ROGELIO GUTIERREZ DE JESUS
By Rodrigo A. Inciong
(Philippine Journal of Philately, May-June 1950)
The all smiles gentleman, caught by the camera while receiving his
trophy from Hon. Prospero C. Sanidad, is the simpatico Rogelio de
Jesus, AFF treasurer and auctioneer, who won the first prize for his
Far East Stamps in the National Philatelic Exhibition held this year
in connection with the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the AFF.
Mr. De Jesus, one of the leading philatelists in the Islands, gave
us an interesting anecdote how he happened to stumble upon the hobby
of stamp collecting way back in 1935.
Being an owner of a big stationery store, he received numerous mails
from the different parts of the Philippines and from abroad. From
them he was able to accumulate used stamps, which he gave as gifts
to his friend, Mr. Miller, manager of the Philippine Education
Company, Inc., and to other intimate philatelist friends. One of
them was Miss Flores, who informed him of the hobby of stamp
collecting. He did not mind it until Miss Flores presented to him a
cheap but attractive stamp album mounted with the used stamps that
he had given her. The beauty instantly caught his fancy and it
attracted him to philately. Soon he found himself purchasing stamps
in the post office. Upon discovery that his duplicates can be sold
with considerable profit, he became an active stamp dealer.
With the encouragement of Miss Flores he joined the Asociacion
Filatelica de Filipinas the same year.
With his methodical handling of business and his pleasing address
and proven integrity, the members of the association chose him as
their treasurer in the last election.
Mr. De Jesus is proud to say that he prepares seven albums
consisting of complete collections of Philippine stamps from the
Spanish regime up to the present for his seven philatelist children.
These albums, he says, are reserved to form a part of whatever
property he could bequeath to his children. He confesses that his
most delightful hours are those he spends in arranging his own and
his children's collections. His love for stamps is being amply
rewarded as he often captures prizes in grand national philatelic
exhibitions. One of these was during the National Philatelic
Exhibition in 1947 when he captured also the first prize for his
stamps. Displayed in his
store are trophies he had won in past exhibitions.
When asked how a stamp collector could be up to date in philately,
he recommended stamp journals and magazines, as they will keep stamp
collectors abreast of philately, he said.
