The Postal Museum and Philatelic Library

Entrance to the Museum

During my last trip to the Post Office, I spoke with Ms. Perla B. Goco of the Stamp & Philatelic Division.

Philately is the art of stamp collecting. It comes from the Greek words Philos, meaning friends, and Atelei meaning exempt from charge.

Through commemorative stamps one learns about the country’s history, art, culture and industry.

For example, commemorative stamps were printed to remember the oath taking of President Nonoy and Vice President Binay. There were also stamps printed commemorate Rizal’s 150^th birthday.

Ms. Goco is also an avid stamp collector. She said that as a stamp collector, she has always longed to join exhibits where she’d be able to display her collections.

She also advises newbie stamp collectors to join the Philatelic club, where one can learn the basics of stamp collection. She added that by learning more about Philatelics, one’s stamp collection can have a better direction.

Interested in joining the Philatelic Club?

Please call Mrs. Josefina T. Cura @ 735-5001

Mondays – Saturdays

1pm – 5pm

Club Activities

• Regular monthly meetings, lectures and auctions on  3^rd Sunday of the month at the Postal Library and Museum from 1pm to 5pm
• Joins and organizes philatelic exhitbitons whenever necessary on a yearly basis
• Stamp donations to affiliate organizations, museums, schools and to beginners
• Free monthly Postal Heritage Walking Tour
• Maintains a website to update members on current happenings and linkages to other philatelic societies and organizations
• Conducts study groups in research and development of basic skill in preparation to mount exhibits for competitions

Annual Membership dues:

Php 225 – I.D.s issued to regular members

Php 75 – students with valid school IDs

Link

www.philpost.gov.ph   (Philippine Postal Corporation)

The Postal Museum and Philatelic Library is located within the Post Office compound. I will give you  short tour of what I saw.

Philatelic

One Day at the Post Office

I had to make a quick trip to the Post Office to claim a registered mail. Everytime I visit the place, I pass by the e-Post Shop or the Philatelic Division  to buy stamps. I’m a newbie philatelic. My interest in it is quite accidental.

In 2006, the apartment where we used to live caught fire, due to a neighbor’s electric fan that overheated. We were miraculously spared from the fire, but not spared from the smoke and water damage. For short, we had to move out and find another place to live. Among my father in law’s rubles was a collection of stamps, which I saved and decided to keep for myself. He has forgotten all about them anyway.

I used to do volunteer works at the Archdiocese of Manila. My priest boss, the late Fr. Gabriel Casal, requested me to find stamp albums, where he could  keep and organize his stamp collections. I suddenly remembered the stamps that I saved from the fire and decided to get a stamp album for myself.

And that my friends started my interest in collecting stamps. Stamps remind me of my high school teacher -- Ms. Bartolome. She was an avid collector, who’d often asked for stamps before starting our class, “Any stamps girls?” One gets a “Thank you” and “Very good remark” for a stamp.

 Beyond the Pasig river view of the Post Office. I took this photo while standing at the Jones  Bridge.

Viewed from the Jones Bridge is the Escolta Ferry Station. Sigh! I miss my ferry boat rides.  They stopped operation this year.

 

The Jones bridge. I often take leisurely walks along this bridge to enjoy the view. 

View at the left side of the bridge is equally interesting.

Taken from the steps at the entrance of the Post Office. 

The fountain area is a favorite venue for prenuptial pictorials of couples about to tie the knot.

I had to get my mail from the same window where that man is standing.

These writing tables must be older than you and me.

The Post Office Lobby – Oh there are people after all!

The e-Post shop, where mailing boxes of various sizes, stamps, greeting cards, and some grocery items are sold.

An unusual find. Nope, these are not unclaimed postal notices. 

They are pledges of students about saving the environment.

A view of Post Office frontage. 

If Samson were alive, he’d be in a frenzy choosing which pillar to topple. 

Or has the internet eaten away through these pillars?

Hidden behind the pillars is a taho vendor. The view is especially enjoyable with a glass of taho, which costs Php 20.

At the left is a blurred photo of fire trucks -- fire fighters to the rescue. We chanced upon a fire at the Post Office area one evening. Alas, the Phil Post Regional Office Bldg was on fire. To the right is a view of what is left of the building days after the disaster.

Back door view of the Post Office. 

The Philatelic Museum and Library is just across.

I'll give you a tour for the museum in my next post.

 

Verekai Experience

When I was a kid, my dad took me and my brothers to see Holiday on Ice at the Araneta Colloseum.

[That time there were just 3 of us, my brother John, Tatus and myself. Our youngest sibling Frank, was not yet born nor conceived.]

We were seated at the bleachers. It was sooooo far away from the stage, that the performers appeared to be just a few inches tall.

Lucky for us kids, back then, we all had 20-20 vision. Plus our dad remembered to bring a set of binoculars, which allowed us to get a better view of things.

That time, I was amazed to realize that they could actually turn the floor into ice. We marveled at the performances and the beautiful costumes they wore.

After that experience, my dad came home one day with a set of roller skates.  He challenged me and my brothers to learn how to skate.

We definitely took the challenge. We skated on concrete pavement around our house, on our street, and on mom’s wooden floor during rainy days. My mom kept on warning us, “Watch out, watch out! Don’t hurt yourself.”

Speaking of shows and performances, my husband and I had a chance to see Varekai. The show brought me back to my Holiday on Ice viewing experience. This time, we were not at the bleachers.

OMG, it must have been my lucky day!  Out of the blue, we were approached by one usher, and asked if we wanted to transfer to seats closer to the stage at no added costs. Oh Yes!

We watched with great awe, and wished that we had more sets of eyes. There were performers everywhere! The tickets were quite pricey, but it was really worth it. We were there on a weekday performance, yet the show hall was packed with people. 

[I had to switch on my charm and convincing prowess to make my husband agree to see the show. I’m actually repaying it with 39 sets of home cooked office lunches and snacks. Strictly no eating outside!  My current count says, that I still have 22 yummy lunches to serve!]

The crowd during the show was a very good and well mannered one. We were requested to turn off our mobile phones, and everyone did. Cameras were not allowed inside that show area, and it was strictly followed. There were just 2 or 3 persons who tried to take photos. The ushers were very quick to politely remind people that taking photos was not allowed.

Yep, there was standing ovation after the performance! That was  what we gave back to the performers.

If  I were to wish upon a star, I’d wish that many more big and small pinoy kids alike will have the opportunity to watch the show.

 My first glimpse of these structures gave me a picture of fiesta fun. In my mind, this was exactly how I have  always pictured the circus -- just like in many foreign movies.

The venue was located just across the Quirino Grandstand. Wow, it was such a pleasant transformation of a vacant lot!

Inside the show hall, the seats were arranged just like they have pictured it online.

The make of the Varekai venue reminded me of the clam shell structures that they set up for the Wow Philippines project. I was sort of expecting mono block seats. To my pleasant surprise, the seats seemed to be specially made for the circus.

Likewise, the stage and everything around it were wonderfully designed. I just loved the “instant holes on the floor” which served as dramatic and even humorous exits during performances.

We purchased our tickets online The organizers also provided ticket booths within the compound to accommodate last minute viewers. Perhaps our old seats were given to these last minute viewers. Aha, so the saying is true, “The early bird catches the worm!”

As the showtime neared, people started to go inside the circus tent. 

Pinoys as we are, there were people who stopped to have their pictures taken in front of this Cirque Du Soleil banner. As they say, “When you’re in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

 Two great circus fans. Big kids are us!

This is what the inside of the circus tent looked like. Food stalls were also available. There were kiosks selling souvenirs. [Oppsss… sorry not in photo]

Souvenir program booklets were sold for Php 200. After the show, people lined up to get a copy.  While they were doing so, I wondered, “Hmm.. if I saw Varekai in another country, say New York., will the souvenir program will come for free?”

Nah, I didn’t buy a souvenir booklet, but I scanned through it.   I’m relying on goodie-goodie Mr. Google to tell me more.

But, if there was a chance at all to have the souvenir booklet autographed … then that’s another story.

Oh yes, there were even elevated toilets available. Nope, they were not the portalet kind. They were much better – just like a regular toilet.  I remember washing my hands at the lavatory. Best of all, there was water coming out from the faucet, and there was tissue paper!

Amazingly, there were enough number of toilets to service all the viewers. How did I know? Well, we didn’t have long queues during the show break.

Let me end this post with the following Varekai presentation:

varekai