Well they didn’t cross out Jose Rizal, but Japanese characters on his face are not promising to his future. The Philippine government of the second republic crossed out the USA but couldn’t help showing who was now buttering their bread. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Here we have a prewar stamp from 1941 when the Philippines was under Commonwealth status, a planned 10 year. 1936-46, path to independence. Showing on the stamp is Jose Rizal, a Philippine author and anti Spanish colonial figure, who the Spanish shot. The K P stands for Kagamitong Pampamahaloon, official business in Tagalog, the Philippine native language Japan was emphasizing. Asia for Asians being a propaganda goal of their conquests. One aspect of the 2nd Republic is not shown on this stamp. There was a lot of inflation and the Japanese printed Peso notes in very high denominations, so called Mickey Mouse money. Yet here is a stamp in it’s low original denomination. Official business after all.
Todays stamp is issue NO1, a 2 Centavo stamp issued by the Second Republic of The Philippines in 1943. The 2nd republic version of this stamp was a 4 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents unused. The 2nd Republic must have printed a lot of these for such interesting overprints to have no effect on the stamps value.
The Philippines fell to Japan in 1942. The administration of President Quezon fled to the USA where Quezon later died. Though there was an active resistance to Japan, there was also a group of prominent politicians willing to work with Japan. These figures include members of the Aquino and Laurel political dynasties. In 1943, a second Philippine Republic was declared. The First Republic was in power briefly between the periods of Spanish and American colonial status around 1900. The new government had many challenges. Most importantly was a shortage of rice in the cities. The first goal of rice production was to feed the Japanese occupiers and further collaboration was not complete in rural areas. The Japanese tried to help by importing a new strain of rice from Taiwan they had luck with and grew faster. The weather however was not favoring the Japanese with too much rain and a large typhoon hitting Manila in 1943. The 2nd Republic emphasized the Tagalog language, introducing a stripped down 1000 word version that could be quickly learned in a country with low literacy. Spanish and English not being Asian.
After the Americans landed in late 1944, the Second Republic declared war on the USA, but soon the government was evacuated to Tokyo and it was their turn in exile. American General MacArthur had Laurel and Aquino arrested in Japan and intended the Philippines to try them for treason. Instead they were amnestied. Laurel ran for President again in 1949 and lost, he believed by corruption. An Aquino was later shot attempting to stir up opposition to later President Marcos. His daughter in law and grandson were later Presidents. Laurel is now considered a legitimate President, Japan aside, Republic status sounded pretty good after so long as a colony.
Jose Rizal was a Filipino of Chinese ancestry, the Spanish had forced the taking of Spanish names. He was not Catholic and wrote several books mocking the Spanish priests that tried to impose their religion on Filipinos who were less Spanish. He was trained in ophthalmology in Germany and practiced in Hong Kong, taking an Irish common law wife. He refused to marry in the Church and had many affairs. As the troubles in the Philippines started, he went into internal exile. He later accepted a job in Cuba but was forced back to the Philippines to face treason charges. He felt himself innocent as he had not took up arms against the Spanish, but was convicted and shot at age 35.
Well my drink in empty and I will pour another to toast the postal overstamp. It is such fun figuring what they meant all these years later. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.