It was in December 20, 1906 that the ship Doric docked at Honolulu, carrying fifteen Filipinos (one of whom brought along his fighting cock) along with a handful of Chinese, Japanese and Sikhs. Eleven of the Filipinos were single, four were married. The oldest was fifty-six and the youngest was fourteen. All of them originated from the coastal area of Candon in llocos Sur. Little did these men know that they were making history by being the firs group of Filipinos to settle in Hawaii, part of what became the first wave of Filipino migration to the United States of America.

Five of these men belonged to one family, headed by Simplicio Gironella with his four sons (Mariano, Vicente, Francisco and Antonio). The group also included two sets of brothers (Mauricio and Celestino Cortez, and Prudencio and Cecilio Sagun). The other six were Filomeno Rebollido, Marciano Bello, Emiliano Dasulla, Apolonio Ramos, Martin de Jesus and Julian Galmen. Francisco Gironella spoke fluent English and acted as interpreter for the group. All were eventually sent to live in the main Japanese camp at the Olaa Plantation in Big Island, Hawaii, located five miles south of Hilo.

Two months afterward, the second group of recruits from the Philippines numbering thirty people with two women and two children arrived on February 25, 1907. The third batch of recruits arrived on July 19, 1907 with forty-three of them, including eight women and eight children. This migration continued on, and was followed by major waves of migration that also brought Filipinos to other parts of the U.S.

Today, the United States of America hosts more than 2.7 million Filipinos, nearly 276,000 of whom reside in Hawaii. At present, Filipinos in Hawai account for 24% of Hawaii's population. They have made permanent mark in the state's political, economic and cultural life. Whereas, Filipinos first came to Hawaii as plantation workers and indentured laborers, Filipinos in Hawaii today are successful professionals, and prominent citizens In business, government, politics, academe and the arts.

Filipino migration to Hawaii is said to have paved the way for the continued migration of Filipinos to the United States of America. It has given opportunities for self-fulfillment, and to showcase the virtues of industry, determination and excellence.

ERNESTO DELA CRUZ ANCESTRAL HOUSE - Mabalacat, Pampanga. Date of construction- Late 1800's. The grand house is a two-storey structure with a wooden upper floor and stone/concrete ground floor. The structure is supported by massive square columns and adobe arches. The massiveness of the house is softened by sliding louvered windows with the traditional ventanillas. The continuous 'media agua' below the roof enchances the elegant composition of the house. An unsual feature of this house is the interesting hip roof system enhanced by several dormers.

LIMJOCO HOUSE - Candaba, Pampanga. Date of construction- 1890's. The Limjoco House is a two storey 'bahay-na-bato'. The ground floor with walls of adoba stone is straight forward in design with minimal ornamentations. The upper floor exterior wall is tastefully punctured with sliding capiz windows interpersed with decorated wood panels. The vetanillas complete the uncluttered design of the house. As additional protection from the rains for the upper floor windows, a continuous 'media agua' was installed. Supported by curved rods. The house is still in good condition. During the time of the Huk invasion, Hukbalahaps entereo this house looking for guns.

PELAEZ ANCESTRAL HOUSE - Medina, Misamis Oriental. Another variation of the 'bahay-na-bato' is this two storey house constructed of wood and concrete al the ground floor. The graceful proportion and tasteful details contribute to the quality aesthetics of the house. The second floor has the traditional sliding capi2 windows with balustrated ventanillas. Above the windows is a series of transoms with traceries. The design is basically square in plan, broken only by the central portion of the facade on the second floor which juts out over the main entry. This structure is the ancestral house of former vice-president, senator and ambassadci Emmanuel Pelaez.

VERGARA HOUSE - Guagua, Pampanga. Date of construction- Late 1700's. This diminutive 'bahay-na-bato' of fine proportion features a lower level enclosed with thick walls of adobe blocks. The interior is a showcase of quality craftmanship on wood carvings evident in the clerestory, transoms, wood frets and religious engraving on the columns. One of the original owners, Quintin Delos Santas was known as Huwes de Ganados'. The place was known as Pueblo de Betis.

ILAGAN ANCESTRAL HOUSE - Taal, Batangas. Built in 1870. It is a good example of a geometric style of the Filipino Hispanic house because there are hardly any decoration on the facade. The house relies mainly on the structural elements for its beauty Capiz windows with diamond and square patterns cover entirely the upper facade. The ground floor is bare and makes a good contrast. The interior has gold leaf neo-gothic arches and the decorations on the ceiling were made by Japanese artisans.

LASALA-GUARIN HOUSE - Juban, Sorsogoo. Date of construction 1914. This house is a 'bahay na bato' type structure, enclosed with adobe stone on the grouno floor and wood panels on the second floor. The house is strategically situated on the corner of a main road Junction. It features a continuous "media agua' supported by wooden poles, protecting the large window openings of the second floor. The ground floor is divided into three segments with three double panel doors. On the second floor above each door are four-panel sliding capiz windows with persianas and with ventanilla's underneath. Between these persianas which are flanked by another set of wood panels embellished with a cross shaped design. Before World War II it was used as a school. During the war it became a temporary residence of Japanese soldiers in the area. After the war it became popufar venue for social events such as parties and dances.

CLAPAROLS HOUSE - Talisay City, Negros Occidental. Date of construction-Early 1900's. Large and Symmetrical, the Claparols house is typical of the hacienda houses of the sugar barons of the colonial period. The tall houses overlook the entire hacienda. The brick and stone ground floor is simple. The wood panel walls on the second floor is punctuated with French windows on all sides. These opened to a wrap-around balcony. A continuous "media-agua", provides additional protection for the second floor. The house was one of the most prominent structures at the peak of the sugar industry. The original Filipino owner was General Aniceto Locsin, the President of the First Republic of Negros, and was one of the leaders of the revolution against Spain.

GLICERIA MARELLA VILLAVICENCIO ANCESTRAL HOUSE - Taal, Batangas. Date of construction-1880. This type of house is more open sometimes with an exterior stairway entering into an ornate balcony. It has more decorations on the facade. The media agua is a permanent awning to protect the windows from the elements.

Standing at the western entrance of Panguil Bay in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, the Fuerte dela Conception Y Del Triunfo is one of the four oldest surviving stone fortresses in the country today. Named after the Spanish armada flagship "Triunfo", the fort was built in 1756 under the guidance of Juan Nepomuceno Paver S. J. and Fr. Jose Ducos S. J., a chaplain in the Spanish armada who distinguished himself in military exploits during the Misamis Campaign from 1754 - 1755.

Built as defense against Moro raids, almost 250 years ago, the fort was also used as provincial headquarters by the Constabulary during the American period and as garrison of the Japanese Imperial Forces during the Japanese occupation.

It is popularly known as "Cotta" by the local populace and by those in the nearby provinces and cities.

In March 2002, the National Historical Institute declared the Spanish fortress as a National Historical Landmark.

EI Hogar
D. Antonio Melian established in 1910 a building society that issued mortgages called "EI Hogar Filipino." Four years later, in 1904, the four story building of the company, designed and constructed by Irureta-Goyena, was inaugurated on the corner of Juan Luna in Binondo facing the Pasig River. Designed with touches of the French Beaux Arts style, it has an enriched entablature topped with an attic story and a flat roof. It looks deceptively sedate until one enters its discreet entranceway. The double door leads to a center courtyard with balustraded corridors connected by an exuberant Art Nouveau staircase situated along the end of a passageway. With bronze griffins for newel posts and gilt swirling around initialed medallions, the interior speaks of a bygone elegance.

Regina Building
One of the earliest structures made of reinforced concrete, a material introduced during the American colonial period. According to sources, the original three-story building was designed by Andres Luna San Pedro. In the early 1930's it was bought by the De Leon family from the Roxas family and a fourth floor commissioned from architect Fernando Ocampo. The building is one of Manila's architectural landmarks, and is an example of the Art Deco style. Together with the Perez-Samanillo which is right across the street, it establishes a strong presence on the Escolta.

Luneta Hotel
The Luneta Hotel, the only building in Manila with French Renaissance style windows and balconies with cast-iron grills, has been attributed to Andres Luna San Pedro at various times. But what is known is that it was planned and owned by a Spanish architect-engineer, Salvador Farre, who also designed and built Montalban Dam. The Hotel may have been built in 1918 or 1920 when the Americans brought in reinforced concrete that allowed the construction of high rises. An early title to the property from Manila City Hall, dated 1915, makes no mention of the building. In 1922 a mortgage was taken out that was eventually paid off in 1930.

The Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Building
On September 22,1922, the acting Governor-General of the Philippines, Charles Emmett Yeater, spoke at the dedication of the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank's new building on Calle Juan Luna and Callejon San Gabriel in Binondo. Standing on a 10,706 sq. meter lot with five storys of structural steel encased in concrete; its treasury vaults had enclosing walls of 40 inches, including armored walls 20 inches thick and reinforced with two networks of twisted steel bars. The ground floor ceiling was 23 ft high, and the upper floor's ceiling six1een feet high. The architect was an American, G.H. Hayward, as was the contractor, Oscar F. Campbell.

Panqasinan Provincial Capitol
The neo-classical provincial capitol of Pangasinan designed by architect Ralph Harrington Duane, is probably the most famous building dating back from the American colonial period. Easily the most impressive public building in the province, its erection involved meticulous city planning. It formed the centerpiece of a grandiose plan that included the provincial high school and the governor's mansion. It was inaugurated in 1918. The Capitol was severely damaged during the pre-landing bombardment of Lingayen Beach by the American 7th Fleet in January 1945 and later restored.

Metropolitan Theater
The Metropolitan Theater is the most outstanding example of Art Deco architecture in the country. Designed by Juan Arellano in 1931, it stands in contrast to the neo-classical architecture that typifies its adjacent buildings. The facade of the Metropolitan Theater is festive and colorful. It features stylized motifs typical of Art Deco design, but with a uniquely Filipino touch. These Filipino motifs of tropical flowers and fruits ornament the structure's grilles, stairways and wall detailing. The other remarkable features of the Metropolitan Theater are its proscenium-like entrance, window-mural of colored glass. The 4-bay, six story building is crowed by a pair of mansard roofs. On the front French windows open to balconies with cast-iron grills. The balconies are supported by consoles. Amorsolo murals and plaques depicting the muses of Music, Tragedy, Comedy and Poetry adorn the walls of the building. The Metropolitan is in danger of being demolished.

(Uy-Chaco Building) Philtrust Bank Building
Built in 1914 by Samuel C. Rowell, the 6-story Uy-Chaco Building on Plaza Cervantes is considered Manila's first skyscraper. The design is rather electric. However, its
undulating balconies and iron grilles mark it as belonging to the Art Nouveau style, making it Manila's first and last building style. The most striking feature of the building is the projecting turret on its northeastern corner. The rounded corner, emphasized by curving railings, gives the building the appearance of a French chateau. Rising from the eaves is a gabled roof with round clocks instead of windows. The building also features eight distinctly-designed bats, and projecting balconies on the third, fourth and fifth, floors.

In recognition of the central importance of water resources to the planet's future, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the year 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater.

Freshwater is a matter of life and death. There are more than one billion people who lack access to a steady supply of clean water. There are 2.4 billion people - more than a third of the world's population - who do not have access to proper sanitation. More than 2.2 million people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from diseases associated with poor waste and sanitary conditions. 6,000 children die everyday from diseases that can be prevented by improved water and sanitation. And over 250 million people suffer from such diseases every year.

Although essential, freshwater is unevenly distributed: while 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, 97.5% of that is salt water. And of the remaining 2.5% that is freshwater, almost 3 quarters of that is frozen in ice caps.

While in most regions, there is still enough water to meet everyone's needs, it needs to be properly managed and used. Today, much water is wasted or used inefficiently, and oftentimes demand is growing faster than the supply that can be replenished by nature.

The availability of clean, fresh water is one of the most important issues facing humanity today and will be increasingly critical for the future, as growing demands outstrip supplies and pollution continues to contaminate rivers, lakes, and streams.

Buhi town sits on the shores of Lake Buhi, a small-crater lake and home to the smallest freshwater fish in the world, called "sinarapan" or "tabios." The Bicol word "sarap" means net and "sinarapan" means caught in a net. The fish is so tiny and transparent it takes several thousands to fill a small cup. But it is a highly reputed delicacy. It is measured in cup and then spiced to dry in the sun.

Lake Buhi is magnificent as the last rays of the setting sun fall on the fish pens and surrounding hills. You will catch lovely views of the lake if you stroll along the steep hillside and then walk through the abaca plantation of nearby Danao town. There are small resorts in the hills overlooking Lake Buhi for you to stay and enjoy the serenity of the lake and gastronomic palates of the "sinarapan."

The Souvenir Sheet and Official First Day Cover will be available starting 24 October 2003 at the Philate Bonifacio, 1000 Manila and all Regional Offices of the Philippine Postal Corporation.

On January 23, 2003, a Philippine delegation led by Philippine Congress Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. and Congressman Roque Ablan, Jr. descendants of the Rizal clan, officials of the Knights of Rizal and members of the Filipino & Chinese business community held the wreath-laying ceremony before the Rizal Monument in the Rizal Park in Siongque Village (called "Zhang-Guo" in Mandarin Chinese), Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Siongque is the ancestral village of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who was the direct male descendant of the immigrant Don Domingo Lamco (Chinese name "Cua Yi Lam" in Hokkien dialect and "Ke Yi-nan" in Mandarin). Lamco was the founder of the entrepreneurial Mercado clan of Laguna province and the great-great-grandfather of Dr. Jose Rizal.

Domingo Lamco belonged to the 19th generation of the first Cua family member who settled in Siongque Village. The Sin Cua Chua clan of the world traces its origins to the patriarch Chua Siok-To, who was the fifth son of the founder of the Chou Dynasty Lamco was 35 years old when he was baptized in the Catholic Church in Manila's Parian Chinese ghetto in June 1697. He later moved to Biiian, Laguna, prospered and became a Chinese community leader. To free his heirs from the Spanish regime's anti-Chinese racist policies, Lamco gave his clan the new sumame "Mercado" (meaning "market" in Spanish), perhaps to remind his heirs of their merchant roots Lamco married Inez de la Roza, daughter of another successful immigrant trader from Quanzhou (pronounced "Chuanchow") named Agustin Chinco. Their son Francisco Mercado and grandson Juan Mercado both married Chinese mestizas and both served !'Is Mayors of Biiian. Juan Mercado's branch moved to Calamba, Laguna, and his grandson was Jose Rizal. The national hero used a different surname before entering Manila's Ateneo de Manila, to avoid Spanish persecution since his elder brother Paciano Mercado was close to martyred Filipino priest Father Jose Burgos.

Dr. Jose Rizal is not just the national hero of the Philippines, not just the source of pride of the rugged Fujian province in South China where majority of the Filipino Chinese community members trace their roots, but he is a great inspiration for all of Asia. The remarkable genius, fervent commitment to freedom and life of excellence of Dr. Jose Rizal make him a true Asian hero for all ages.

The City of Marikina, dubbed as the country's shoemaking capital, aims for world attention as ten craftsmen from the Marikina Colossal Footwear Foundation create what would be the world's biggest pair of shoes in an attempt to break into the Guiness Book of World Records. The shoes when completed would be 5.5 meters long, 2.0 meters wide, and 1.98 meters high. Fifteen persons can fit into one shoe. The record-breaking pair should fit someone who is 125 feet tall. The shoes cost 1.5 million pesos and have about 200,000 stitches using 1,000 meters of thread. The materials used to create the enormous pair can produce 250 pairs of regular shoes.

The Kapitan Moy Building, now the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina, is a two-century old building once owned by Don Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevarra, the Father of the Shoe Industry, was declared a historical shrine by the National Historical Institute. It was here that shoe manufacturing started in 1887 by the group of Don Laureano that discovered the proper method of making footwear. The house was brought and converted into a home for needy residents by Dona Teresa de la Paz. It was used as a primary school for many years. In 1993, the local government of Marikina turned it into a cultural center.

Marikina, a valley bounded by mountain ranges and sliced by a river, was founded on April 16, 1630. The Augusiinians were the firsts to arrive in the valley at the spot now known as Chorillo in Barangka. The Jesuits also came in 1630 in a place now called Jesus de la Pe a. Here the Jesuits established a mission and built a chapel. In 1687 this pueblo became a parish known as Mariquina. In 1901, with the coming of the Americans, its name officially became Marikina.

By the turn of the 20th century, Marikina had emerged as a town of shoemakers. The craft of shoemaking had started in 1887 through the efforts of Don Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevarra. Honed by years in shoe manufacturing, the natives had developed a work ethic that prepared them for the arrival of heavy industries in the 1950's. With the industrial plants came waves of workers who chose to stay, rapidly increasing the population. Marikina soon became a victim of runaway growth. Not until 1992 was it able to turn a corner and found a new direction under the dynamic leadership of Mayor Bayani Fernando. It became a city on December 8, 1996. By dint of hard work and discipline, guided by a vision of a modern, livable city, Marikina has been transformed into what it is today under the equally able leadership of incumbent Mayor Marides C. Fernando.

This particular series composed of three stamps will feature key components of Philippine development in the preceding as well as in the succeeding millennia.

The Embocadero at the Pasig River during the 19th Century and the Modern Facilities of the Country's Ports - This stamp will encapsulate the past and future role of trade, especially with other countries, in the development of the Philippines.

The Patio of the Old University of Santo Tomas and the Thomasites - This stamp will reflect the undeniable significance that education and training played in moulding the minds of the Filipino people towards self-improvement to cope with increasingly challenging conditions.

The Printing Press, the Internet, and the Information Highway - This stamp will highlight the power of communication and information systems to change and inspire national development which has considerably been accelerated by information technology.

Nestled on the hills in the city of San Fernando is the newly established La Union Botanical Garden. It is about eight kilometers east of the Plaza and about six hour-ride from Manila. It occupies about ten hectares of land owned by the provincial government of La Union.

The Garden was originally conceived by Ms. Mary Jane c. Ortega, now the city Mayor of San Fernando and wife of the then Congressman Victor F. Ortega, Representative of the First District of La Union. Congressman Ortega took the primary responsibility and interest In allocating a portion of his Countrywide Development Fund towards its establishment. Earlier, he made representations with the Provincial Government led by Governor Justo O. Orros, Jr. to set aside ten hectares for the project. the Provincial Board headed by the then Vice-Governor Amparo M. Aspiras passed the resolution which took effect on March 1995.