Republic of the Philippines - Stamps & Postal History

RP Issues of 2016

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2016, December 20.   Catbalogan City, 4th Centenary

Litho Offset, Amstar Company, Inc.,  Perf 14

Singles,  Sheets of  40

                    

 

 

18p  Saint Bartholomew, View of Catbalogan - Singles  (101,000) 

 

Designer:  Ador L. Hurtado

Layout Artist:  Rodine C. Teodoro

Design:  Saint Bartholomew, View & Seal of Catbalogan City

 

First Day Covers:  Manila & Catbalogan City

    

      

              

City of Catbalogan - 400th Anniversary

Catbalogan City, is the capital of Samar province, Philippines, with a population of 103,879 (2015 census).  It is Samar's main commercial, trading, educational, political and financial center. It is also an important and major seaport serving inter-island vessels. Catbalogan City's central geographical location in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) makes it ideal as the gateway to the region's three Samar provinces. The city is often referred to as "The Gateway to Samar Region."

Each region of the country has its own patron saint, and their feast days are celebrated with gusto. Catbalogan City's Patron Saint is St. Bartholomew, the Apostle, and celebrates its city fiesta on August 24. Known in the Scriptures as Nathaniel, St. Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Christ and a martyr of the Christian faith. He also witnessed the Ascension of Jesus. Together with St. Jude, he introduced Christianity to Armenia during the first century.

Catbalogan City was founded or settled sometime in October 1596 by the priests of the Jesuit Order (Society of Jesus) and became the cabecera (capital) of the whole island of Samar. Friar Francisco de Otazo, S.J., who arrived in the Philippines in 1596, founded the Catbalogan Mission and was thus the first missionary to bring the Catholic faith to the people of Catbalogan.

During the early days of Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the 16th century, Samar was under the jurisdiction of Cebu but later was declared a separate province. In 1735, Samar and Leyte were united into one province with Carigara, in Leyte, as the capital. The union, however, did not prove satisfactory. In 1768, Catbalogan City became the provincial capital when Samar separated from Leyte and became an independent province.

On January 27, 1900, the Americans captured Catbalogan City during the Philippine-American War (1899–1902). On June 17, 1902, a provincial civil government was established on Samar Island by an act of the Philippine Commission with Julio Llorente of Cebu as the first governor of Samar.

On May 24, 1942, during World War II, Japanese Occupation Forces landed in Barrio Pangdan and occupied the capital. On December 18, 1945, American and Filipino forces liberated Catbalogan City from the Japanese.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catbalogan

 

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  • Towns & Municipalities

  • Religious / Saints

 

 

Articles by Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak

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Issues of 2016