PHLPost released new commemorative stamps to mark Malabon City’s 425th Foundation Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has released new commemorative stamps to mark the 425th Foundation Day of the City of Malabon on May 21, 2024.

The commemorative stamps symbolized the rich history, culture and culinary tradition of the City known during the Spanish era as Tambobong.

City Mayor Jeannie N. Sandoval and Postmaster General Luis D. Carlos unveiled the said commemorative stamps in a fitting ceremony highlighting the colorful celebration of Malabon City’s 425th foundation day held at Malabon City Sports Center.

Malabon’s historic journey began during the Spanish colonial era dating back over four centuries. Originally part of the tribal domain of Raja Soliman, in nearby Manila, “Tambobong” derived its name from the numerous tambo trees flourishing in the region.

Records indicate that on May 21, 1599, Tambobong came under the administration of the Augustinian Friars as a “bisita” or parish, along with Navotas. Over the next 260 years, the twin towns were occasionally separated and rejoined before becoming autonomous.

During the Spanish Era, Malabon transformed into a favored retreat for Intramuros friars and government officials. The town earned the name “Malabon”, with the term “mala” (bad) stemming from the mud that flawed their pricey European leather shoes and elegant robes. On the other side of the “bon/buen” (good) symbolized the town’s redeeming qualities- its rejuvenating fresh air and the excellent cuisine.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Tambobong’s proximity to Intramuros and the Galleon Trade in the Manila Bay had spurred economic growth. In 1888, the first “Tranvia de Bapor” began operating along Malabon’s river system, providing efficient access to the Northern provinces.

The strip of three (3) commemorative stamps features the rich history and culture of Malabon City. The first is the San Bartolome Church which stands as a testament to the city’s past. Built in the 1600s, its Baroque style reflects the religious fervor of the time. The second, is the famous and original Pancit Malabon, which is loaded with delicious seafood toppings, smoked fish flakes, pork cracklets and duck eggs laid over thick rice noodles. The third, is the Tambobong Indakan festival, which promotes the rich and colorful culture of the city. The festival featured the talents, skills, and creativity of the people of Malabon City.

PHLPost has printed 42,000 pieces of the P16.00 strip of three (3) commemorative stamps and additional 3,400 pieces of Official First Day Cover. Another 1,000 copies of personalized stamps were printed of the historic “La Princesa '', a large tobacco factory in Brgy. Hulo, owned by the King of Spain which was established in 1851. Malabon City Mayor Jeannie N. Sandoval is featured in the background. The stamps were layout by PHLPost in-house graphic artist Jose Antonio A. Jayme.






The stamps are now available at Manila Central Post Office Annex Bldg. in Liwasang Bonifacio.

After Morong, E911 National Office, DILG aims to bring state of the art emergency response system to other LGUs

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The town of Morong, a second-class municipality in Rizal, scored a feat this May by being the first-ever local government unit in the Philippines and the first in Southeast Asia, to put in place a world-class, state-of-the-art emergency response center with the Next Generation 911 System used in the USA to better serve their residents.

Executive Director Francis Fajardo of the Emergency 911 National Office and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for External, Legal and Legislative Affairs Atty. Juan Victor Llamas, activated Morong’s Emergency 911 Hotline Number at the inauguration of Morong’s E911 Local Command Center in Sitio Paglabas, Bgy. San Pedro on May 6.

Fajardo hailed the establishment of the first E911 command center in the country as “a significant step forward in providing efficient and effective emergency response services to every corner of the nation”.

“This center will serve as the nerve center for emergency operations in Morong. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and staffed by dedicated personnel trained to handle any crisis with precision and professionalism,” Fajardo said.

Usec. Llamas congratulated the officials of Morong for being the first local government unit with a Next Generation 911 System in the country and said that Secretary Benjamin Abalos and the DILG supports the project.

“Morong will be placed in history as the pioneer LGU to use Emergency 911, made possible with the help of NGA 911”, Llamas said.

Morong will now be able to use the emergency 911 hotline instead of the current ten-digit number for emergency calls. Fajardo revealed that guided by the fundamental principles of the Bagong Pilipinas brand of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, his office and the DILG jointly aim “to localize the emergency 911 hotline nationwide in order to fulfill our mandate under Executive Order No. 56 for the institutionalization of E911 as nationwide answering point that conforms with the international standard for emergency hotline number”.

In April 2023, Morong town officials led by Mayor Sidney Soriano and Vice Mayor Jose Fred Feliciano signed an agreement with NGA Philippines (NGA) to provide Morong with world-class and complete solutions for emergency communication and public

safety services. NGA Philippines is the local subsidiary of multinational corporation NGA 911, LLC headquartered in California, USA.

NGA is known globally as the innovator of emergency calling technology used by many states in the USA, and the leader in Next Generation 911 (NG911) emergency communications worldwide, NGA’s system is built on the industry standards adopted by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in the United States and the European Emergency Number Association (EENA).

NGA Philippines’ Country Head Robert Llaguno said Morong’s investment in the emergency NG911 system presently used in the United States pioneers the use of technology in the country that will revolutionize the way and speed with which the LGU can handle emergencies. “NGA is prepared to bring the state-of-the-art E911 system to other LGUs in the archipelago, one LGU at a time”.

“All 911 calls to the Morong DRRM Command Center are now fully recorded, and conference and transfer facilities are now seamless,” explained Llaguno. “There is more efficient dispatch and coordination. The LGU will also be able to pinpoint with high accuracy the location of the emergency call and associate the same with the closest responders to provide a more immediate response.”

Llaguno said there are several other LGUs that will follow Morong’s lead within the next two quarters: one in North Luzon, one in Visayas and one in Mindanao.

“There is a growing number [of LGUs] shifting to Next Generation 911 and we are seeing a lot of local chief executives prioritizing public safety [for their constituents],” he added.

PHLPost announces national winners for 53rd UPU Int’l Letter Writing tilt

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The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) recently announced the national winners of the 53rd Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Letter Writing Competition for Young People aimed to encourage young people to articulate their thoughts on current global challenges and propose innovative solutions.

This year’s winners are Ms. Karylle Mitch V. Salazar, a student of Saint Mary’s Academy of San Nicolas, Inc. Cebu City– first prize; Ms. Mathea Lyf Aire N. Elorde, of Kong Hua School, Cagayan de Oro – second prize; and Ms. Shania Mae M. Logronio of Atanacia L. Logronio Integrated School, Lanao del Norte - third prize.

The first prize winner will be awarded with Php20,000 cash, the second prize -P15,000 and third prize - P10,000 plus corresponding medals, and certificates for the winners. The chosen theme for this year is: “Write a letter to future generations about the world you hope they inherit.”



Ms. Karylle Mitch V. Salazar’s winning entry will represent the country in the worldwide competition to be held in Berne, Switzerland.



Part of her letter read: “In a world of serenity may you never fail to remember that love and compassion will always form the real definition of beauty. With utmost truthfulness, may these words reach you significantly. May you always be reminded that behind this letter is someone who hopes for a bright future ahead of you”.



This year’s judges were led by PHLPost Chief of Staff Marcos Ryan Laurente, School Press Advisers Movement Inc. Founder Dr. Melanie Viloria-Briones, ED. D, University of Sto. Tomas Office of Public Affairs Acting Director Michaella Lagniton, MA, and Presidential Communications Office Director for Digital Media and Communications Faith De Guia.

The contest is designed to develop the young people's skills in composition and the ability to express their thoughts clearly, to foster their enjoyment of letter-writing and to help strengthen the bonds of international friendship – one of the basic missions of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized agency of the United Nations wherein PHLPost is an active member.