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This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of The Philippines. In 1767, the first post office was established in the city of Manila, which was later organized under a new postal district of Spain, encompassing Manila and the entire Philippine archipelago, in 1779. The postal district was reestablished on December 5, 1837. A year later, Manila became known as a leading center of postal services within Asia. Spain joined the Universal Postal Union in 1875, which was announced in the Philippines two years later. During the Philippine Revolution, President Emilio Aguinaldo ordered the establishment of a postal service to provide postal services to Filipinos during that time. It was later organized as a bureau under today's Department of Trade and Industry, then known as the Department of Trade, on September 5, 1902, by virtue of Act No. 426, which was passed by the Philippine Commission. The Philippines eventually joined the Universal Postal Union as a sovereign entity, on January 1, 1922. == The pre-stamp era == During the early Spanish regime in the Philippines, exchange of letters and communications were limited to those belonging to the officials of the government and the dignitaries and priests of the Catholic Church, the letters, communications and the documents were carried by "badageros" who rendered free services to the colonial government. Badageros either hiked or rode on horseback in dispatching the early postal service from "Tribunal (town hall) to tribunal or to the "Casa Real" (provincial capital). The badageros who acted as courier (counterpart of our present postman) were also called the "Polistos" classified as male citizens from 18 years who did not hold any public office like the "Gobernadorcillo" (Mayor), "Teniente primero y segundo" (vice-mayor), the Juez, "Cabesas" (councilors), the Commesarios" and "Cuadrillos" (Policeman) and "Escribanos (clerks). Badageros performed their courier services by rotation. Two Badageros were assigned every day at the Tribunal to be relieved the next day. If letters or communications were rush in nature, the badageros had to go and dispatch them even at midnight. There used to be posted armed guards (also Polistas) at the outskirts of every poblacion and when challenged by the guards at night, the couriers just answered aloud the word "Badageros" and the guards would allow them to pass. Upon delivery of the letter of communication at the next tribunal, the recipient was required to sign on a booklet to show receipt like our present special delivery-registered letters. Sometimes important papers like appointments from the "Capitan General" (Governor General), were receipted with signatures of the appointees and persons present as witnesses. There were no known envelopes used during those early times and the letters, communications, and documents were just folded up. No secrecy in the mails was then practiced. One interesting point in this early services was that a letter or communication changed hands many times depending upon the number of "Poblaciones" between the place of origin and the place of final destination. One pair of badageros did not go beyond the adjoining town, but the letters and communications were delivered the next succeeding town till messages reached the final destination. This accounted for the long delay in the transmission of the said messages. In some cases, it took from one to two months before a communication could be received by the addressee. There appeared to be unknown adhesive postage stamps issued in the Islands before 1854, but the existence of a postal service was clearly evident. On the titles and official duties of one "CAPITAN GENERAL DON FELIX BERENGUER DE MARQUINA", who executed a documentary appointment in 1791, there appeared as his titles and duties, viz" BRIGADIER DE LA REAL, General de estas Islas Filipinas, Presidente de su Real Audencia y Caancelleria, Director General de las Tropas de S.M. en estos Dominion, Superentendente General Subdelegado de Real Hacienda, y Renta de Correo". No over-all expenses were necessary to maintain this postal systems as badageros employed rendered their services free to the Colonial Government. - Melecio A. Dalena Before February 1, 1854, the use of postage stamp in the Philippines was unknown. There existed, however a more or less crude form of postal services in the country before that date. Evidence from existing records show that as far back as 1791 the transmission of mails was already being carried on in a limited manner by the Spanish Government. The exchange of letters during those early times was confined to the officials of the Spanish administration and the clergy of the Catholic Church. Not only were the letters sent by these people without stamps, but were also without envelopes. The letters were merely folded up. The secrecy and inviolability of communications now guaranteed by the Philippines Constitution was not then practiced. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Postage stamps and postal history of the Philippines」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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