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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. and Postmaster General Luis D. Carlos of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) unveiled the Commemorative Stamps featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Labor Code of the Philippines held in Malacañang Palace, Manila, Philippines during the occasion of the 122nd Labor Day celebration on May 01, 2024.
Witnessing the unveiling ceremony are (from left to right) Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Speaker of the House of Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.
Fifty years ago, on May 01, 1974, a milestone event in the history of the Philippine labor system took place after President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. signed Presidential Decree (PD) No. 442, S. 1974, which instituted a labor code that revised and consolidated the existing labor and social laws to ensure and strengthen the welfare of the Filipino workers.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in collaboration with the Philippine Postal Corporation, issued the commemorative stamps and Official First Day Cover.
These stamps and cover symbolize the enduring significance of the law in realizing our collective aspiration for every Filipino worker to attain total, decent, and productive employment.
It will be recalled that on 1 May 1903, Labor Day was first celebrated in the Philippines when more than a hundred thousand workers marched to Malacañang to demand better working conditions.
Likewise, on 01 May 1913, Filipino workers and labor leaders convened a labor congress at the Cine Oriente along C.M Recto Street, then known as Azcarraga, in Manila. Around 36 labor unions heeded the call to Congress and united under one umbrella to fight for the rights of Filipino workers.
PHLPost will sell copies of the two stamp designs depicting the historic signing of the Philippine Labor Code with denominations of P16 each. It releases 40,000 pieces of the stamps along with 3,400 copies of the first day cover envelope. The stamps were designed by Mr. Nazer-Ren Aquino of DOLE and Jose Antonio A. Jayme of PHLPost.
Stamps and First Day Cover envelope shall be available at the Postshop, located at the back of the Manila Central Post Office Building in Liwasang Bonifacio.