1936 Philippines Commemoratives

Three small sets of commemorative issues from the US Commonwealth of the Philippines:

• 75th Anniversary of the Birth of José Rizal (1861–1896). A Filipino nationalist, physician, and writer whose ideas helped inspire the Philippine independence movement against Spanish rule, José Rizal studied in Manila and Europe, publishing the novels Noli Me Tángere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891), which exposed colonial abuses and fueled reformist and revolutionary sentiment. In 1892, he founded La Liga Filipina and was exiled to Dapitan (1892–1896). Arrested in 1896, he was executed by firing squad in Manila, becoming a martyr and national hero. Issued 19 June 1936.
• First Flight from Manila to Madrid. In 1936, Filipino aviators Juan Calvo (c.1898–1945) and Antonio Arnaiz (1912–1978) completed the landmark “Arnacal” (Arnaiz + Calvo) flight, widely cel­ebrated as the first Manila-to-Madrid air journey by Filipinos. They departed Manila on 29 May 1936, fly­ing a modest Fairchild Model 24, Commonwealth of the Philippines. The long, hazardous trip faced delays and mechanical and weather challenges, but they successfully reached Madrid on 11 July 1936, putting the Philippines “on the map” in early long-distance aviation. Issues of 1917–1925, overprinted “MANILA-MADRID ARNACAL FLIGHT-1936” and surcharged. Issued 6 September 1936.
• First Anniversary of Autonomous Government. The Commonwealth of the Philippines was established in 1935, an autonomous government under U.S. sovereignty created by the Tydings–McDuffie Act (1934) and approved through the 1935 Constitution. This Commonwealth was designed as a 10-year transition toward full independence. Manuel L. Quezón (1878–1944) became the first President of the Commonwealth after the 1935 election, with Sergio Osmeña as Vice President. Quezón led major nation-building efforts, including strengthening self-gov­ernment, promoting a national language, pursuing economic reforms, and expanding social justice policies, while preparing the country for eventual independence. Issued 15 November 1936.