ONE WHO enjoys a legitimate _ love of stamps and who derives genuine pleasure from stamp collecting is Mr. Vicente Tagle, one of our leading serious stamp collectors and "old-timers" in Philippine philately. Affable, genial and cordial, Mr. Tagle's enthusiasm catches whenever one makes mention of his considerable collection of rare stamps.

Although he is already in his late sixties, still he could ably cope with his voluminous office work as Chief of the Property Division of the Department of Interior for, he confesses, the strain he sustains from his daily activities is happily broken by the restful moments he spends on his favorite hobby every week-end.

It was an interesting observation which had attracted him to stamp collecting. He realized that such tiny pieces of paper—the stamps —could be veritable fountains of knowledge and culture and enjoyment, and, the hobby is within the reach of the rich and poor alike.

 "A stamp collector", he said "finds relief from the worries, sufferings, griefs or adversities, and relaxation of the mind in his collection. His hobby being an indoor one, keeps him at home and enjoys the company of his family at the same time that he is enjoying his collection. This explains why stamp collecting is universal and so popular that men, women, old, young, heads of state down to mere employees, persons of all professions, priests, soldiers, and invalids throughout the world take to stamp collecting".

His attention was first drawn to stamps while he was a municipal treasurer way back in 1906, seeing postage stamps on mails that reached his desk every day, the internal revenue stamps affixed on licenses and stamps on large cattle certificates. Since then he began to pick up stamps now and then absolutely without any idea of stamp collecting. He started collecting stamps seriously after the late Don Jose Castaner, of revered memory, who was then the Vice-President of the Asociacion Filatelica de Filipinas (AFP), paid him a call at his former office at the Ayuntamiento Building on the eve of the issue of the historic Madrid-Manila Flight commemoratives in 1926 to invite him to join the said association, which he did immediately.

He intimated that the most natural and common thing for one is to start with a general collection because he finds more enjoyment in a variety of designs, subjects and colors and his search for new stamps impels him to work in a wide field. As it happened to him, however, as to most beginners, he realized that general collection is hard to continue. So he had to concentrate his attention to particular lines, such as O.B. stamps of the Philippines, and stamps of our country in general, and those of the United States of England, where he has two very loyal friends stamp correspondents, and two more in other countries.

It is interesting to note Mr. Tagle's valuable contributions to the field of philately in the Philippines. He recalled that at the time of the issue of the Madrid-Manila Flight commemorative stamps in 1926 there were no stamps overprinted O.B. available at the Bureau of Posts for official mail. All government offices had to buy the ordinary postage stamps of all denominations for their official use but were required in a circular letter of the then Bureau of Audits that they should be stamped with an O.B. rubber stamp immediately after purchase. Stamps with O.B. impressions showed different styles and sizes of the letters O.B. due to the use of mere rubber stamps, which when worn out usually defaced and spoiled the beauty of the stamps. Instead he used printing types to stamp O.B. on postage stamps sought by him as the property officer of the then Executive Bureau for its official use. It happened that the first stamps on which such types were applied were the Madrid-Manila issue. Following the .official overprinting on four denominations of the Legislative Palace issue, he also handstamped "OFFICIAL" (printing type) on L.O.F., F. Rein, and some other stamps.

During the Japanese occupation, upon his initiative, the Budget and General Auditing Office adopted for stamping postage stamps the official mark in Japanese character (meaning "Official Use") different from what was then seen on stamps affixed on some official envelopes, and issued a corresponding circular requiring the stamping of the said mark on all postage stamps purchased for official mail of all government offices.

Recollecting his past experiences with the Asociacion Filatelica de Filipinas where he had served in the capacity of Secretary, Purchasing Director, Auditor, and Vice-President, his countenance glowed and said, "While I was Vice-President a general revision of the constitution and by-laws of the association was entrusted to me. With the collaboration of former member, Atty. Jose Ma. Cavana, now residing in Spain, a new Charter of the association was formulated and adopted in a general meeting held on July 21, 1940."

"Among other cherished memories, I have of the AFF," he added, "are the present seal of the association which was designed by me, and the AFF magazine, the official organ of the Association, whose first three or four issues were edited by me."

For boosting stamp collecting in the Philippines he suggested: to maintain the publication of the Philippine Journal of Philately which is a credit to its editor and his associates and the officers of the Stamp and Philatelic Division of the Post Office; to keep issuing the Press Bulletins announcing the issue of new stamps which, he is sure, are welcomed by stamp collectors and dealers here and abroad; to preserve the attention and courtesy which the personnel of the Stamp and Philatelic Division has heretofore accorded to collectors and dealers and the general public.

He pointed out that in any business enterprise fine treatment of its customers is an important factor for its success and progress. He advises the Administration to avoid many denominations and high values in commemorative stamps. "Expensive series", he declared, "detract enthusiasm from collectors of moderate resources and they therefore hinder rather than promote stamp collecting. With rare exceptions, U. S. commemorative issues consist of only one stamp ordinarily of 3-cent denomination. Mr. Tagle is an ardent supporter of stamp exhibitions among beginners and junior collectors as a means of fulfilling the social, cultural, and aesthetic values of the hobby.

As a father he can be proud of five talented children, all married except one. Two are lawyers, one is a civil engineer and another is a physician. His grandchild, Santiago Tagle Robles, Grade VI, an intern in St. Clemens College, Iloilo, is a budding philatelist. He is an organizer of a stamp club and subscriber to the PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF PHILATELY. Santiago, according to his fond Grandpa is likely to have a better collection than his, as this grandchild is sure to inherit his own.