Once the site of Manila’s most glitzy events, Metropolitan Theater has been caught in a limbo between disrepair and restoration, surviving the World War II, the American period, the Marcos Regime and the years that followed, until it closed down in 1996.

Philately is not dead.

Seemingly a forgotten art, stamp collecting appears to be a throwback from yesteryear, from the days of snail mail and letter writing.

The Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club, a multi-awarded club for amateur and seasoned stamp collectors, proves that stamp collecting remains relevant to this day, and shows us how we can learn history, culture, art and industry as depicted in stamps.

Every third Sunday of the month, the Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club (FSCC) holds its free Postal Heritage Walking Tour, taking students, culture vultures, philatelists, and tourists on a leisurely walk through the historical and cultural points of interest in the neighborhood of the Manila Central Post Office.

Greenery
First stop is the Metropolitan Theater, a 1935 art deco building on Padre Burgos Street, featured on a Philippine stamp in 2003.

“The Metropolitan Theater was designed by Filipino architect Juan Marcos De Guzman Arellano, also the designer of the Manila Central Post Office and the Jones Bridge,” reveals the tour guide, FSCC vice president Lawrence Chan. “The relief carvings of Philippine plants adorning the interiors were created by famed sculptor Isabelo Tampinco.”

Chan also reveals that the site was historically a center for culture and entertainment during the Spanish era. “In 1862, the Teatro del Prinsipe Alfonso XII stood not far from the site of the Metropolitan Theater, drawing crowds for various stage performances like operettas, zarzuelas, and three-act plays until it burned down a few years later.”

Ghostly occupants
Once the site of Manila’s most glitzy events, Metropolitan Theater has been caught in a limbo between disrepair and restoration, surviving the World War II, the American period, the Marcos Regime and the years that followed, until it closed down in 1996.

“The Met fell into decay and finally closed down in 1996 following a long-running dispute between the Government Service Insurance System and the City of Manila over its ownership and management,” Chan adds. “In 2004, the GSIS and city government finally agreed to set aside their differences, and, with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, signed a tripartite agreement on a work action plan for the structure’s restoration.”

The ground floor is almost fully restored while the upper floors, housing the upper level seating and various function rooms, are still in dilapidation while funds are being raised for restoration.

The ghostly occupants of the Met appear to be unperturbed, however, as an eerie chill is palpable from the moment you enter the building, and stories of phantom sightings are aplenty.

Another stop on the tour is the Arroceros Forest Park, the controversial 2.2 hectare park alongside the Pasig riverbank, near Jones Bridge, home to dozens of plant species, wildlife, and the Manila City Schools Division office.

Chan, also a horticulture enthusiast with a special interest in flora and fauna stamps, points out the tree species sheltered by the park, including mangroves, rubber trees, mabolo, langka, and dozens of other species.

The group then headed back to Liwasang Bonifacio, fronting the Manila Central Post office.

“Liwasang Bonifacio used to be known as Plaza Lawton, named for Henry Lawton, who was second in command of the US Armed Forces during the turn of the century,” Chan reveals. “It was renamed to honor Andres Bonifacio in the late 60’s and is now known for rallies and public expression of freedom.”

Another highlight of the tour is the Manila Central Post Office, also the headquarters of the Philippine Postal Corporation.

“The Manila Central Post office was also designed by Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano, this time in neoclassical style, and was built in 1926,” states Chan. “After being damaged during World War II, it was rebuilt using the original design.”

Chan points out the sculptural details of the building, from the towering pillars flanking the expansive stairway, the gargoyles perched along the eaves, decorative doorways, and ornate grillework.

Stamps galore
The main feature of the tour is the postal museum and library, located within the Manila Central Post Office compound, in a building known as the Money Order Building.

“The museum was opened to the public in 1992 to showcase the country’s rich repository of stamps and postal relics,” Chan says. “It houses an extensive collection of mailboxes, typewriters, awards, paintings, stamp magazines, books, and catalogues.”

Chan also reveals that the Philippines is the first country in Asia to issue postage stamps.

“Among the earliest stamps issued in the country, some stamps erroneously carried the word ‘corros’ instead of ‘correos,’ making them a rare collectors’ item,” he notes. “They sell from P5,000 to as much as P25,000.”

Other notable Philippine stamps include Aguinaldo’s set of postage stamps for the New Republic released alongside the US colony stamps; a 1930’s Pagsanjan Falls stamp erroneously depicting the Vernal Falls of Yosemite National Park; the world’s first basketball stamp in 1934; Nippongo  stamps depicting Philippine scenes in 1943; 1981 stamps with no indication of the country, just the words “New Republic”; and 1995 stamps honouring Cesar Bengson issued with his brother’s picture on it.

The tour also features a short stamp-collecting seminar, a beginner’s guide to starting a stamp collection, from finding stamps to mounting them in albums and stamp-collecting activities like trading, auctions and swap meets, and even letter-writing.

“We have a rich history of philately, and this is what FSCC wants to promote to Filipinos, especially the younger generations,” Chan concludes. “There is so much to discover through stamps – history, geography, flora and fauna, currency, special events, famous people, and many more.”

FSCC holds its free Postal Heritage Walking Tour every third Sunday of the month. Tour areas vary monthly, aside from those areas mentioned above, the tour sometimes includes Arroceros Forest Park, Mehan Garden, Jones Bridge, Mc Arthur Bridge, Manila City Hall, FEATI University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Postal Bank, Far Eastern University, Escolta, Bahay Tsinoy and others. Pre-registration is required through l_rence_2006@yahoo.com.