(Although not related to Christmas Seals, this
article is related to the various means exerted by various institutions
to help the fight for what Christmas Seals are issued for: Anti-TB
Campaign. To this, Nemy is sharing with us his collection of
Anti-TB Sweepstakes Tickets )
PHILIPPINE ANTI-TB SWEEPSTAKES TICKETS
By Nemy L. Rivera
Anti-TB work, undertaken under its charter by the
Philippine Islands Anti-Tuberculosis Society since its founding in
1910, was largely funded from private donations and subsidies
granted by the Philippine Legislature. Government aid, which
started with P50,000 in 1910, was gradually reduced, and in early
1932 has tapered down to only P10,000.
Through the influence of then Senate President MANUEL L. QUEZON, an honorary vice president of the Society, the legislature
in 1932 authorized PTS to hold horse race benefit draws. Further,
in 1934, Quezon steered the passage of the Sweepstakes Law which
allocated 25 % of net proceeds for TB prevention and cure. This was
amended a few times to increase the number of beneficiary
institutions and organizations. In 1935, President RAMON MAGSAYSAY
doubled sweepstakes allotment for the Philippine Tuberculosis
Society (its new name then) from P500,000 to P1 million annually.
Meanwhile, the frequency of sweepstakes and lottery draws
steadily grew from once or twice a year to 25, then to 50 per year.
Of this total number, one to three draws per year were regularly
held for the primary benefit of anti-TB work.
However, a major setback soon loomed. In 1995, the more
attractive, quicker-paying and higher-prized Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) daily lotto was launched. The frequency of
sweepstakes draws plummeted in inverse proportion to the rapid
popularization of lotto, and the widespread installation of lotto
outlets nationwide. So much so that at present (2009), only one
sweepstakes draw has been scheduled so far for the entire year.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL SWEEPSTAKES DRAW TICKET
"For the Benefit of
Charitable and Welfare Organizations of the Philippine Islands
December 15, 1934
It was a requirement that the Seller should acknowledge and sign
each ticket at its backside. For this particular ticket, the Seller
was businessman GIL J. PUYAT (1907 - 1981). Puyat was chairman
of the anti-TB educational and fund campaign in 1948, was elected
Senator of the Philippines in 1951 and became Senate President 1957
to 1973.
Translation:
DISTRIBUTION
The amount of money actually received from the sale of
tickets will be apportioned in accordance with Act 3989 as amended
by Acts 4048 and 4087, of the Philippine Legislature, as follows:
60% will be distributed as prizes; and the remaining 40% will be
paid to charitable and welfare organizations mentioned in the law,
after deducting audited expenses.
The 60% for prizes will be divided into as many prize
units of P500,000 as the sum will contain. Each Prize Unit will be
distributed as follows:
To holder of ticket drawing the winning of FIRST PLACE
HORSE
. P200,000
To holder of ticket drawing the SECOND PLACE HORSE
.....
. 100,000
To holder of ticket drawing the THIRD PLACE HORSE
.....
.. 50,000
To drawers of all other horses participating, not declared
forfeit,
divide
equally ..............................................................................................
100,000
100 cash prizes of P500 each
.....................................................................
50,000
PRIZE UNIT
.................................................................................................
P500,000
If the sum available for
prizes does not reach P500,000, the prizes will be paid in
proportion to the sum available, as follows: 40% for the first
prize; 20% for the second prize; 10% for the third; 20% for
drawers of all other horses participating , and 10% to be divided
among other counterfoils.
Tickets given free to
agents will participate in the draw.
Prizes will be paid only
to the names and addresses shown n the counterfoils drawn. Prizes
unclaimed within six (6) months from the draw will become forfeit in
favor of the beneficiary institutions.
The attached counterfoil,
together with the remittance, must be returned to reach our
Headquarters not later than November 15, 1934, otherwise this Ticket
will not be included in the Draw. Acknowledgement of all
subscriptions will be sent to Sellers for delivery to Buyers.
NATIONAL
CHARITY SWEEPSTAKE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, HEADQUARTERS, 1893
Rizal Avenue, Manila, P.I.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY SELLER
I CERTIFY to have received from the
purchaser of this ticket the sum of TWO PESOS (P2.00) Philippine
currency, or its equivalent, in payment of this ticket.
By:
(Seller)
(Address)
PURCHASER'S COUNTERFOIL RECEIPT
The counterfoil receipt attached to each 1934
ticket, together with payment, is immediately remitted to the
sweepstakes head office for recording and validsation. This is
then mailed to the agent (seller) for delivery to the purchaser of
the ticket.
POSTAL SLOGAN
"Manila, P.I., Sep 13, 1934, 12 PM,
Buy National Charity Sweepstake Tickets"
A 1934 cover with slogan postal cancellation promoting the
sale of 1934 sweepstake tickets.
ANTI-TB SWEEPSTAKES TICKETS
The following are samples of Anti-TB sweepstakes tickets drawn
1955 to 1979. Each has a small illustration (visual)
relating to anti-TB work with the double-barred TB Cross in
most. There were a number of similar tickets that author
obviously failed to collect:
August 28, 1955 - Share 2 of 4; August 26,
1956 - Share 1 of 4
December 2, 1958 - Share
3 of 4
The above three draws were "Conducted and managed under the
supervision of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office in accordance with Republic Act No. 1169".
June 10, 1960 - Share 3 of 4
The above ticket stipulates the draw to have been "Authorized
Under Rep. Act No. 1502"; however, tickets of succeeding draws
do not bear such claim.
December 29, 1960 - Share 1 of
4
June 9, 1961 - Share 2 of 4
June 12, 1962 - Share 4
of 4
December 28, 1962 - Share
1 of 4
June 13, 1963 - Share 4 f
4
June 11, 1964 - Share 1
of 4
December 29, 1964 - Share 1 of 4.
After many years of having P100,000 as
First Prize, this particular ticket indicts the doubling of the
First Prize to P200,000
June 9, 1965 - Share 3 of 4
December 29, 1965 - Share
1 of 4
March 28, 1966 - Share 1
of 4
June 15, 1966 - Share 4
of 4
June 13, 1967 - Share 3
of 4
December 29, 1967 - Share
3 of 4
Beginning with
the 1968 draws, tickets were divided into units/shares of five
instead of four.
January 29, 1968
- Share 5 of 5
June 11, 1968 -
Share 4 of 5
December 27,
1968 - Share 4 of 5.
SPECIAL ONE TIME DRAW- The First
Prize for this draw is P500,000 even though the ticket price
remained at P1.00 each unit/share.
January 27, 1969
- Share 1 of 5 .
First Prize reverted back to
P200,000.
June 10, 1969 -
Share 4 of 5
December 29,
1969 - Share 1 of 5
February 11,
1970 - Share 4 of 5
June 18, 1970 -
Share 1 of 5
December 29,
1970 - Share 3 of 5
October 21, 1979
The ticket
price is now at P2.50 per unit/share with the First Prize also
raised to P500,000 per draw.
GENERATING ADDITIONAL FUNDS
To generate supplementary funds, the Philippine Tuberculosis Society,
separately on its own, conducted the so-called "Afternoon Social"
lotteries in its main offices, and similar other fund-raisers in its
provincial branches. Sample tickets below:
Afternoon
Social" Ticket - December 16, 1981 - Manila
Raffle
Ticket - December 23, 1979 - Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Evidently,
the days of Philippine Sweepstakes support are sadly over, but
inexorably over.
Sweepstakes" is a joint scheme
of lottery and horse racing, whereby some numbers drawn in a lottery are
paired with race horses to determine the major winners. Lotteries
were introduced in the Philippines in 1833 by the Empresa de Reales
Loteria Espanola de Filipinas. On the other hand, the first
sweepstakes draw was conducted in Manila in December 1933 under the
auspices of the cash-strapped Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation.
It generated what a newspaper described as a "mammoth show" that stirred
overwhelming following and interest.
Small wonder that the following
year, the newly organized National Charity Sweepstake began conducting
its own sweepstakes draws. These were intensified under the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes, its present name. There is a physical
unrelated feature hardly noticed by many. The illustrations on the
tickets, particularly in the 1950s to 1970s, were finely crafted visuals
not only of anti-TB work, but also of varied subjects such as Philippine
scenic spots, major native industries, national heroes, scouting,
athletic activities, and others, all of which are attractive and
meaningful.
Despite the eminent success of
the LOTTO draws, plus the support of PCSO's new mutants "Instant
Sweepstakes" and "Small Town Lottery", somehow the glamour, the
expectations, the excitement of the heyday Sweepstakes are no longer the
same.