PBBM unveiled the Labor Day 2024 Commemorative Stamps

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. and Postmaster General Luis D. Carlos of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) unveiled the Commemorative Stamps featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Labor Code of the Philippines held in Malacañang Palace, Manila, Philippines during the occasion of the 122nd Labor Day celebration on May 01, 2024.

Witnessing the unveiling ceremony are (from left to right) Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Speaker of the House of Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.

Fifty years ago, on May 01, 1974, a milestone event in the history of the Philippine labor system took place after President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. signed Presidential Decree (PD) No. 442, S. 1974, which instituted a labor code that revised and consolidated the existing labor and social laws to ensure and strengthen the welfare of the Filipino workers.

 

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in collaboration with the Philippine Postal Corporation, issued the commemorative stamps and Official First Day Cover.

These stamps and cover symbolize the enduring significance of the law in realizing our collective aspiration for every Filipino worker to attain total, decent, and productive employment.

It will be recalled that on 1 May 1903, Labor Day was first celebrated in the Philippines when more than a hundred thousand workers marched to Malacañang to demand better working conditions.

Likewise, on 01 May 1913, Filipino workers and labor leaders convened a labor congress at the Cine Oriente along C.M Recto Street, then known as Azcarraga, in Manila. Around 36 labor unions heeded the call to Congress and united under one umbrella to fight for the rights of Filipino workers.

PHLPost will sell copies of the two stamp designs depicting the historic signing of the Philippine Labor Code with denominations of P16 each. It releases 40,000 pieces of the stamps along with 3,400 copies of the first day cover envelope. The stamps were designed by Mr. Nazer-Ren Aquino of DOLE and Jose Antonio A. Jayme of PHLPost.

Stamps and First Day Cover envelope shall be available at the Postshop, located at the back of the Manila Central Post Office Building in Liwasang Bonifacio.

PHLPost introduces Guinness Book’s” largest collection of Pope stamps in an exhibit

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


In celebration of its 32nd Corporate Anniversary, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) launches the Pope Stamps Exhibit featuring Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) Secretary General Kim Robert De Leon’s “Guinness Book of World Records” largest collection of Papal stamps which are on display at Robinsons Manila level 3, lower food court area from April 29-May 04, 2024.

PHLPost commemorated its corporate anniversary with the passing of Republic Act 7354 on April 02, 1992, otherwise known as the Philippine Postal Service Act that paved the way for the corporatization of the Postal Service Office (PSO).

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest collection of stamps featuring Popes is 2,398, and was achieved by Kim Robert De Leon, a Filipino in Navotas, NCR, Philippines, on 22 February 2022.

“We Filipinos are proud of this achievement”, Postmaster General Luis Carlos said.

It was during the pandemic that SecGen Kim increased his Pope Stamp Collections. He started his collection of stamps and covers upon discovering his Pope Francis First Day Cover which he bought from PHLPost shortly after the Papal Visit in 2015. As his collections grew, he got interested in a much larger collection which led him to try his collections to be certified by Guinness.

The stamps were counted on February 22, 2022, on the occasion of the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, the first Pope, at San Ildefonso Parish in Navotas City where he served as member of the Ministry of Lectors and Commentators. His other collection includes stamps featuring Scouts, which is also certified by Guinness, a collection featuring Christmas and the Madonna, among others.

During the program, SecGen Kim, in a Filipino scouting uniform, accepted the Philatelic frame from the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost). He said, “it is an honor for me to be given this opportunity to recognize my work and for my fellow Filipinos to appreciate it which I hope would inspire others especially the youth to collect postage stamps”.

For PHLPost, Postmaster General Luis Carlos said that excitement is now happening in the philatelic (stamps) world with the release of several innovative stamp designs and the soon to be released Philippine Postcards in collaboration with the Philippine’s Department of Tourism.

“The stamps we issued are now appealing and intended to capture not only to philatelists but also to the younger generations as well. We want to showcase the best of our country to the international tourism and local market”, he added.

He noted that in the digital age where communication is mostly virtual, PHLPost needs to innovate, connect and sell these miniature pieces of art in order to attract younger collectors.

“We thank the Robinson’s Group for supporting this event”, Carlos said. The exhibit also honors Filipino Philatelic collectors who have been patronizing the services of the post office, particularly those valuable Philippine Postage Stamps which are considered priceless, being the country’s recorder of history and culture.

Bacolod Film Festival calls for entries

Wazzup Pilipinas!



The Bacolod Film Festival is now accepting script submissions with the theme “Stories with a Smile” or those with a “potential to inspire laughter, warmth, and a renewed appreciation for the brighter side of life.”

The filmfest, set to be held in September this year, is open to filmmakers who are registered voters and residents of Bacolod City. They can be producers, directors, or scriptwriters of an entry.

The festival accepts short film scripts of any genre, such as romance, drama, comedy, or horror, in any Filipino language with English translation. Entries must be submitted on or before May 18, Saturday, 11:59 p.m., after which ten (10) finalists will be chosen.

Selected filmmakers will be given a production grant of 300,000 pesos each, to be released in two tranches, of which the first one is worth 200,000 pesos. The remaining 100,000 pesos will be released once the picture lock version of the film has been submitted.

The total running time of the produced films must be at a minimum of fifteen (15) minutes and maximum of twenty (20) minutes, including opening and closing credits. The short films must be in narrative live action form, when taken as a whole. Documentary, experimental or animation will not be accepted, except if added only as elements within the film.

The Bacolod Film Festival aims to create a venue where local filmmakers and producers can showcase their talents and further solidify Bacolod, known as the “City of Smiles,” as one of the creative hubs for filmmaking in the Philippines.

“Bacolod should be proud of its creatives. We have very artistic directors, and actors,” Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez, who also chairs the Bacolod Film Festival Council, said.

The Bacolod City Council or Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) recently passed City Ordinance No. 1061, or the Bacolod Film Festival Ordinance, authored by Councilor Em L. Ang, with Councilors Cindy Rojas and Celia Matea Flor as co-authors. Councilor Ang, chairperson of the SP Committee on History, Culture and Arts, also serves as BFFC vice chair.

Aside from Mayor Benitez and Councilor Ang, the BFFC is composed of the chair of the SP Committee on Tourism, City Tourism Officer, City Legal Officer, City Budget Officer, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Officer, Department of Education Division Superintendent, representatives from SM and Ayala Malls Cinemas and the local film industry.

Members of the BFF Organizing Committee and their relatives (up to the second degree of consanguinity) are prohibited from joining the competition. There is no entry fee to participate.

Multiple entries are accepted, but each script must be submitted with a separate entry form and online registration. The selection committee will only consider one entry per finalist.

The short films must have their premiere at the Bacolod Film Festival this September.