Republic of the Philippines - Stamps & Postal History

RP Issues of 2014

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2014, April 20.  Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, 80th Anniversary

Litho Offset, Amstar Company, Inc.,  Perf 14

Se-tenant Pairs, Sheets of 40

                  

  

 

Se-tenant Pairs    (50,000)

10p  Health and Social Programs of PCSO

10p  Health and Social Programs of PCSO

 

Designer:  PCSO Corporate Planning Department

 

 

First Day Covers:  Manila

 

  

 


 

PHILIPPINE CHARITY SWEEPSTAKES OFFICE - 80th ANNIVERSARY

Historically, lotteries have been in existence in the Philippines as early as 1833. Under the auspices of private enterprises called Empresa de Reales Loteria Espanolas de Filipinas, the Spanish Government conducted loterias to generate revenues. In fact, our own national hero Dr. Jose Rizal won Php 6,200.00 in the draw of 1892, while on exile in Dapitan. He donated his winnings to an educational project. This altruistic act gives an inkling of what could be done if the lottery was harnessed for charitable and social welfare projects.With the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, the loteria was forced to stop operations. And it was not until the early 1930s that the idea of holding lottery games was revived. In 1932, the first Sweepstakes draw was conducted by the government to raise funds to support sports projects for the Filipino youth through the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) – the beneficiary of the first draw.The PAAF Sweepstakes was successful so Philippine government decided to conduct more draws for the benefit of the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society, now the Philippine Tuberculosis Society (PTS). The draws were held under the auspices of an organization called the National Charity Sweepstakes.

The New Sweepstakes Agency.  Rather than limit the sweepstakes to the benefit of the youth or to fighting tuberculosis, the country’s legislators thought of institutionalizing the Sweepstakes as a new venture of raising funds for the promotion of public health and general welfare.

By March 1935, then President Manuel L. Quezon approved Act 4130 – the law passed by the Philippine Legislature in October 30, 1934 creating the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes, replacing the then National Charity Sweepstakes. Under this law, the new organization was authorized to secure from the National Treasury a loan amounting to Php250,000.00, the minimum amount required for organizing the office and printing the tickets for the draw.

On September 8, 1935, the new agency held its first Sweepstakes draw. Needless to say, the loan was paid back in less than two months and shortly after the note was signed, proceeds from the sales started pouring in. The mandate of the Sweepstakes found acceptance among the Filipino people; its humanitarian mission readily won public trust and support.

Among its beneficiaries then were the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF), the Philippine Tuberculosis Society (PTS), the National Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Association de Damas de Filipinas, the Gota de Leche, the Associate of Manila and the Provinces, the Philippine Council of Boy Scouts of America, the Asilo Para Invalidos de los Veteranos de la Revolucion, the Child Welfare Center and other institutions and organizations engaged in charitable and health work, or work for the improvement of the conditions of the indigent Filipino masses.

On June 18,1954, Republic Act 1169 was enacted into law providing for charity sweepstakes and lotteries once a month when there are no Sweepstakes draws and races.

http://www.pcso.gov.ph/history/

 

 

TOPICAL CATEGORIES

 

  • Government Institutions

 

Articles by Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak

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