1959 City of Bacolod

The City of Bacolod, capital of the province of Negros Occidental in the western Visayas region was honored on October 1, 1959, when the Bureau of Post released a set of stamps featuring  the "Official Seal" of Bacolod.

Bacolod is a major port and processing center in a sugar-cane region. Known as being a friendly city, Bacolod is referred to as the "City of Smiles" and according to MoneySense Magazine  is one of the best places in the Philippines to live.


The City of Bacolod stamps were printed by the Government Printing Bureau of Japan and picture the Official Seal above an image of a sugar refinery.

Sugar refinery

First Day of Issue Cancellation


 The City of Bacolod Coat of Arms is included in the first day of issue cancellation.

First Day Covers

Water Buffalo Sculpture

 The Capitol Park and Lagoon is a provincial park located in Bacolod City.  One of the features of the park are matching sculptures depicting a woman standing alongside a water buffalo and that of a man pulling another water buffalo.

 Capitol Park and Lagoon

 Water Buffalo (carabao) sculpture

The cachet below shows the sculpture of the man being pulled by a water buffalo.

1959 5th Anniversary Manila Pact

An eight-nation conference opened in Manila on September 6, 1954, to create a treaty designed to prevent communist aggression is Southeast Asia. The United States, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan signed the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (also know as the Manila Pact) on September 8, 1954. The agreement created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) which operated from 1955 to 1977.


In 1954, the Bureau of Posts overprinted and surcharged definives stamps to mark the Manila Conference.

 

On September 8. 1959, the fifth anniversary of the  signing of the Manila Pact, two commemorative stamps were issued featuring the Philippines Congress Building (now the National Museum), the site of the Manila Conference of 1954.

Congress of the Philippines

First Day of Issue Cancellation

The SEATO emblem was included in the first day of issue cancellation.

First Day Covers

Overseas Mailers

 

1960 SEATO Conference Washington

The Sixth Annual Conference of SEATO began in Washington on May 31, 1960. The U.S. issued a 4 cent commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.

1959 City of Baguio Golden Jubilee

The City of Baguio in northern Luzon was incorporated as a city by the Philippines Assembly on September 1, 1909. Baguio is located 1500m above sea level and enjoys cooler temperatures than the rest of the country.

The Bureau of Posts issued a pair of stamps on September 1, 1959, to celebrate Baguio's golden jubilee.This was not the first time that Baguio City has been associated with stamps issued  by the Philippine Republic. Other issues include:

1947  ECAFE (United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East) Baguio session
1950 Baguio Conference
1953 3rd Lions District Convention Baguio


Camp John Hay and the Bell Amphitheater

Camp John Jay was founded in 1903 after US President Roosevelt signed over a reservation to the US Army post in Baguio.  The base was turned over to the Philippine Government in 1991.

The Bell Amphitheater, an open-air auditorium made in 1915, is featured on the Baguio Golden Jubilee stamps

First Day of Issue Cancellation

The Baguio City Coat of Arms was included in the first day of issue cancellation.

Manila

Baguio City

First Day Covers

 

 Unpainted and Painted