Pope Francis Memorabilia and Souvenir Items a Big Hit among Afficionados

University of Santo Tomas , Manila-Philippines

Pope Francis visit to the University of Santo Tomas

When the pastoral visit of Pope Francis was announced in the last quarter of 2014,  People from all walks of life started to look for  Pope-related memorabilia or would just like a memento of Pope Francis’s upcoming visit, vendors and shops have plenty of items for you. Catholic Trade in Tayuman started selling Pope Francis calendars, t-shirts and books became popular items.

 Dapitan street  crowd

I woke -up early at around past 3:30am and commuted from Quezon City to Dimasalang street. When i arrived past 5:00am , long lines already greeted me. Some of the eager crowd where already camping along the vicinity of University of Santo Tomas the day before , while pension houses and dormitories are also cramped with visiting pilgrims and relatives .

Mr. Alfonso Cruz together with his family

I accidentally met Mr. Alfonso Cruz ( stamp and memorabilia collector) . He left his home at around past 2:00am in Malabon City together with almost all the members of his family. He wanted to be blessed by the Pope.

University of Santo Tomas campus ( Gate 10)

Ordinary people had to fall in line along Dapitan street and long line that stretches for more more than a kilometer-long.

a devotee holding santo niño

An ambulant vendor selling Pope Francis key chain

Pope Francis button pins

There are so many kinds of button pins for sale along the Papal route. They are priced between Php 20 to Php 30 each depending on the area .

Some vendors would sell them at a slightly discounted rate of 3 button pins for Php 50 .

calendars and towels

Calendars are being sold from Php 30 to Php 100 depending on the size and materials

Pope Francis t-shirts

In this part of the Sampaloc , T-shirts were selling from Php 150 to Php 300 depending on the sizes and quality of the shirt.

Pope Francis T-shirts

Pope Francis towels and handkerchiefs

Pope Francis busts, key chains and rosaries

Pope Francis foldable fans

Pope Francis calendars

special response unit

Unlike the 1995 Papal visit of then Pope John Paul 2 , the security protocols are quite strict.  Even the nearby condominium units and residential areas were not spared from the inspection and manning by the security forces by PNP, baranggay and volunteer groups.

selfie

I met a group of students waiting patiently in line and using their mobile camera to record everything. They are standing along España corner Moret street  in Sampaloc.

army in fatigue uniforms

Despite the large crowds and strict security protocols , Some still manage to brought umbrellas and pointed objects .

crowd eagerly waiting for the arrival of the pope

It was very festive and almost everyone is very happy . I met a small contingent from San Mateo , Rizal

Mr. Angelo Diego Castro

I also met some celebrities along the papal route, One of them is Mr. Angelo Diego Castro , a popular teenage celebrity in the mid 1990’s . His daily show and weekly shows includes Gimik, Esperanza and TGIS in ABS-CBN channel 2  and GMA channel 7. He is the son of ABS-CBN channel 2 anchor Mr. Angelo Castro, Jr and EDSA People Power  1986 radio announcer Ms. June Keithley Castro.  I think he is together with his wife and immediate friends.

University of Santo Tomas -Gate # 4

It started to rain by the time Pope Francis and his convoy entered the main gate , Everybody shouted on top of their lungs and took their gadgets to record the momentous occasion. Some older people even started crying, It was not in despair or anguish . But it was tears of joy and celebration.

We waited for more several hours and under the rains. Nobody complained , But i saw several people that fainted . According to one devotee ” Para kang nakarating sa Roma” It is like you have went to Rome .

people walked from UST en-route to Luneta via Quezon Avenue underpass

I was able to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis visit to the University of Santo Tomas and his route along Quirino Avenue . The busy street of Manila is a beehive of people. My.conservative crowd estimate within UST , Dapitan, Lacson , España and Governor Forbes would easily be more than 200,000 from 5:00am to past 12noon.

The problem with big events like Papal visit , transportation like LRT is full to its capacity and LRT Quirino station is – NO loading and Unloading zone ( for security purposes). We have to wait for more than 30 minutes at the Doroteo station , so we decided to walk the Rizal Avenue going to Luneta.

Santa Cruz bridge or Mac Arthur bridge

Alternative transportation such as tricycles, pedicabs, kalesas ( horse drawn carriage) became a hit, normally they are banned from plying major street thoroughfares .

message to Pope Francis collage within Plaza Lawton / Liwasang Bonifacio

The rains are not strong but the cool air Northeast Monsoon  ( Amihan ) that worries some people.

News 9 crew stationed near Finance  Building ( National Museum for Filipino People )

Poncho type raincoats were also a big- hit among the rain drench crowd. They are sold between Php 35 ( ordinary ones ) to Php 200 .

crowd waiting near LRT Quirino station

Pope Francis block of 4 Php 10 each

Philippine Postal Corporation and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also started to sell commemorative stamps and coins to mark the special occasion.

Pope Francis coinage stamps with face value of Php 200

This is a collective voice from a lot of ordinary stamp , coin and memorabilia collectors , We had to endure long lines just to buy stamps at the main post office, We have to wait for several days from January 12,13, 14  just to purchase the much coveted coinage stamp from Manila Central Post Office . We also had to endure a non-responsive email from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for our short list of orders .  While the author got several hundreds of email from fellow stamp and even coin collectors asking where to buy or asking the author to buy for them .

Php 50 coin being sold at Php 100 and Php 500 being sold at Php 1,000 by BSP

I also got some angry responses from fellow stamp collectors residing even in Metro Manila that their local post offices did not even have the Pope Francis stamps.  We all know that there is already a steady decline in the stamp collectors nationwide. BUT this is different , I personally believe that distribution to local post offices is the key to the solution . MORE stamp printed , the More people from all walks of life can enjoy the hobby.

In a recent television interview by a well-known stamp collector/ dealer  ( one at ANC channel and another one at Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho ) . The prices of the stamps had already doubled and even tripled from the face value of the item.  ( Some greedy bunch of grumpy people )

* Note: With the mad frenzy for Pope Francis memorabilia items , We collectors must always remember that the main purpose of his visit to the country is Mercy and  Compassion .  Learn to share whatever small items and blessing that we received .

Website Links:

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas : http://www.bsp.gov.ph/

Philippine Postal Corporation :https://www.phlpost.gov.ph/

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Galleria Taal Tour – a camera museum and heritage house in Taal, Batangas

 Galleria Taal , Agoncillo Street, Taal, Batangas province – Philippines

 This colonial house is also called Ylagan- Barrion house

Galleria Taal- is part of the jam-packed itinerary prepared by Mr. Derrick M. Manas- President of the Diwa ng Batangas  (Heritage Conservation Society -Batangas Historical Society) The group was recently formed last year and its aim to promote the beautiful heritage of Taal and the entire province of Batangas.  He is also the political, heritage and social development consultant to the governor of Batangas.

Sangley- Tagala

This photo of a Sangley-Tagala ( Chinese / Tagalog) mestiza is a rare example of the photography  late 19th century . What makes this  photo unique ?  The lady had a seductive pose with matching low cleavage  in an era where women must cover the bust area with pañuelo ( handkerchief  shawl ) . Speculation over this photo , Is that the Sangley- Tagala woman might be a mistress of the photographer or a prostitute !

gallery of old cameras

Passion:

The  camera museum is considered as First in Southeast Asia  and one of the few camera museums in the world.  I first saw an exhibit of Mr. Manny Inumerable in Photo World Asia in 2010.  According to Mr. Inumerable , the museum can only exhibit some 60% of his personal collection which started when he was a teenager when his uncle bought him a film camera. Then he acquired his collection from relatives, friends from various camera clubs and local antique shops. Then,  He added more on his collections through bidding at local and  international auctions , in the internet or scouting them during the  yearly flea market fair  in Europe !  Aside from camera collecting , He had become an expert in camera restoration, cleaning , repair and even preservation .  Now , There are more than 120 cameras in the collection and still counting !

Mr. Manny Inumerable personally touring the group

History :

Galleria Taal used to be the ancestral home of Don Domingo Ylagan and Maria Martinez-Ylagan in the 1800’s. Composed of two sections, the early house, located at the back portion has a distinctive tiled roof and was built in 1870.  Approximately thirty years later, the facade fronting the main street was built, roofed this time with GI sheets. The house is also called Ylagan- Barrion house.

Royal 35-M circa 1957 made in Japan

Domingo and Maria Ylagan had six children, namely, Aniceto, Rosario ( Villanueva), Candida ( Barrion ), Concepcion ( Sison), Julita and Juan Ylagan.  The third child, Candida, married to Antonio Barrion, lawyer and a delegate to the 1935 Constitution Convention (1st District, Batangas), paid off her siblings and moved into this home in 1944 after their conjugal home in Batangas City was burned down by the Japanese army.  Candida lived in this home with their three (3) children, Nellie ( Inumerable), Corazon ( Rodriguez)  and Charito (Ahorro).  After her death in 1975, the once stately home fell in disrepair until 2004 when a grandchild, Mr. Emmanuel Inumerable ( Manny initiated its restoration together with the assistance of his brother, Roberto, a civil contractor.  Both painstakingly reconstructed the house, preserving the antiquity of the stately ancestral home.

Rolleiflex cameras

Rolleiflex cameras were manufactured in the 1930’s and up to the late 1950’s and is popularly used by news correspondence during the Korean war in the 1950’s  . The 500 pesos bill replica  shows Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.  during his correspondence in the Korean war .

Mr. Manny Inumerable personally greeted the group

In March 2010, Manny Inumerable opened Galleria Taal as an exhibition venue of antique cameras and antiquarian Philippines photographers.

Museum:

 Nikon F-A Gold camera was made in 1984

This is one of the favorite collection of Mr. Manny Inumerable . This camera was made in 1984 in celebration of Nikon being declared as the European camera of the year . Only 2,000 pieces of this 24-K gold plated camera were made . The body is covered with lizard skin and had matching gold plated lens and is encased in a nice wooden box. This is highly sought by camera collectors around the world because of its beauty and rarity .

early prototype of camera -projector

According to a grapevine source, There are only 2 or 3 such collectors which acquired this camera in the Philippines and one of them is Mr. Manny Inumerable !

Contact Information :

Mr.Emmanuel Inumerable  -proprietor

email: mannyinumerable@yahoo.com

mobile: +63 (918-9124051 )

Ms. Dolores Bautista -Museum curator

Mobile +63 ( 906-7632449)

There is an entrance fee of Php 100 pesos and special buffet meal can be pre-arranged.

Website link:

Galleria Taal: http://taalgalleria.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Galleria-Taal/198736170138069

Winners of PhilPEX 2012

Categories:

A: Postal History                                   Exhibitor                          Award

1. China- Pre- UPU 1778-1872           MR. Robert Tan                 Gold

2. Postal History of the Philippine – Cordillera Mr. Dojie Lutera  Vermiel

B. Traditional Philately                           Exhibitor                               Award

1. Philippines – Pre Philatelic era            Mr. Robert Tan                          Gold

2. Philippines – Japanese Occupation  Mr. Robert Tan                      Large Vermiel

3. Philippines slogans                                 Mr. Hans Becker                   Large Vermiel

4. Philippine Postal system under Japanese Mr. Roberto Jacinto      Vermiel

5. Postage of the Phil. under the Spanish Dominion C.H. Severino D. Bajar M.D. Vermiel

6. Phil. Paquebot markings under the US admin . Mr. Reynaldo Ong de Jesus  Vermiel

7. Phil. Postal System under the US Administration Mr. Roberto Jacinto   Silver

C. Thematic Philately                       Exhibitor                                    Award

1. Hologram                                         Mr. Nilo Dizon                                Large Vermiel

2. Philatelic Terms using Worldwide Birds  Mrs. Paulina Calinawan        Silver

3. Engineering and Architectural Structures   Ms. Ligaya Callejo              Silver

4. Stamp Collecting . The Hobby of A Lifetime  Ms.  Rebecca Go                Silver

5. Painting of the Renaissance Period           Mr. Rouel R. Sevelleno          Silver

6. Jose Rizal                                                             Mr. Allan Mirhan                      Silver

7. Extra Ordinary Stamps                          Mr. Jerson Danseco              Silver- Bronze

8. Pope Benedict XVI                                Msgr. Ramon Tiama                Silver – Bronze

9. Joint Issues                                              Mr.  Gero Zyo Danseco           Silver- Bronze

10. Blessed John Paul 2 . Making of a Saint  Ms. Penafrancia Ruiz   Silver- Bronze

11. Living Animals                                 Mr. Max Dexter Go                     Silver- Bronze

12. The History of Painting              Ms. Penafrancia Ruiz                    Silver-Bronze

13. World War II in the Philippines Mr. Allan Mirhan                        Silver- Bronze

14. Philippine Educational System  Ms. Eden Sepagan                       Silver- Bronze

15. Pass the Message                           Ms. Maria Lourdes Watiwat     Silver-Bronze

16. Transport Machines                   Ms. Aurora Malundas                  Silver-Bronze

17. President  Manuel L. Quezon Commonwealth & Republic Issues

( Quezon Philatelic Society )        Bronze

18. Agrikultura , Pangisdaan at Bundok   Mr. Guillermo James Argosino  Bronze

19.  Philippines -Unique Nation   Mr. Norberto Hererra                        Bronze

20. Mga Bayani at Dakilang Pilipino       Guillermo James Argosino    Bronze

21. Philippine Birds                      Mrs. Paulina Calinawan                            Bronze

22. Friends Never Die , They Just Pass Away   Mr. Dionisio Taeza     Bronze

23. Quezon , Philatelically           Msgr. Ramon Tiama                                Bronze

24. Vertebrate Diversity             Mr. Gary Rosales                               Certificate

25. Chinese Zodiac                     Ms. Leslie Tanengsy-Uy Matiao   Certificate

26. Olympic Games                    Mr. Allan Bennet Uy- Matiao         Certificate

27. Philippine Culture               Mr. Allan Bennet Uy- Matiao        Certificate

D. Youth Philately

1.  The World of Music       Ms. Reena de Jesus                                       Vermiel

2. Outer Space -Link for Mankind         Mr. Rainier de Jesus             Silver

3. The Time Giants Ruled the World   Ms. Joanna Argosino            Silver

4. It’s Cat Meow                        Ms. Collie Marquez                                    Silver

5. Tropical Butterfly                Jally Marquez                                             Silver

6. A Story in Stamps             Mr.  Chris Brandon Go                                Silver- Bronze

7. The Summer Olympic Games  Mr. Chris Brandon Go                     Silver – Bronze

Toy exhibit at SM North EDSA

Tarpaulin poster with Die-cast model facts and trivias

Last June 19 and 20, 2010 . There was an exhibit of various toy collections at SM North EDSA . The show is quite similar with the ongoing Toy convention at SM megamall, minus the cos-players, daily raffles  and commerical sellers. The exhibit also coincide with ‘ Fathers’ day . with a short trivias on toy collectibles in the country.

mustang toy car collection , some still in pristine condition

Most of the collectors used their aliases rather than their real names, mostly known by their peers in the internet and cyber peers. This add mystery to their collections.

Ghostbuster famous Ectomobile -1 with Slimer

Just like in any other exhibit , proper labeling and presentation  is  important especially if you want to let observers  and masses  convey a sense of history or a bit of an info about your collection . Or maybe brag that it’s a complete set or it was sourced from far away wherever. The exhibitor  may also  want to answer all queries from onlookers. But since the exhibitor  can’t stay with your display all the time, these labels will help your admirers to learn more about your collection and answer some of their questions . Some exhibitor  also leave their contact numbers  maybe if they wanted to answer the questions of the people or just wanted to sell some of their excess collection.

sports  toy cars

Dozens of collectors from different parts of the country showcased their collection of toys , action figure among others.

Co -organized by Diecast  Car Collectors of the Philippines (DCPH).  The exhibit aim to generate awareness on this kind of hobby . Although there are a lot of collectors of die-cast models and cars in the Philippines .

The country still lagged behind some of Southeast Asia’s powerhouse like Thailand , Malaysia , Singapore. But there are a lot of serious collectors from the country whom are at par or even had better collections than their ASEAN counterparts! One example is Mjoinir V. Ong known to DCPH as Mechajol  that over 500 die-cast car model , 90% percent of which are beetle collectors’ item. On the  centerpiece of his assortments is his classic drag bus worth around 2,000.

Aside from maintaining an informative forum site, the club also organizes a swap meet among members and sympathizers of die-cast toys , This enable some collectors to meet members and have a chance to sell or swap their collections.

Congratulations !

Photo World Asia 2010

poster of Photo World Asia 2010

old camera on display

The trade show for PhotoWorld Asia 2010 was open to the public for free. The public was able to  view the latest cameras, gadgets and other photographic equipment at the various booths and stalls of the participating exhibitors. The trade show will also feature an exhibition of vintage cameras and a display of iconic images that chronicle various historical moments.

Activity Center- Glorietta, Makati

PhotoWorld Asia 2010 reels off on January 28, 2010  to February 2, 2010 at the Glorietta, Ayala Center in Makati!

PhotoWorld Asia 2010  have four separate venues:

1. The ACCM, AIM Conference Center Makati, for the seminars and workshops.
2. The Glorietta Activity Center as main exhibition area for the photography industry trade show.
3. The Art Space, 3rd Floor at Glorietta 4 for the collection of antiquarian photographs and vintage cameras.
4. The Glorietta 5 for more trade exhibitions.

On Thursday, January 28, 2010, there was three formal openings:

1. 3:00 pm for the trade exhibits at Glorietta 5;
2. 4:30 pm at the Art Space, 3rd floor, Glorietta 4 for the exhibits of old photographs and vintage camera collections;
3. 6:00 pm at the Glorietta Activity Center for the ribbon cutting followed by booth visitations.

Photo exhibit at the lobby of Glorietta 5

The event was attended by executives of the country’s major suppliers and manufacturers of photographic and digital imaging products including Canon Marketing (Philippines), Panasonic, Sanyo, Olympus, Noritsu, YKL Color/Fujifilm Philippines, Euro Color, Henry’s Camera Supply and JT Photoworld, among many others.

Theme for this year’s PhotoWorld Asia 2010 is “Philippine Photography in Changing Times.”

Tourism Director Cynthia Lazo, Sculptor Ramon Orlina and Pianist Ingrid Santamaria have been invited to grace the opening of PhotoWorld Asia 2010. The trade show,  is open to the public for free.

The educational series – workshops and seminars by master photographers – was held at the ACCM, Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati from January 29 to February 1, 2010. It will feature world renowned photographers Manny Librodo and Kevin Ames as headline speakers, with the special participation of top fashion photographer Raymond Isaac during the hands on shoot in Taal, Batangas.

Other speakers include John Silva who will lecture on 19th and early 20th century Philippine photographs, Isa Lorenzo on Black & White photography, Hugo Yonzon III on harnessing the creative energy, Bernie Ledesma on strobist techniques, John Tronco on wedding photography, Raul Echivarre on the Zen of photography, Jason Magbanua on videography, Indonesian Kristupa Saragih on travel photography and Singaporean Eddie Ng on bridging photo communities.