Free Philippine Postal Heritage Walking Tour

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One day, while browsing through the travel and leisure section of PinoyExchange, I came upon an invitation to join a Postal Heritage Walking Tour, sponsored by The Filipinas Stamp Collector's Club (FSCC). It was totally free and even snacks were provided. Only registration was needed through call or text.

So, deciding that I needed to brush up my cultural knowledge and have something to do one weekend, I told my boyfriend about the tour. He was a budding photographer so I convinced him by saying he could practice taking photos. =)

The tour was scheduled on a Sunday and it wouldn't be called the Postal Heritage Walking Tour if we didn't start our first destination at the Post Office. Therefore, our meet-up point was at the Liwasang Bonifacio Shrine in front of the post office. 

Facade of the Philippine Post Office. The picture is askew but I'm too lazy to edit it. =P In front of this building, but not shown in the picture, is the Liwasang Bonifacio shrine. This area was our designated meeting place for the tour.

To Get There:

 Since I come from Pasig, we just rode a G-Liner bus and got off at the Metropolitan Theater, then walked a short distance to the Post Office. If you come from anywhere else, then you can take the MRT or an EDSA bus and get off at Ortigas, walk over to Eton Cyberpod across from Robinson's Galleria and catch a G-Liner bus from there.

Our tour guide was Mr. Lawrence Chan and he gives this tour every third Sunday of the month. At around 1 pm, our group, consisting of more than fifty people (mostly bloggers and photographers) made its way to the Post Office.

The Philippine Post office building has a neo-classical architectural style.

According to Mr. Chan, the building was destroyed during World War II and many died within it's walls. It was rebuilt after the war. Way back when, the Philippines was the center of communication in Asia. Now, the Post Office is losing to private companies like LBC and Air21. Inside the Post Office, it was surprisingly cool, owing to the well-designed architecture.

Inside the Post Office. When we visited, there was an exhibit presenting the German Holocaust.

Cake shaped building attached to the main post office.

Located behind the Post Office is the Pasig River, although it was walled. For stamp collectors, you may be pleased to know that the Philpost has it's own website where they showcase upcoming commemorative stamps and First Day Covers.

Behind the Philpost Office. This is where they sort sacks of mails.

We also visited the museum at the annex building where an ongoing auction for stamps and coins was underway. Mostly old folk were in attendance at the auction. I saw commemorative stamps of Michael Jackson starting at Php100 up for bids.

We also attended a history lecture given by the president of the Philately club where stamps, coins and other stuff were raffled off. I didn't win anything, though.

Framed commemorative stamps and first day covers were displayed in the museum at the annex building.

Old communication machines.

I was once an avid stamp collector and I still have about four stamp albums back home. I even exchanged stamps with people abroad, resolutely hunting for Philippine stamps in my uncle's office (he's a lawyer) and mailing them to my contacts. My interest in philately was also one of the reasons why I wanted to attend the tour.

Our next stop was the Metropolitan Theater and I'll talk about that in my next post.

Interested to join Mr. Chan's weekly tours? View his tour schedules here.