King Alfonso XIII of Spain Tarjeta Postal

King Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941) was the Spanish monarch who was born in 1886. He was immediately proclaimed king under the regency of Maria Cristina ( his mother). In 1902, on his 16th birthday, he assumed full authority as king until his abdication in 1931.

Tarjeta Postal – Postal Card/ Postcard

King Alfonso XIII postcard commercially used dated January 17,1906 by Pototipia de Hauser V Menet Undivided Back (c. 1901-1907) Madrid

He was the ruler of the country, when Cuba gained their independence, Philippine, Guam, Puerto Rico were sold to the United States of the treaty of Paris in 1898. The remaining islands of Caroline islands ( Islas de Carolinas) formerly part of Spanish East Indies were eventually sold to Germany in 1899 for 25 million pesetas or 17 million golds mark. Spain only remaining colonies are the Spanish Sahara in Northern Africa and some enclaves.

Aside from the decline of Spain as a world power, This was also one of the most turbulent episodes in Spanish history.

back portion of the tarjeta postal – the postcard was send from Spain to England with King Alfonso XIII stamp

Popular Myths Behind King Alfonso XIII coins and stamps

There are coins, banknotes, postage stamps, telegraph stamps and tarjeta postal issued during the Spanish regime in the country which bore his portrait – Almost same design were also issued in Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba with few minor differences. When the coins were minted in Madrid and issued in Manila for general use, They were not so popular compared to Queen Isabel 2 and King Alfonso XII.

The XIII or number 13 was sometimes considered “unlucky” to those people collecting them. There are some old time collectors who recounted their stories , that some do not even dared to touch the coins due to the fear of getting “unlucky” (malas).

As years passed by, The coins, stamps and ephemera of King Alfonso XIII became popular because a lot of the items were destroyed during the Spanish civil war during the middle part of 1936 to early 1939. Some of the local collection were lost during the last world war, natural calamities, fires and even neglect by their owners.

Some of the coins were eventually remelted down after the war up to the 1980’s for the use in different local silversmith ateliers, altar pieces or reselling them. Those are just some of the contributing of the scarcity of the coin.

There are still some King Alfonso XIII or King Alphonse XIII stamps and postcards that are still affordable for sale in popular online auction sites or local stamp collecting bourse.

It had been more than 1 year since the last local stamp club held their local bourse due to IATF and enhanced community quarantine restriction.

Bought this postcard in an online auction site, few months ago for a price of a fast food burger meal. It was quite rare to find this in local stamp bourse/ auction club meeting.

King Alfonso XIII Abdication and Death

He left Spain voluntarily after the municipal elections of April 1931, which were taken as a plebiscite on abolishing the monarchy. Alfonso XIII renounced his rights to the defunct Spanish throne on June 15, 1941 in favor of Juan. He died of a heart attack in Rome on 28 February of that year. He was buried in Spanish National Church of Santiago and Montserrat (Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli) in Rome before his body was repatriated in 1980.

He was re interred in El Escorial in Spain.

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Launching of Nissan GT Academy Season 2 in the Philippines

Atrium, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City -Philippines

Nissan Philippines Inc. ( NPI.) once again brings innovation that excited to the Philippine motorsports scene as formally launches the second season of the Nissan GT Academy -Philippines. The launch was held a few hours ago at the SM Mall of Asia-Atrium.

A virtual-to-reality racing competition, the Nissan GT Academy gives aspiring race cars drivers a chance to fulfill their dream of participating in a professional international race.

Nissan GT Academy 2015 finalists

First launched locally in March 2015, the Nissan GT Academy saw over 13,000 aspiring racers participate in over 20 live events held in key cities in the country within a four month period. Twenty players with the best race time in the game then advanced to compete in the National Finals, where they were subjected to physical, driving, media, and virtual challenges to determine the top six contenders.

Mr. Lucas Ordoñez

Lucas Ordoñez, winner of the inaugural 2008 Nissan Playstation GT academy in Europe, graced the opening of the event, encouraging participants to grab the Nissan GT Academy Season 2 as an opportunity to make their race-car dreams come true.

“Back then, I was just studying for my MBA. When I saw an ad for a new competition called ‘GT Academy’, I knew I had to join and take this shot to be the racing driver I dreamed to be,” said Ordoñez who also completed a podium finish in the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours.

“Now, here I am racing on every possible tournament. It felt great to have taken that move. I hope Filipinos will grab this opportunity too,” he added.

“The Nissan GT Academy is Nissan’s way of democratizing motorsports, to make it more accessible to the general public,” said SJ Huh, NPI General Manager for Marketing. “By doing this, we help fast-track the dreams of more potential Filipino racers to reach the international racing arena.”

Mr. Jose Gerald ” Joward ” Policarpio winner of Nissan Academy 2015

The Nissan Philippines GT Academy 2016 2nd Season will be touring the entire country in search for the new aspiring racers which will represents the country . Check the Official Mechanics & Live Recruitment Events Schedule here: http://bit.ly/NissanGTAcademyPH.

winners

There was an in- house friendly competition among the media and bloggers hosted Nissan Philippines . This is some sort of bragging rights by the participants. The Awards includes ” Best Dressed Virtual Driver ” , ” Most Verbal Virtual Driver ”  Fastest Male and Female Virtual Driver” , ” Slowest  Male and Female Virtual Driver “

 For more details and updates on the upcoming new season of the Nissan GT Academy Philippines, please visit Nissan Philippines’ official Facebook page.
Website :https://www.nissan.ph/

 

King Alfonso XIII of Spain stamps

Quezon City , Philippines

Collecting stamps and other collectible items are like collecting  little pieces and bits of history .  Bargain hunting , haggling is always part of the exciting hunt.  Collecting Spanish -Philippines era stamps can be quite expensive as very few items are up for sale and sometimes, there are even forgeries that even experience stamp collectors ( philatelists ) cannot easily distinguished.

different kinds of stamps issued during the Spanish colonial era 

I happen to chance upon a small lot in a local bourse/ auction several weeks ago which contained an array of unused ( without gums)  and some in mint condition King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Most of the 10 piece stamp set were issued  in 1889 , 1890, 1896 , 1897 and 1898 and it is between 107 to 126 years old.  Many stamp collectors would think it was a bit pricey to own this set. Luckily , I was able to get the entire stamp set for just under Php 100 or $ US 2.25 dollars ! It was not really that CHEAP for i know a stamp collector was able to buy a stamp collection for just under Php 250.00 with a lots of Spanish- Philippines issues and comes with a stamp album, Now that is the real bargain hunter.

Biography: Alfonso was born in Madrid, Spain on 17 May 1886. He was the posthumous son of   King Alfonso XII, who had died in November 1885, and became King of Spain upon his birth. The French newspaper Le Figaro described the young king as “the happiest and best-loved of all the rulers of the earth”. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria , served as his regent until his 16th birthday. During the regency, in 1898, Spain lost its colonial rule over Cuba , Puerto Rico , Spanish East Indies which includes Guam, Marianas , Palau and The Philippines . Spanish: Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena; English: Alphonse Leon Ferdinand Mary James Isidor Pascal Anthony of Bourbon

References:

Spanish -Cuban stamps: http://www.stampworld.com/en/stamps/Spanish-Cuba/Postage%20stamps/?year=1880

King Alfonso XIII: http://www.catawiki.com/catalog/stamps/depicted-persons-individuals/1012477-alfonso-xiii-of-spain-1886-1941

Miss Universe 2013 is Ms. Venezuela while Ms. Ariella Arida landed third-runner -up

Moscow, Russia

Miss Venezuela – Ms.  Gabriela Iser

Miss Universe 2012, Ms. Olivia Cuplo crowned Ms. Gabriela Isler at the conclusion of the two-hour telecast, viewed by an estimated 1 billion people from 190 countries.

Isler beat out contestants from 85 other countries at the 62nd annual competition to nab the crown for Venezuela, the country’s seventh Miss Universe title.

Ms. Gabriela Isler

The 25-year-old, 5-foot, 10-inch beauty works as an anchor for Venezuela’s Venevision television- Venezuela’s biggest television station . Her experience is likely to come in handy during her one-year stint as Miss Universe.

The new Miss Universe was selected by a panel of eight judges including celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, gold medal figure skater Ms. Tara Lipinski and Aerosmith frontman  Steven Tyler , who pulled double duty with a performance during the show.

MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts and “America’s Got Talent” alum and former Spice Girl Melanie Brown  served as co-hosts.

The coronation night began on a sad but heartwarming note when Roberts and his co-host Mel B announced that the 2013 Miss Universe pageant was dedicated to the Philippines and Vietnam because of the devastation wreaked by Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan).

Then the Top 16 was announced:

• Costa Rica: Fabiana Granados
• Ukraine: Olga Storozhenko
• China: Jin Ye
• Ecuador: Constanza Baez
• Great Britain: Amy Willerton
• Indonesia: Whulandary
• Venezuela: Gabriela Isler
• Dominican Republic: Yaritza Reyes
• Puerto Rico: Monic Perez
• Spain: Patricia Yurena Rodriguez
• USA: Erin Brady
• Nicaragua: Nastassja Bolivar
• Switzerland: Dominique Rinderknecht
• India: Manasi Moghe
• Brazil: Jakelyne Oliveira
• Philippines: Ariella Arida

 The announcement of the final slot  was nerve-wracking  and tension filled memory  for Filipinos around the world , being called the last .  According to the host , She won the MU online voting which worried some; it was like the kiss of death, because it meant that the winner won by popularity and not her own merit.

BUT,  Since Miss Universe is a show and to create suspense and drama – They might have called Miss Philippines , last on stage .

According to several missosologists and Filipinos in Russia, There were about 700 to 750 Filipinos at the Crocus Hall during the pageant finals.

FAN VOTE

I am not surprise with Miss Philippines getting the ” Fan Vote ”  of the Miss Universe 2013 pageant .  In this  social media age,  where almost 33 million Filipinos in the Philippines are hook on different social media networks like facebook, twitter, instagram, four square etc.

Plus,   there is also a large support group from overseas Filipinos in different countries  . Cheering for their country and their candidates in any way that they can .  You Tube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIm6YHcSDiU

Philippines is considered a voting BLOCK in the world of pageantry. BUT i must say it is not only Filipinos who voted for Ms. Ariella Arida but also expats and foreigners from around the world. Proving skeptics that Filipinos are among the most beautiful people in the globe.

Miss Philippines -Aileen ” Leng ” Damiles group picture with Miss Thailand and Miss Indonesia- photo courtesy : Miss Universe 1996

If I can remember , when the selection of the ” Miss Photogenic” was done via internet  at the Miss Universe 1996 pageant was introduced  .  Miss Philippines – Ms. Aileen ” Leng” Damiles consistently top the voting sites.  Same story goes in 1997 .

Miss Abbygale Williamson-Arenas also won Miss Photogenic via fan vote

Ms. Denise Quinones – Miss Universe 2001 won Miss Photogenic award via online voting

Internet voting was halted by the organization for a few years then resuming back in 2001 when Puerto Rico stepped  into the limelight with national voting marathons organized to give support to their candidates  . Same story goes in 2002, 2003 then 2004.

Miss Lia Andrea Ramos won Miss Photogenic at the Miss Universe 2006

Philippines again won ” Miss Photogenic” award in 2005, 2006 and 2007 proving that pageant fans from the Philippines  played a very active role with the selection.  Some pageant aficionados would quick in defending their votes, ” Kesa umuwing luhaan  ang ating kandidata at least may pakonsuelo “.

“Instead of our candidates  would go  home empty handed at there  is some sort of consolation . ”

BUT active fan voting is not  the sole monopoly to the Philippines.

 Miss Portugal-  Laura Goncalves ( Fan Vote  ) Miss Universe 2011- Top 10 semi-finalist

Latin American and Carribean  countries like Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia , Peru, Ecuador, Brazil , Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic  are also major voters ! Hence in 2011 – When Miss Portugal  was called as semi-finalist on the top- 16 thru internet voting , some pageant gurus  were shocked with the results !  BUT they did not know that it was thru the help of the Brazilians and Latin American countries which campaigned for her inclusion.

Ms. Anna Theresa Luy Licaros photo courtesy : Miss Universe

Emerging Asian voting block includes Thailand . Their candidates are winners of fan base, Best National Costume  in 2008 , Miss Photogenic 2009,  Miss Photogenic and Best National Costume 2010- winner of 4  fan base internet voting.  Vietnam, India, Indonesia , China and now Myanmar were not far behind.

Fonthip Watcharatrakul

Miss Thailand 2010 – winner of ” Best in National Costume”  and ” Miss Photogenic” via online voting

Some netizens  and beauty pageant experts sometimes nickname the fan base vote as ” Miss Votedgenic ” or ” Puertogenic “,” Pinaygenic” and ” Thailandgenic”  the last three are names of the country of origin ( Puerto Rico ), ( Pinay is a colloquial term for Filipino women),   ( Thailand) with huge internet voting fan base.

What makes the Filipinos at par with the Latin American countries? Filipinos love pageants, some of the oldest known national pageant dates back in 1908 ( Manila Carnival Queen ) See the link:   http://manilacarnivals.blogspot.com/

Almost any type of pageant just like its Latin counterparts , There are pageants in almost every barangays, barrios, sitos, schools, universities etc…  A fiesta is never complete without pageant.

What makes Filipinos different with the Latin American countries? Unlike some Latin American countries which have some sort of beauty schools and radical views on beauty like cosmetic surgeries etc…. Majority of the Filipinos still regard pageants as past time and still prefers natural beauties.  This is a long debate.

Shocking Surprises:

Early favorites like Miss Poland, Miss Israel, Miss Mexico , Miss Hungary , Miss Curacao and hometown bet Miss Russia failed to make it.  Some say Mr. Donald Trump had an upper hand with the selection of ” Trump’s Bet”, ” Trump’s Pick”  or ” Trump’s Angels”  to enter in the finals.  Some say there were 6 of them, while some place them at 8. – As they always say, not all front -runners will make  it to the finals!

Ms. Ariella Arida casual wear during the introduction -photo courtesy of : Miss Universe

Ms. Ariella Arida – swimsuit during the finals

Ms. Ariella Arida during the evening gown finals

Miss Universe top-5

Miss Universe top 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e4DfQjMPp0

Question and Answer:

 Ecuador came first and was asked what she thought the world would be without the Internet. Her response about computers having [their] advantages and disadvantages and not having enough time for family [seemed] somewhat related, but she did not directly answer the question.

Brazil followed and was asked a question about women in countries who are not allowed to vote, hold elected office and even drive. Jackelyne noted that even if women have achieved independence [today], there are still problems. She referred to her country where the president is currently a woman. Perhaps Brazil could have answered this better?

Spain was next and her question was political. What more could be done for more women to be elected to public office? With the help of a translator, Patricia answered in Spanish saying that women “must possess good qualities in order to do a good job — discipline, knowing how to adapt…so she can fulfill her job.” Spain seemed almost assured of the crown with this answer.

The Philippines was asked about what could be done about the lack of jobs for young people who are starting their careers around world. Ariella’s answer:

“For the people who have lack of jobs, I do believe that we people should invest in education. And that is my primary advocacy, because if every one of us is educated and we‘re well aware of what we are doing, we could land into jobs and could land good careers in the future. So, education is a primary source and it is a ticket for a better future,” she replied.

Arida was the only contestant from the final five who replied in English. The rest of the Spanish-speaking contestants needed their respective translators to convey their answers.

Venezuela was the last to answer: “What is your biggest fear and how do you plan to overcome it?” She said in her native language, “We must overcome all our fears and this in turn would make us stronger. As soon as we overcome our fears, we can face any challenge.”

Although she said it well, Gabriela took a different approach to the question by answering obliquely.

Note: I think it is not the final question and answer portion that made Miss Venezuela won the pageant, It was the overall performance and the judges impression that made her win.  Just like last year when Miss Venezuela was over-rated at 2nd runner-up and even Miss USA which eventually got the crown.

History stroll thru postal stamps

Walking tours of city’s rich heritage
By Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:41:00 04/25/2009

Photos : Renz

Filed Under: Tourism, Hobbies, Culture (general), history

Liwasang Bonifacio

MANILA, Philippines — It could be a magical mystery tour with a slight twist and a different setting.

The postal heritage walking tour around Manila hopes to resurrect the dying art of stamp collecting in an age of e-mail and instant messaging through leisurely strolls around historic sites around the country’s capital.

What’s magical about the tour is the Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club’s (FSCC) ability to uncover hidden gems of history around Manila using postage stamps as its guide.

back view of the Main Post Office and Postal Bank

Lawrence Chan, FSCC vice president and tour guide, conceded: “Stamp collection is a dying art. Let’s face it, people would rather send an e-mail rather than send snail mail.”

Chan told the Inquirer that the primary aim of the postal heritage walking tour is “to promote through philately our rich cultural heritage.”

Philately is defined by the Philippine Postal Service in its website as “the world’s most fascinating hobby. Through philately, you can learn of a country’s history, art, culture, and industry as depicted in special commemorative stamps.”

Chan said his group has organized the walking tours to “show participants how diverse and rich our culture is.” The tours are usually scheduled every third Sunday of the month but can be held on other days depending on requests made by students or other interested groups.

He pointed out that sometimes, they even spend for the participants just so they could join a tour.

The FSCC officers and members usually meet every third  Sundays at the Postal Museum and Philatelic Library to trade or sell stamps.

Josie Cura, FSCC president, told the Inquirer that her group accommodates people who want to start their own stamp collections.

Cura, who has been collecting stamps since 1966, said that people can write them through snail mail and ask for free stamps to start the hobby. “As long as they enclose self-stamped envelopes, we can give them stamps.”

The FSCC was first organized by stamp collectors in October 1994 as the Manila Stamp Collectors’ Club aimed at catering to beginners and intermediates at the hobby.

It was later renamed as the FSCC in January 2000 and has some 70 active members to date.

The Philippine postal heritage walking tour kicked off at the Aduana or the Customs House, where goods including mails were brought from overseas and declared.

Aduana ruins

What could be seen now of the then “Intendencia” is its ruins at the heart of Intramuros. The building was built from 1823 to 1829 , was demolished in 1872, and a new one replaced it four years after to house the customs offices, the Intendencia General de Hacienda (Central Administration), the treasury, as well as the casa moneda (mint).

First day cover of the Intendencia building circa 1974 -25th anniversary of the Central Bank of the Philippines

It was destroyed by American artillery in 1945 and was restored and used by the Central Bank of the Philippines, the national treasury, and the Commission on Elections until it was completely ravaged by a fire in 1979.

The Puerta Isabel II monument and gate is marked by the bronze statue of the Spanish queen which was first erected near the Teatro Alfonso XII (now the Metropolitan Theater) in Arroceros (now Plaza Lawton) on July 14, 1860.

Moves to dismantle the statue after the queen’s downfall was thwarted by a sympathizer who hid the monument in his home.

Puerta Isabel II gate and monument

In 1896, the statue resurfaced and was erected in front of the Malate Church for some 70 years until Typhoon “Yoling” (international code name Patsy) toppled the statue. It was only in 1975 during the visit of then Prince and now King Juan Carlos of Spain that the monument was erected on its present site.

Reina Isabel II of Spain- portrait and stamp issued in 1854

Liwasang Bonifacio was also part of the itinerary. The park which is known as the venue for most rallies used to be known as Plaza Lawton until it was renamed in the 1960s after the Plebeian hero Andres Bonifacio.

The Manila Cathedral inside the walled Intramuros was also part of the tour as it was also previously featured in stamps when its bell tower has not yet been constructed.

The final leg of the tour showed a virtual trove of philately in the form of the Postal Museum and Philatelic Library which is located within the Manila Central Post Office compound.

The postal museum is hidden at the third floor of the building of the Security Inspection Services Division and Postal Police Force that any Manileño would scratch his head in wonder at not knowing that it exists and is in fact the oldest museum in southeast Asia.

It was organized in 1992 to enable the public to view the country’s rich repository of stamps and items used by the post office through the years including: Old mail boxes, typewriters, awards, paintings, stamps, philatelic magazines, as well as books and catalogues.

Chan revealed that the Philippines is the first country in Asia to issue stamps, printing and releasing them on Feb. 1, 1854.

He disclosed that the first stamp is highly collectible because of the error in printing where “correos” was misspelled as “corros” and could fetch a price ranging from P5,000 to as much as P25,000 a piece.

Another collectible stamp is the June 30, 1981 Philippine issued stamp and souvenir sheet without any indication of the country of origin and carried “new republic” on its face.

A Sept. 25, 1995 issuance honoring Cesar Bengson bore the picture of his brother instead. When the error was discovered, 2,070 stamps had already been sold while the rest were recalled and replaced.

Chan pointed out that errors and mistakes in printing of stamps make them precious to stamp collectors.

He lamented that the hobby is no longer as thriving as it was during the snail mail era and the museum is not being promoted when other countries take pride in their culture.

“We have a very rich history. We should just take time, take it slow to enjoy what we have,” Chan stressed.

The FSCC can be reached by prospective hobbyists through Manila P.O. box 2986 or through 7355001.

Reprinted from Philippine Daily Inquirer – April 25 issue