COVER N. 503 - PHILIPPINES

Postmark: No postmark

Posted on ?; Received via France on the 29th August 2024

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A long and winding road for this cover from the Philippines. As it stands, it seems there is no postal service, at the moment, between the Philippines and Portugal, although I believe that the inverse route is operational. I'll have to resend this circuit to the Philippines, so we shall see...

Anyway, preoccupied that I should still get my letter from her country, Vanessa took the liberty of sending it back to France, where the circuit had originated, asking that the letter be forwarded to me, this being the reason for my having received a letter without any sort of postmark.

I could  not be more grateful for Jean-Pierre's kindness in going through the trouble of resending the letter to me and also for Alexa resourcefulness in trying all she could to make sure I did get her letter.

So, mon très grand Merci pour Jean-Pierre for his kind gesture, and Maraming salamat, Vanessa for your attention and care.

The Philippines, an archipelago of some 7641 islands in southeast Asia, were first touched by an European in the course of the Magalhães/Elcano circumnavigation in 1521, Claimed by the Spanish, who christened the archipelago in honour of King Philip II, it would remain a Spanish possession for more than 3 centuries, until 1898, in the period of the Spanish-American war, when secessionist Emilio Aguinaldo declared the independence of the territory. 

Neither Spain, nor America recognised the  independence and formally, the Spanish would  later transfer the administration of the Philippines to the United States of America as a disposition of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war between the two powers, dated of 10 December, 1898.

Independence from the United States would eventually come in the aftermath of the second world war, in 1946. This fact notwithstanding, the day of the proclamation of Emilio Aguinaldo (12 June, 18989) is recognised in the Philippines as the date of the country's independence and thus celebrated.

On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Independence, PHLPost, the Philippine Postal Corporation, issued a set of two se-tenant 16 piso stamps, honouring the date. 

The stamp on the cover shows the Philippine flag being waved from a balcony while Emilio Aguinaldo next to the man with the flag, reads the declaration of independence, as explained by the legend "Aguinaldo Proclaims Philippine Independence". 

By the side of the stamp, Vanessa included a sticker of her philatelic club: PSCS the Philippine Stamp Collectors Society.