2014 TB Seal Launching at the Julia Vargas Hall by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society

 Main lobby , Julia Vargas Hall, Philippine Tuberculosis Society , E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City -Philippines

L-R Top Mr. Reynaldo Ong de Jesus ( Philpost Stamp Advisory Committee member)  , Mr. Robert V. Araos (2014 TB seal committee member ) Engineer Romeo C. Ranjo ( 2014 TB seal committee member )

L-R Down Seated  : Mr. Nemesio L. Rivera and wife ( Mr. Nemesio Rivera is hailed as ” Father of Philippine TB seals ) Now , at almost 90 years-old and still active in stamp and TB seal collecting .

It was a cloudy day last week , When the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc. together with their patrons, sponsors, board members , artists , TB seal collectors were invited to a morning of program, advocacy and fund raising activities at the institute .

The entire Quezon Institute compound was made as a place where tuberculosis patients can be properly taken -cared . It was built in the 1940’s and their buildings are of art deco architecture .

board members and guests

Philippine Issuance:

TB mortality in the country during the Spanish era well up to the American colonial era is very high . This cause an alarm, since it is contagious and can affect the public.  In a meeting of concerned citizens and government officials decided to form the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society in August 1910.  In October 20 of same year ,  the Society approved the issuance of the Philippines’ first Christmas seals, and 500,000 seals were produced by the Bureau of Printing, Manila.

In September 1917, the Society was appointed by the US National Association as its representative for the sale of Christmas seals in the Philippines.  Thus,  US Red Cross seals, and later, NTA seals were “officially” sold and used in the Philippines from 1917 up to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1941.

In 1940 and 1941, Elizalde & Co., an old and respected commercial company, issued its own private Christmas seals, which were given away free to the public upon request.  In 1946 crudely printed TB seals were issued and there was not much publicity about its issuance.

Philippine Tuberculosis Society decided to start regularly issuing Christmas seals every year starting 1947 . The issues from 1947 to 1970, were printed in the United States and Japan.  From  1973,  seals were produced exclusively by Philippine printers.

Most the theme gradually increased with the issuance of topical issues like zodiac signs, churches, flora, fauna , paintings from well-known artists  , famous heroes , dances and fiestas .

SEMI-Postal :

TB seals is a form of fund raising activity by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society and for every sheet that is bought by any individual or an institution can help indigent patients with TB and  other cause oriented projects by the society.

It is also called ” Charity Stamps “,  ” Fund Raising Stamps” or ” Christmas FUND Raising Stamps“. They are usually added to all letters and even parcels when the ” BER ” season arrived . They are added to the letters , some stamp collectors would still collect commercially used envelopes with TB seals .

Mr. Manuel Baldemor

Mr. Manuel Baldemor is the 2014 TB seal chairman and his artwork were among the paintings featured .

Although they are not mandatory requisite if a person fail to add these TB seals affixed to their letters or parcel during the Chistmas season .   PHLPOST used to sell these types of semi-postal items until 2010 . I have not seen any TB seal for sale at the main post office or even at some of the Metro Manila post offices that i have visited .

I do not know what happened to the partnership between Phlpost and Philippine Tuberculosis Society . BUT this is for a noble cause .

2014 theme is ” Bountiful Harvest ” is a series of paintings by over a dozen Filipino artists .

For inquiries and Those who wish to help the Philippine Tuberculosis Society , try to visit them .

Direct Line: 781-3761 Loc. 132

Website: www.ptsi.org.ph

Email: morata.argentina@gmail.com

Address : Quezon Institute – Julia Vargas Building along E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City . It is just beside Puregold .  

Operating Hours: 8:00am to 4:00pm – Mondays to Fridays

Note: I would like to ” Thank” Ms. Cely , Mr. Rey Ong de Jesus, Mr. Robert Araos and Engr. Romeo Ranjo for the invitation .

Advertisement