President Marcos on Philippines Stamps

FERDINAND MARCOS

11 September 1917 to 28 Sept 1989

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Ferdinand Marcos was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. His achievements include infrastructure development, however, his administration was marred by corruption, political repression and human rights violations.

Ferdinand Marcos was a member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1949-1959 and a member of the Philippine Senate 1959-1965 before be elected as president in 1965.

In September 1972 Marcos declared martial law to suppress increasing civil strife and the threat of communist takeover following a series of bombings.The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. Crime rates plunged dramatically although many political opponents were forced to go into exile.

Marcos made amendments to the Constitution in 1976, 1980 and 1981. After putting in force these amendments and legislation that secured his sweeping powers, President Marcos lifted martial law in January 1981.

In 1983, his government was implicated in the assassination of his primary political opponent, Benigno Aquino, Jr. The assassination caused a chain of events, which resulted in the People Power Revolution in February 1986 that led to his removal from power and eventual exile in Hawaii. It was later alleged that he and his wife Imelda Marcos had moved billions of dollars of embezzled public funds to the United States, Switzerland and other countries during his 20 years in power.

First Day Covers

Inauguration of President Marcos and Vice President Lopez in 1965 #942 and 943, 30 Dec 1965

Inauguration of President Marcos in 1965 #950 to 952, 12 Jun 1966

Overprint for Manila Summit Conference #960 and 961, 24 Oct 1966

Overprint for Inauguration of President Marcos for a second term in 1969 #1050, 30 Dec 1969

In 1969, President Marcos was re-elected for an unprecedented second term

Philippines - China Friendship Year #978 to 980, 30 Dec 1967

Rice for Progress #1023 to 1025, 12 Jun 1969

The 1969 election campaign promise of Self Sufficiency was promoted with a set of stamps showing President Marcos and Imelda planting rice

Philippine Independence 75th Anniversary and 1st Anniversary of Proclamation of Martial Law

#1211 to 1213, 21 Sept 1973 (actual date of issue 24 Sept 1973)

Malacanang Palace #1217, 1218 and C107, 15 Nov 1973

President Marcos 60th Birthday #1331 and 1332, 11 Sept 1977

(3 paper varieties exist, flourescent paper and phosphorous coated paper)

Philippine Numismatic & Antiquarian Society 50th Anniversary #1437 and detail, 15 November 1979

Inauguration of President Marcos under the New Republic (4th Republic) #1531 and imperf variety, 30 Jun 1981

Prepared and printed in haste, the stamp designer Antonio Chiudian unintentionally created a controversy when "PILIPINAS" was omitted on the stamp. Great Britain reserves the right to issue stamps without the name of the country.

(3 paper varieties exist for the perorated stamp, granite paper, granite paper with varnish and Japanese paper. Stamps with varnish coating were especially prepared for use in presentation albums and folders. Stamps on Japanese paper are in very different colours from the ones on granite paper. The imperf exisit on granite paper and granite paper with a varnish coating. Most of the imperf stamps were delivered cut into horizontal pairs)

#1532, 30 Jun 1981

Souvenir Sheet

(3 paper varieties exist, granite paper, granite paper with varnish and Japanese paper. Stamps with varnish coating were especially prepared for use in presentation albums and folder. Most of the Souvenir Sheets have multicolour offsets on the gum side (about 100 of these souvenir sheets were used in the overprint issued in 1985)

Overprint for 10th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with China #1753, 8 Jun 1985

(The initial printing (of 3,000) included an error which was spotted before the stamps were issued. "People's" was missing the apotsrophe and so all sheets had the apostrophe added by hand, with several types existing. For the corrected second printing exists 2 paper varieties exist granite paper and granite paer with varnish)

11th South East Asian Games #1565, 3 Dec 1981

Philippine Military Academy 77th Anniversary #1581 and 1582, 26 Jul 1982

(4 paper varieties exist for the 40s, granite paper, flourescent paper and dull English paper)

(4 paper varieties exist for the 70s, and granite paper, flourescent paper and phosphorous coated paper)

President Marcos 65th Birthday #1599 and 1600, 11 Sept 1982

(2 types of watermark exist, large RPKK and small RPKK).

(4 paper/perf varieties exist, dull English paper (with a comb perf 13¼x13), Japanese paper (with a comb perf 13¼x13), Japanese paper (with a line perf 12½) and glossy English paper (with a line perf 12½))

#1600a, 11 Sept 1982

Souvenir Sheet

(2 types of watermark exist, large RPKK and small RPKK)

(2 paper varieties exist, dull English paper and Japanese paper)

Surcharge #1666, 20 Sept 1984

(2 types of watermark exist, large RPKK and small RPKK)

(3 paper/perf varieties exist, Japanese paper (with a comb perf 13¼x13), Japanese paper (with a line perf 12½) and glossy English paper (with a line perf 12½))

State Visit of President Marcos to USA #1620 and 1621, 18 Dec 1982

(2 paper varieties exist, dull English paper and glossy English paper)

#1621a, 18 Dec 1982

Souvenir Sheet

(5 paper/watermark varieties exist, dull English paper (with a sideways watermark), and glossy English paper (with watermarks in four different orientations)

Visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone #1639, 20 Jun 1983

10th Anniversary of Tenant Farmers Emancipation Decree

#1605 Type I and II, 21 Oct 1982; and #1654, 10 Nov 1983

Type II is a printer correction of brown and green shades. However, in the process the design became ½mm shorter, so the elbows of the small boy were cut off. Also little finger and edge of hand is cut off and the dark triangular area formed by the sleeve and hand were lost.

Type III is resized.

(2 types of watermark were used in this series large RPKK, small RPKK)

Type I and Type II are on dull English paper with a comb perf 13¼ x 13

Type III is on Japanese paper with a comb perf 13¼ x 13, or a line perf 12½