FREE Postal Heritage Tours

FREE Postal & Metropolitan Theater Heritage Tours

Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club in cooperation with Philpost, Museo ng Maynila , Intramuros Administration, National Press Club , Winners Foundation , Department of Education cordially invites everyone to an afternoon of fun ,travel , unravel stories ,nature tripping, mysteries and ghost sightings behind some of the city’s most historical buildings, wilderness areas and sites! Photography is allowed!

The FREE tour is scheduled on November 20 , 2011,third Sunday of the month. This will also coincide the club’s monthly meeting and “National Stamp Collecting Month  ” . To those who are interested in coming to the tour, Pre-Registration is until November 18, 2011 . Next schedule of tours are December 18 , 2011. Pre-Registration is a must for these FREE Guided tours.

Here are the contact numbers:

Mrs.Josie Tiongson – Cura – ( 0917-9800708 / 735-5001 )
Monday to Saturday 1pm to 5pm only
Ms. Nena De Guzman – ( 527-00 -96) Postal Museum and Library
Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm only for parking instruction.
Mr.Lawrence Chan – ( 0919-3901671) Email:L_rence_2003@yahoo.com.

We had a special arrangement with the Post Office to held meetings and even parking space is allotted to those attending.

A short lecture/discussion about stamps other collectibles and object of art will be held simultaneously which starts at 1:30 PM at the Library.

You can sign-up for the FREE POSTAL HERITAGE AND Metropolitan Theater TOUR just by giving your name(s) and contact number(s) before November 10, 2011. The contact numbers are needed , in case of any sudden schedule changes on the date of the tour.

Meeting Place: Liwasang Bonifacio fountain area
Assembly Time : 12:30PM to 1PM
Date: November 20, 2011 – Sunday
Itinerary : Arroceros Forest Park, Aduana, Puerta Isabel 2 Gate and Monument, Plaza Mexico, Plaza Roma, Manila Cathedral, Postal Museum and Library, Liwasang Bonifacio, Metropolitan theater, National Press Club grounds .

Itinerary:

Arroceros Forest Park – is one of the last remaining forest park in Manila

Metropolitan Theater is an art deco building architecture designed by brothers Juan and Arcadio Arellano built in 1931.

Manila Main Post Office – is a neo-classical building designed and executed by Mr. Juan Arellano, Tomas Mapua and Ralph Daune.

Puerta Isabel 2 Gate – was built in 1861 and was the last gate in Intramuros to be opened for public use.

Monumento del Reina Isabel 2 – The monument was first installed in 1855 in the old Plaza Arroceros (present day Liwasang Bonifacio ) after her ouster. The statute was ordered to be destroyed by the Ayuntamiento de Manila , however Senor Barreto a royal sympathizer hid the statute and the statute was installed in Plaza Ermita in Front of Malate Church( present day Plaza Rajah Soliman)before a powerful Typhoon Patsy ( aka Yoling ) toppled the statute in 1970. The present statute was relocated to the present site in 1975.

National Press Club grounds– The main building was designed by well-known architect Mr. Angel Nakpil in an earthquake style in the 1960’s with interesting Merlion mosaic and see through glass staircase .

Plaza Mexico– This small plaza is located adjacent to the old Intendencia de Manila site of the old Manila galleon trade port. Old letters and goods are dock in this area.

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Stamp Collecting as Hobby & Investment

Last Februry 21,2010 third sunday of the month,  Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club hosted three simultaneous event.

Stamp collecting seminar poster on the lobby of the Philippine Postal Office

The first was the regular club’s monthly fellowship meeting were pertinent matters and auction was held . Another was the Free Postal Heritage Walking Tour in which about a dozen people had confirmed joining but somehow only 6 people managed to come . Maybe it was because of the intense summer heat that made some of the confirmed participants back-out on the last minute !

Mr. Rey Ong de Jesus and Mr. Dojie Luteria

Then, the Stamp Collecting Seminar which was handled by the education and information committee of the club led by Mr. Reynaldo Ong de Jesus , Mr. Dojie Luteria , Mrs. Josefina T. Cura  . The stamp collecting seminar series was just planned in less than 3 -week period . This is one of the year’s opening salvo , One of the club’s  main objectives is  to reach out to those people who would like to start collecting stamps or in the intermediate collecting stage  especially when the summer vacation is about to begin .

We arrived at around 12:20 p.m. at the Postal Museum and Philatelic Library located at 3rd Floor of the Security building within the compound of the Manila Central Post office in Liwasang Bonifacio in Ermita , Manila.

The author received a short call from Mr. Tito Basa ( walking tour participant)  and he told me that they are already waiting at the fountain area of the Liwasang Bonifacio .  Immediately , i went down and met them at the fountain area.

statute of  Graciano Lopez Jaena on the grounds of National Press Club

From the usual chit chat , I formally introduced myself to the tour group and the group proceeded to the monthly fellowship meeting, then to Manila Central Post Office to view the exhibits of Dr. Hermogenes Lorenzo.

walking tour participants inside Manila Central Post office building

Group then proceeded to the National Press Club compound , Puerta Isabel 2 Gate and Monument , Plaza Mexico , ruins of Intendencia ( Aduana )  then going back to the Postal Museum and Library .

Adolfo Lopez Mateos statute at Plaza Mexico ( Mexican President from 1958 to 1964)

Adolfo López Mateos (26 May 1909 – 22 September 1969) was a Mexican   politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)who served as President of Mexico  from 1958 to 1964. As president, he nationalized electric companies, created the National Commission for Free Textbooks (1959) and promoted the creation of prominent museums; such as the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City .

FDC commemorative stamp of state visit

During the presidency of Diosdado Macapagal, Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos made a State Visit to the Philippines from October 20th to 23rd of 1962 in response to the visit of Macapagal in 1960, who was Vice President at the time. 1964 was decreed the “Year of Philippine-Mexican Friendship” to celebrate the Fourth Centennial of the Expedition of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

Manila Main Post Office columns

The pre-registered participants of the seminar slowly came and by around past 1:00 p.m. There were already over 30 participants in the seminar. The club initial target was just about 20 participants for the seminar since the publicity and preparations for the event was just done in a matter of barely 3- week period.

But in the final count , there were around 50 people who came to the seminar notwithstanding the usual family day period and braving  heat of the summer.

Ms. Nena De  Guzman gave an interesting discussion on the role of Philatelic Museum

The stamp collecting seminar event was highlighted by the inspirational talks  of Mr. Rey Ong de Jesus, Mr. Dojie Luteria, Mr. Archie Amara , Dr. Hermogenes Lorenzo and Ms. Nena De Guzman .

Dr. Hemogenes Lorenzo gave one of the most interesting inspirational talk on his passion of stamp collecting and at the end of his talk raffled several rare Philippine stamps ,  First Day Cover  , cash prize of P250.00 to two lucky participants of the seminar .

Dr. Hermogenes Lorenzo

Handouts which included a stamp journal, stamp collecting primer, free stamps were given to the list of pre-registered participants of the seminar . The participants were also given free pencils and philatelic bulletins courtesy of PHILPOST thru Ms. Nena de Guzman while  snacks were sponsored by the club’s officers  Mr. Rey Ong de Jesus, Mr. Dojie Luteria and Mrs. Josefina T. Cura .

Before the end of the successful seminar , the officer of the club announced that there will be another series of stamp collecting seminar before the end of summer.