Still Stampin' (Darthphilatelist in Hyper Mode...)

Monday, October 23, 2023

The Philippine Commonwealth Reestablished

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

OCTOBER 23, 1944

Gen. Douglas MacArthur reestablished the Commonwealth of the Philippines in Tacloban, Leyte with Sergio Osmeña as president.

Also, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in World War II began and lasted for four days. The battle consisted of four main separate engagements called the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, Battle of Surigao Straight, Battle of Cape Engaño, and the Battle of Samar.

American and Australian forces with 800 ships and 1,500 planes crippled the Imperial Japanese Navy’s force consisting of 67 ships and 300 planes.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy)bAll rights reserved

Photo credit: wallpaperweb.org

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Severino Santos Marcelo Dies

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 3):

October 22, 2002

Severino "Nonoy" Santos Marcelo (January 22, 1939 – October 22, 2002) was born in Malabon, Metro Manila on January 22, 1939.

He was an AB student at the Far Eastern University and became a famous cartoonist in The Advocate (the official student publication of Far Eastern University).

He came up with a cartoon character PTYK, a long-haired beatnik who carried large books and quoted Albert Camus or Jose Garcia Villa in a casual quip. PTYK became the conscience of the student body. The FEU dean Alejandro Roces saw his talent and encouraged him to do a regular strip for the Manila Times.

Marcelo was best known for creating the character Ikabod Bubwit in the comic strip Ikabod for Bulletin Today. It provided a social commentary on the Marcos dictatorship at a time when media was under the control of the Marcos government. He often used the strip to caricature political figures like Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and re-imagining them as mice in a country called Dagalandia. It ran from the late 1970s to 2002.

His other comic strips were Plain Folks, which appeared in the Daily Mirror during the early 1960s, and Tisoy in 1963 for the Manila Times, which tells about the lifestyle of young Filipinos.

Tisoy (slang for "mestizo"), included other characters such as Aling Otik, Maribubut, Caligula, Tatang, Tikyo and Kinse. In 1977, it became a film directed by Ishmael Bernal, starring Christopher de Leon and Charo Santos.

A critically acclaimed cartoonist of political satire, his works evoke the funny and oftentimes harsh realities of Filipino daily life.

Marcelo was awarded the Catholic Mass Media Award for print journalism in 1985, a category usually given to reporters or columnists. He received the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Centennial Artist Award in 1998, and was given the Parangal Sentenyal sa Sining at Kultura Award on February 2, 1999.

Three years later, on October 22, 2002, Severino Marcelo died of sepsis due to complications from his diabetes.

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

Pres. Sergio Osmeña's Remains Arrive In Cebu

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

October 22, 1961

The remains of President Sergio Osmeña arrived in Cebu City from Manila on October 22, 1961. A public vigil and requiem mass were held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. The following day, it was taken to the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

President Carlos P. Garcia declared October 20 to November 3 as a "period of national mourning," wherein all flags in the country are flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning and he was given a state funeral.

President Osmeña, the second President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, and the third President of the Philippines, died of pulmonary edema on October 19, 1961 at the Veterans Memorial Hospital, Quezon City.

From Cebu, he was taken back to Manila to lie in state at Malacañang once again from October 24 to 25, followed by a necrological service at the Legislative Building until October 26, and was finally laid to rest at the North Cemetery in Manila on October 26, 1961.

Osmeña was born in Cebu, Cebu Province on September 9, 1878 and was the patriarch of the prominent Osmeña family.

He served as Vice President of the Philippines under Manuel L. Quezon from 1935 to 1941, and 1941 to 1944, and upon President Manuel L. Quezon's sudden death, he became President of the Philippines from August 1, 1944 to May 28, 1946.

Osmeña founded the Nacionalista Party, was Governor of Cebu from 1906-1907, member and first speaker of the House of Representatives in 1907-1922, Senator from the 10th Senatorial District for thirteen years and sat as Senate President Pro Tempore.

He retired from public office after losing to Manuel A. Roxas in the presidential election of 1946.

Photo credit: Google Arts and Culture

Act No. 2871

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

OCTOBER 22, 1919

The 5th Philippine Legislature through Act No. 2871 repealed Act No. 1696, “an Act to prohibit the display of flags, banners, emblems, or devices used in the Philippine Islands for the purpose of rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States and the display of Katipunan flags, banners, emblems, or devices, and for other purposes.”

Act No. 2871 restored the use of the Philippine flag and the Governor-General was mandated to designate a day considered as an official holiday that will celebrate the restoration of the use of the Filipino flag.

Photo credit: flagspot.net

Saturday, October 21, 2023

The 1972 Marawi Siege

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 3):

October 21, 1972

In Marawi City on October 21, 1972, a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM) which became the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) attacked Camp Amai Pakpak (formerly Camp Keithley), the headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary.

The rebels entered the Mindanao State University campus, took over its radio station, and broadcasted calls for support in their quest to separate Mindanao from Manila and the rest of the Philippines.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos who just declared martial law a month earlier wrote the events in his diary: "Camp Keithley in Marawi City is under attack by a band of outlaws who have taken over the MSU radio, raised the red flag and surrounded the PC Prov. Hq. of Maj. Marolomsar, Prov. Commander. Eight of our men have been killed (six outright at Pantar Bridge that leads to the city from Iligan) and one wounded while nine have been killed on the enemy side and one captured who is being interrogated. Reinforcements being rushed to the besieged forces. The enemy may number anywhere from 100 to 400. But PC Prov. Hq. under attack holding out. Other Mindanao units alerted in case this attack is a signal of an uprising in all of Mindanao and Sulu. I believe the attackers may be a combination of student radicals (KM and SDK) supported by outlaws. The red flag may show they are communist infiltrated or controlled. And again this may be a diversion from the Luzon front where the communists are hard pressed.Or a demonstration that the leaders I talked to and placated like the Alontos and Pendatun do not run things anymore. Or again this may be a Pendatun and Alonto play to gain a stronger bargaining position."

President Fidel V. Ramos, who was then the chief of the Philippine Constabulary recounted the event when interviewed by media many years later. "The uprising, the terrorism in Marawi was ended in 48 hours, including the rescue of the Japanese ambassador... I am not saying this to blow my horn. This is the first time, in fact, that I brought it out to you... the rebels were trying to hostage Urabe, so he had to hide from room to room, until he was finally rescued by the authorities."

Toshio Urabe, was Japan's envoy to Manila from 1969 up to 1974. He arrived at the Mindanao State University campus on October 20, 1972, as a guest of the school president.

Ramos who played a key role in ending the siege on October 23, 1972 was awarded the "Distinguished Conduct Star" award from the military leadership.

The 1972 Marawi Siege was the prelude of a full scale war between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

Pedro Calungsod Canonized

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

October 21, 2012

Pedro Calungsod was canonized on October 21, 2012 at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Benedict XVI. He was beatified on March 5, 2000 at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II.

Pedro Calungsod (July 21, 1654 - April 2, 1672), was born in Ginatilan, Cebu on July 21, 1654 and was a Catholic Filipino-Visayan migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist.

Calungsod went with Spanish Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores to Guam. They preached Christianity to the Chamorros through catechesis, while San Vitores baptized the infants, children, and adults.

They were persecuted and murdered by the Chamoros. Through Calungsod and San Vitores's missionary efforts, many native Chamorros converted to Catholicism. Pedro Calungsod's feast day falls every 2nd day of April.

To highlight the canonization of the first Cebuano saint, Cebu Stamp Club presented the one-man stamp and photo exhibit tour of Richard Allan B. Uy titled "Pedro Calungsod (John Paul II Celebration Exhibit).

The exhibit opened at the Cebu City Museum from December 28, 2012 - January 16, 2013 and Ayala Center Cebu from January 21 - 25, 2013.

Photo credit: Cebu Stamp Club fb page

Portuguese Ships Attack Cebu

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition):

OCTOBER 21, 1568

Cannons of the Portuguese fleet were fired at Cebu’s Spanish settlement after the negotiation between Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Captain-General Gonzalo Pereira, the commander of the Portuguese Armada failed.

The Portuguese earlier insisted by virtue of the Treaty of Tordesillas that the Philippines belonged to them.

The ports in Cebu were blocked, preventing the entry of food and weapon supplies to the Spanish settlement.

In the following days, guns and cannons were fired at barangays Gabi, Cotcot, Liloan, Danao and Mandaue, killing the inhabitants.

Photo credit: elaput.org