Chapter 14
PASAPORTES STAMPS
(Passports)
The fee charged by he Philippine government for the signing of a passport was included in the Tariff  of Signature Fees (Derechos de Firma). This fee was fixed at one peso which was established by the Royal Decree of April 17, 1860. The writer has been unable to locate any later tariff, but there is evidence that the fee for signing passports. Or at least for passports to travel within the Philippines, was reduced to 20 centimos, probably as early as 1867 or 1868. Derechos de Firma stamps created by the Royal Order of October 29, 1857, were, until 1885, affixed to passports in payment of the signature fees. [89]

A special PASAPORTES stamp, the denomination of which was 20 centavos (centimos) was created by a decree of the Department of Finance, dated February 24, 1885. The pertinent portions of his decree, which provided for surcharging stamps for several different purposes are as follows:
 

“Manila, February 24, 1885.

“In conformity with that proposed by the Central Administration of Taxes and Property and the advise of the Central Auditing Office, and the necessity preceding to the surcharging various classes of stamps being clearly justified in or that the interests of the Treasury may not suffer injury, not postal service be perturbed in damage to the public, this General Superintendency order the following…..

“2. Likewise, the surcharging of 25,000 stamps for passports of 20 centimos, which will be taken from postage stamps of equal value, is authorized……”

“8. The surcharges which are authorized will be executed by the Administration under the vigilance of a Board composed of the Central Administrator of Taxes and Proerty, and General Auditor and the Excribano (Notarial Clerk) of the Treasury.”

“9. For the seven surcharges of equal number of dies (timbres) engraved in bronze will be made, which express with different inks the new destination of the stamps surcharged.”

“10. The surcharges having been accomplished, the dies will be made useless (inutilizado) in the presence of the Board, which will execute the corresponding act.” [90]

In accordance with the above decree, the 20 centimos postage stamp of 1882 was surcharged “HABILITADO PASAPORTES 20 CENTS”. This stamp, according to Postage Stamps of the Philippines by Bartels, Foster and Palmer, was issued on March 10, 1885. No other PASAPORTES stamp was issued.

The Royal Decree of May 16, 1886, entitled “Instruction for the use of the Stamp (Sello) and Die (Timbre) of the State”, in Article 1, lists the Pasaportes stamp as one of the Derechos de Firma stamps as follows:

“Stamps for Derechos de Firma”
of P1.00
of 2.00
of  5.00
“for Passports 0.20.

Article 68 of the Royal Decree of May 16, 1886, provided that stamped paper fore Pagos Al Estado (Payments to the State) should be used in settlement of the taxes on passports to leave the Islands.

By the Royal Order of March 24, 1897, the PASAPORTES  stamp was suppressed and TIMBRE MOVIL (Adhesive Revenue) stamps were substituted therefore, effective January 1, 1898. [92]

Prior to July 1, 1884, all residents of the Philippines were required to obtain passports, not only to go to foreign countries, but also to travel from one province to the other within the Philippines. Royal Order No. 329 of March 6, 1884, created, effective on July 1, 1884, a personal cedula tax (impuesto de cedulas personales) and substituted this tax for the Tribute which ad been the principal tax levied on the native and mestizo inhabitants of the Philippines for more than three hundred years. Article 1 of this decree describes the cedula as follows: “The Cedula is a receipt for the personal tax which as in addition, in the Philippines, the character of a document of public security.” The cedulas was a certificate identifying the taxpayer. It recorded his name, age, birthplace, marital state, occupation, place of residence, nationality and sex. The Royal Order of March 6, 1884, extended the cedula tax to all residents of the Philippines, both male and female, from the age of eighteen years, except Chinese, who, until the necessary decree could be drawn up extending the cedula tax to them, should continue to pay the existing taxes applicable to them. The “pagan” inhabitants of the Philippines were exempted from the payment of the cedula tax.