The Amateur Philatelists Organization or APO (forerunner of the APO Philatelic Society) was organized on May 28, 1950 by the triumvirate of Messrs. Francisco Arcebal, Carlos Licup, and Mamerto Gallardo. The APO was founded on the paramount objective of bringing the hobby of stamp collecting into the consciousness of beginners and amateur philatelists by motivating them, educating them with proper guidance in the different aspects of philately, and rearing them to be responsible and competitive stamp collectors.