Dear Friends,

Last August 26, I added to the site a small collection of Philippine Registry Return Receipts with an appeal plus prayers to site viewers that it be not the end of the documentation.

In less than a week OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED as two additional types have been submitted for documentation. Both receipts are significant because they now give us a clearer picture on the transition the Philippine postal service underwent during the early years of American rule.

I am presenting to you the revised layout and I hope you will have an easy time following the issue sequence. I believe this time I've done justice to those who have joined hands to make this presentation possible. 

The four sections are:

The POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT: The 1898 to 1900 Provisional Receipts or U.S. Registry Receipts used in the Philippines. There are now four types of Provisional Receipts from the previous three presented to you last month. Two types exist of the 1900 Provisional Registry Return Receipt: one specifically for use at the Manila Post Office and the other for use at provincial post offices.

The DEPARTMENT OF POSTS: So far only one type has been recorded, the first Registry Return Receipt to be printed in the Philippines. I believed this card was used from 1900 to 1902, prior to its name change to the Bureau of Posts in 1903.

The BUREAU OF POSTS: Ten main types of receipts used from 1903 to 1941, with six of the ten types with sub-types. The other major addition to the compilation is a 1903 Receipt issued for use at provincial post offices which I am designating as 1903 Manila Type B. At present the illustrated 1903 Manila Type A, issued for exclusive use in Manila but was used in Iloilo on an "emergency basis." It would mean super for this compilation to have one used in Manila as intended.

The JAPANESE OCCUPATION POST: Three types of cards used during the period. Commonwealth period receipts used during this period. There is a strong indication that return receipts were printed using recovered Commonwealth printing plates during the Occupation. 

Before I make my usual plea and prayers for your inputs please bear in mind that the data on these Registry Return Receipts is very fragmented. I cannot say for certain on when the different types of receipts were actually put to use. The dates presented herein specially on the Bureau of Posts receipts, are based on examples on hand and examples seen. Please use them to determine if you have registry return receipts used earlier than what has been documented.

As I stated last August 26, do all of us a big favor by checking your collections. You might have a card not yet represented in this compilation. I do not like the idea that this documentation is the end of it. Please send your contributions to abrahamluspojr@yahoo.com. 300 dpi scanned images very much appreciated.

Tommy Sim, David Chiong, Craig Eggleston and Gene Labiuk made this compilation possible. They opened their collections, shared their materials, shared their knowledge on what we passionately collect (what I used to collect). For my part I only pieced them together. THANK YOU GUYS!

As always ENJOY!!!!!

Abe Luspo, Jr.
Manila, Philippines