts series.

The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, MO.

Postal Service Board of Governors member James H. Bilbray said that “Our literary tribute this year rightfully honors Mark Twain, author of one of the greatest novels in American literature and the man whom William Faulkner called ‘the first truly American writer’.. Mark Twain was a rarity, as he was one of the first writers to exploit the vernacular voice in his books, using the speech of common Americans.”

Mark Twain (1835—1910), is the author of great works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest novels in American literature.

The postage stamp portrait features an old Mark Twain; the background showing a steamboat evokes a way of life along the Mississippi River that played a big role in many of Twain’s works, as well as in his own life. Art director and stamp designer Phil Jordan collaborated with stamp artist Gregory Manchess, who based his portrait of Twain on a photograph taken in the year 1907.

New Rizal Stamps Are Out

The Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) came out with commemorative stamp issues on June 19, 2011 to celebrate the sequicentennial birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal.

The Jose Rizal 150th birth centenary issue includes two se-tenant pairs valued at 7p each and a souvenir sheet of 10 at 150p.

The Goethe Institute's 50th anniversary issue highlighting Rizal was also released on the same day. The stamps in a block of four are valued at 7p each.

The Top most images show the stamps for Rizal's 150th birth anniversary and the souvenir sheet that highlights different Rizal monuments in the county, followed by the Goethe Institute stamps featuring Rizal.

Remembering Jose Rizal @ 150

President Benigno Aquino III led the nation in paying tribute to the country’s national hero Dr. Jose Rizal who celebrates his 150th birthday on June 19, 2011.

To formally kick-off the celebration, he led the flag-raising ceremonies at the Rizal ancestral home compound and offered a wreath at Rizal’s statue as a boy. A 21-gun salute in honor of the national hero was accorded by members of the Presidential Security Group.

The President enjoined the Filipinos to emulate Rizal’s heroism and praised him for choosing to do the right thing. “Rizal could have used his wealth and education to become rich and marry any girl he fancied, but he chose to correct the injustices done to the motherland.. Even with the crossroads that he faced, Rizal never strayed away from the right path.” Aquino said.

Furthermore, he adds “For most people, heroism is measured by how we face our everyday struggles.”

The President was presented with five commemorative tokens for the Jose Rizal @ 150 celebration. These are; a certificate of restoration of the Noli Me Tangere by German Ambassador to the Philippines Christian Ludwig Weber Lorssch; the e-Rizal tablet from Gov. Ejercito; a “Rizal at 150” commemorative medal from Central Bank governor Amado Tetangco, Jr.; a “Rizal at 150” commemorative stamp from Post Master General Antonio de Guzman; and a book on the “Lineage, Life and Labors of Jose Rizal” by Tulay Foundation chairman Manuel Chua.

Later, the president unveiled the tallest statue of Rizal together with local officials of Calamba, the hometown of Rizal. The 22-foot bronze monument designed and created by Jonas Roces of Marikina stands on a 6.7-hectare property in front of the Calamba City Hall complex.

Members Gather for the June 2011 Stamp Meetup

It was a rainy Sunday when Cebu Stamp Club members met again for the June 19, 2011 stamp meetup at the second floor of McDonalds Jones, Cebu City.

Together with my son Jerald Kervin Uy, we welcomed everyone including the guest of the day Bob Gooding who came with his wife, Nenita. Bob is an Englishman who presently lives in Australia.

Foreigner members, Kenneth Turner with wife Gina and Edmund Gruenbaum were present too. As usual, Ken brought along his stamp freebies that made all of us busy. Eyan Yu, Sharee Ann Trapa, Ralph Ordiz, Richard Guimbarda and Dinah Potolin who was with her kids got their haul of the day.

During the course of the meeting, I shared to the group the registration fee for the upcoming Cebu Stamp Club @ 15 Grand Reunion which will be held at the Montebello Villa Hotel on August 28, 2011. The choice of food was announced. The mouth-watering lunch buffet would include: cucumber, shrimp & mango salad, fish fillet w/ blackbean sauce, chicken pork adobo w/ potato, mixed vegetables w/ oyster sauce, rice, lechon, chicken inasal, chocolate roll, and soda drinks. For snacks there will be chicken sandwiches with fries and drinks. The formal wear was also mentioned.

The John Paul Celebration Exhibit layout was shown to the members and the ribbon cutting of the exhibit is set on August 28, 2011 at 10:00 AM at Ayala Center Cebu. Members will then proceed to the reunion venue at Montebello Villa Hotel, just an 8-minute ride from Ayala.

Philatelic sharing followed after the new stamp issues for the quarter released by the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) were announced. Check out more photos at Cebu Stamp Club's Facebook page. Just type Cebu Stampclub

Cebu Stamp Club Member Exhibits Rizal in Davao

The people of Davao City got a rare treat when Davao-based Cebu Stamp Club member Renato Adapon (M110001) came out with an exhibit consisting of stamps, coins and paper bills featuring Rizal on June 17 until June 20, 2011.

Photo above shows Rene sharing his cherished Rizal collections to the public.

Security Bank's 60th Anniversary Stamps

The Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) released these commemorative se-tenant stamps highlighting the 60th Anniversary of Security Bank (1951-2011) with a denomination of P 10.00.

This issue came out on June 18, 2011.

Celebrating American Scientists

The United States Postal Service (USPS) dedicates new Forever Stamps honoring four distinguished scientists.

The third in the American Scientists series, the distinguished scientists who dedicated their lives to understanding the fundamental process of nature and made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of science are: chemist Melvin Calvin; botanist Asa Gray; physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer; and biochemist Severo Ochoa.The stamps comes out today, June 16, 2011.

Thomas the Tank Engine Chugs in Royal Mail's Stamps

Royal Mail celebrates the birth centenary of Reverend Wilbert Awdry, the creator of the hit TV show, Thomas and Friends that was first aired in 1984.

This special stamp issue released on June 14, 2011 features the engines as they as they appear on TV and in the original book illustrations.

Relive the adventures of Thomas, James, Percy, Daisy, Toby and Gordon through these beautiful stamps.

Royal Australian Navy Sails on Stamps

Australia Post commemorates 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy with the release of a ‘then and now’ stamp issue.

Featured on the stamps are the HMAS Australia (I), the first flagship of the new Australian fleet which served from 1913-1922; and the HMAS Sydney, one of four Adelaide Class guided missile frigates currently in service.

An image of Boy Seaman Frederick Mills graced the historic stamp. He served in HMAS Australia when it was attached to the British Grand Fleet in World War I. He was killed in action in World War II while serving in the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Acasta.

The contemporary stamp shows 21-year-old Combat Systems Operator, Able Seaman Rebecca Florance who is a recent crew member of HMAS Sydney (IV). The image represents the modern day sailor wearing combat uniform with a headset.

The Royal Australian Navy 1911-2011 commemorative stamp was released on June 12, 2011.

National ICT Month

The Philippine Postal Corporation and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology come up with a special block of four stamps to celebrate June as the National ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Month with the theme, "A Digitally Empowered Philippines".

The event aims to actively promote, enhance and instill nationwide awareness and appreciation on the importance and value of ICT to different sectors. The stamps are valued at P 7.00 and issued on June 13, 2011.

Amnesty International Stamp from Germany

The 50th anniversary of Amnesty International organization is commemorated on a new stamp by German Post on June 9, 2011.

Founded in London and commonly known as Amnesty and AI, Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."

AAT Iceberg from Australia Post

Australia Post captures the beauty of icebergs, revealing their different shapes, colors, effects and textures.

An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf that floats in open water.

This Australian Antarctic Territory issue that was released on June 7, 2011 was designed by Lynette Traynor.

Ireland's National Parks

An Post issued a set of six stamps that commemorates the national parks of Ireland.

These are Glenveagh National Park in Donegal: Ballycroy National Park in Co Mayo; Connemara National Park in Co Galway; the Burren National Park in Co Clare; Wicklow Mountains National Park in Co Wicklow and Killarney National Park in Co Kerry.

The six stamps issued on June 6, 2011 feature stunning photography by Walter Pfeiffer and designed by Steve Simpson.

Pecs Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra

Magyar Posta celebrates the bicentennial of the foundation of the Pecs Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra.

A special stamp was issued on June 2, 2011 that features the logo of the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra and an image of composer Johann Georg Lickl.

Born on May 12, 1843, Johann George Lickl was an Austrian composer, organist, a piano teacher and a choirmaster in the church of Pecs until his death in 1807. Most of his works are sacred music that included masses and requiems.

Circus from Romania

A new set of stamps depicting circus is released today by Romfilatelia.

The history of Romanian circus began in Bucharest in 1874 with Gambrinus UL Caragiale founding the first local circus called Sidoli Circus.

The year 1960 to 1970 saw the development of the Romanian Circus Show with jugglers, acrobats, tightrope walkers and illusionists who gave extraordinary and entertaining performances that were greatly cheered by audiences the world over.

Cebu Stamp Club @ 15

Cebu Stamp Club continues to be the premiere stamp collecting group in the Philippines and is among the most active clubs in the world today.

My friends in Manila would tell me that there are no more stamp clubs in the country that has been doing monthly meetups, exhibits, philatelic promotions and activities. It is sad that this is happening to other stamp clubs.

Unlike them, Cebu Stamp Club will prevail. In fact, we will be celebrating 15 years of continued philatelic promotion and activities on August 24, 2011.

Dubbed as Cebu Stamp Club @ 15, two major events are planned such as the Grand Reunion which will be held at the Montebello Villa Hotel, Cebu City on August 28, 2011 at 11:30 AM.

Members from 1996 until the present in formal wear will get to meet each other again. A program will be in place that will include dance and singing numbers, awarding of certificates, giving of giveaways and a stamp auction.

The lunch buffet consists of cucumber, shrimp & mango salad, fish fillet w/ blackbean sauce, chicken pork adobo w/ potato, mixed vegetables w/ oyster sauce, rice, lechon, chicken inasal, chocolate roll, and soda drinks and red wine. Snacks will be chicken sandwiches with fries and drinks.

The John Paul II Celebration Exhibit will open at Ayala Center Cebu an hour and a half earlier before the Grand Reunion at Montebello Villa Hotel.

Cebu Stamp Club members who would like to join the celebration just need to send inquiries for registration details to cebustampclub_inc@yahoo.com

The above image features the official Cebu Stamp Club @ 15 logo which I conceptualized and designed. All rights reserved.

Cebu Stamp Club's CSCI Newsletter February 2011 Issue

Cebu Stamp Club is going to be 15 years old this 2011. The club came into existence on August 24, 1996.

Although it was registered on January 30, 1997, we usually celebrate our anniversary every August and hold big exhibits during this month.

Lots of activities are being lined up by the club and we are glad to inform everyone that the club is stronger than ever. Under the new board, CSCI will continue to make waves.

Here's the complimentary download link of the CSCI Newsletter February 2011 Issue.. http://www.easy-share.com/1914245166/csci newsletter february 2011.pdf Just copy paste the link in your browser.

25,000 Gathered for Edsa At 25 Celebration

Around 25,000 people gathered on February 25, 2011 to celebrate 25 years of the EDSA People Power 1 along the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City.

It was nostalgia for most people who attended the festivities. People took souvenir photos with the Lady of Edsa Shrine as their background.

The color yellow dominated the occasion with multitudes of people coming in yellow shirts, caps and umbrellas while yellow ribbons and posters filled the place.

Yellow was the symbolic color used by Cory Aquino during the 1986 protest actions against the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.

During this year’s celebration, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. led the nation in the festivities and spoke at the reenactment of the historic “salubungan” of the forces that comprise People Power.

President Aquino urged those who fought against Marcos to help his administration in the fight against poverty.

"The fight that we started in EDSA is not yet over and it cannot be continued by just one person. In the same way that we faced off tanks and put an end to the dictatorship, we must also end the problems that we have inherited," he told his supporters.

Photo above features the heroes of Edsa with President Noynoy Aquino as he pays tribute to the millions of Filipinos who took to the streets in 1986 to stop loyal soldiers of President Marcos from arresting top military officers who were against him.

Philpost Releases Pre-stamped Envelopes of EDSA at 25

February 25, 2011 is a celebration for the Philippines as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

To highlight the event, the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) has decided to release two pre-stamped envelopes with the cancellation bearing the February 25, 2011 date.

In my opinion, Philpost should have used real stamps instead of just printing a stamp design on the envelopes. Some friends in Manila told me that the postal administration claimed that they don’t have the funds for this. It would have been nice to see Cory and Ninoy together on a stamp. That would have been a first!

Royal Mail Celebrates Musicals Through Stamps

The United Kingdom’s Royal Mail came out with a set of stamps to celebrate the diversity of British musicals.

The stamps were from a selection of seven decades of popular stage musicals. These are Oliver, Blood Brothers, We Will Rock You, Monty Python's Spamalot, Me and My Girl, Return to the Forbidden Planet and Billy Elliot.

Released on February 24, 2011, these beautiful stamps feature a combination of both the posters and the performances that helped to make these shows the hottest tickets in the West End.

Art Canada Series

Canada Post issued three new stamps on February 21, 2011 featuring the artwork of Canadian aboriginal artist Daphne Odjig.

The stamps highlight three of Odjig's acrylic pieces with each painting, Spiritual Renewal (1984), Pow-wow Dancer (1978), and Pow-wow (1969), representing Odjig's passion for the arts and love of her native heritage.

The February 2011 Stamp Meetup Goes North of Cebu

It was decided during the January meeting at my house that the February 20, 2011 stamp meetup of Cebu Stamp Club be held at the house of Kenneth and Gina Turner in Catmon, Cebu.

The town of Catmon situated north of Cebu is about 57 kilometers away from the city.

CSCI Stampers converged at my residence at 9:00 in the morning and proceeded to Danao City’s Gaisano Capital Mall where Gina Turner met the group.

From Danao City it took us 15 minutes to reach Catmon and were in time for lunch where Kenneth Turner welcomed everyone to their 2.8 hectare place. True to their word, Gina’s lechon (roasted pig) was the highlight for lunch.

Me and my son Jerald Kervin, Ricky Teves, Eyan Yu, Richard Guimbarda, Ralph Ordiz, William Tampus, Edmund Gruenbaum and Denden Ibale enjoyed the delicious food prepared by the generous hosts.

Soon after, Ken took out boxes full of thousands of worldwide stamps on envelopes. The stampers wasted no time in checking out the stamps. The group didn’t mind the passing hours as they were engrossed in sorting out the stamps of their choice to take home. At exactly 4:00 pm, everyone said their thanks and goodbyes to the Turner couple. What a meetup!

See more photos of the meetup at the Cebu Stampclub facebook account.

The March 19, 2011 meetup will be a party at the privately owned Borromeo Beach Resort in Cansojong, Talisay City.

Taiwan’s Unique Stamps on Valentines

A new set of stamps celebrating Valentine’s Day was released by Chunghwa Post on February 14, 2011.

Taiwan’s postal authority aims to attract the younger generation to stamp collecting and to encourage letter writing. Love is the main message of the stamps.

The uniqueness of the stamps is the use of the QR code (quick response code) technology. QR code can store more information than regular barcode. To decode the hidden message, users only have to take a picture of the QR code with a mobile phone camera that can take images of over 300,000 pixels, and the decode software in the phone will read the message and display it on the screen.

The design of the stamp features a heart formed by a row of perforations, as well as images of roses, presents, hearts, and the word "LOVE" created from pixels. Through the interaction between the sender and the receiver, these stamps convey love and heighten the romantic atmosphere of Valentine's Day. The message of the code is "Happy Valentine's Day" for the NT$5 stamp and "I Love You" for the NT$25 stamp.

Reagan on Forever Stamps

In Simi Valley, California, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released on February 10, 2011 the Ronald Reagan (Forever®) commemorative stamp. Valued at 44-cents, the stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland.

The issuance of the stamp marks the centennial of the birth of Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), who was America's 40th President. The stamp issuance is among a number of centennial events that will take place in the United States this year to commemorate Reagan's life and legacy.

The stamp art by Bart Forbes, Plano, Texas, was created in oil wash on board and was based on a photograph of Reagan taken in 1985 during his presidency, at "Rancho del Cielo" (Ranch in the Sky), near Santa Barbara, California.

Anime Characters Highlight Japan 2011 International Stamp Exhibition

On February 8, 2011, the Japan International Stamp Exhibition opens at the Pacific Yokohama.

This event aims to promote overseas Japanese postage stamps as evidence of the improvement and development of philately in Japan. It also wants to increase international friendship through cultural stamps exchange.

Highlight of this year’s International Stamp Exhibition is the promotion of Japanese anime. A part of the country’s cultural history, it gained popularity among different people regardless of their age and nationality.

Featured on the stamps are famous Japanese Anime characters - Astro Boy, Doraemon, Pokemon, Hello Kitty and wildlife cartoon characters.