I got this article
“History, Culture Preserved In Old Cigarette Wrappers” by Ambeth Ocampo from Philippine Daily Inquirer dated Dec 2, 1999 and it fully described the fun of collecting cigarette wrappers.
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| CAZADOR, Betis Pampanga |
According to Ambeth, CIGARETTE smoking, can be dangerous to our health. But it will surprise most Filipinos to know that part of their history is on cigarette labels. Thousands of cigarette wrappers have been preserved from the late 1800s to the 1930s that have outlived their specific function and are now a record of Philippine graphic art. Cigarette labels are basically marketing tools advertising a specific brand of cigarettes. Through the lithographic process cigarette labels were used to express the signs of the times and various sentiments including patriotism.
At the tail-end of the 19th century, the Spanish secret police kept close watch over a cigarette factory in Binondo because its cigarette labels contained "subversive" designs.
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| FILIPINAS Para FILIPINOS |
During the early American period, when it was illegal to display the Philippine flag, express patriotic sentiments, or even make references to the Philippine Revolution, Republic or Independence, a factory in Binondo made 'cigarettes called "Filipinas para Filipinos" (The Philippines for Filipinos). Filipinas or Inang Bayan was depicted pointing a Filipino to the dawn of independence and progress. Such subversive sentiments were expressed on ordinary cigarette wrappers.
Filipinos have always been smokers. Early photographs of the Philippines show men, women, and even children puffing on crude "cigars of rolled tobacco leaves longer than their arms. Taxes from tobacco supplemented government revenues from the Spanish colonial period to our day. Tobacco actually saved the post-galleon trade economy in the early 19th- century.
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| KALAYAAN Cigarette with patriotic message: "Halina kababayan at siya nating bilhin cigarrillong larauan ng KALAYAAN natin" |
Coping mechanism
The account books of the First Philippine Republic reveal a budget for cigarettes distributed to the weary soldiers and revolucionarios to help them cope with their struggle for independence and nationhood. Cigars and cigarettes are part of Philippine history.
Cigar and cigarette smoking was so popular in the Philippines that before the war there were hundreds,if not thousands, of cigarette factories in Binondo employing hundreds of women who would deftly roll cured tobacco into cigars and cigarettes by the thousands. Cigarretas were the first women laborers.Does this explain why the Filipina as a motif appears in many of the labels?
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| PINAG-PALA |
Normally, a label carried the brand or trade name of the cigarette and a colored illustration that could be related to the trade name. The label also carried the address of the factory and a taxation number. But then labels went further than mere brand names. Certain elements on the cigarette labels helped to identify the period they were produced. The simple linguistic shift from Islas Filipinas to P.I (Philippine Islands) in reference to the country reveals whether the cigarette was manufactured before or after the turnover from the Spanish to the American colonial period.
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| LA ASEMBLEA - Featuring Hon. Sergio Osmena and Manuel L. Quezon |
Art nouveau motifs appear in many labels thus dating these cigarettes to be made after 1910. Jose Rizal's face appears in numerous labels. During the 1930s, politicians like Manuel Luis Quezon and Sergio Osmena also appeared on cigarette labels, no doubt to draw the votes of the smoking electorate .
Ideals were expressed in brand names like Pagkakaisa (unity) or Magkaibigan (Friendship).
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| ANG ILAO SA ANTIPOLO |
Scenes of Antipolo and Mayon found their way on labels. So did Japanese geishas with one breast exposed, war planes, and even a hot air balloon.
Today's cigarette wrappers are without aesthetic merits and are quickly disposed of. But the Filipino cigarettes of old are visual fragments of Philippine history, taste, culture and values.
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| KATIPUNAN - KAPISANANG PILIPINO, Clavel, Manila |
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| K.K.K. - Ang marcang nang tatlong K, Manila |
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| EL FILIPINO, Rosario, Binondo |
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| TAGA-YLOG |
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| BIAK-NA-BATO |
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| KATAGALUGAN - Patriotic Narration on Label, Manila |
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| ANG KATOTO, Laveres, Binodo |
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| ZORRILLA, Plaza Binondo, Manila |
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| BANDA NG ANGELES, Pampanga |
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| LA ARTILLERA, Manila |
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| EL LUCERO, Sacristia, Manila |
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| LA CAROLINA, Binondo |
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| EL CUBANO DULCE, Paseo Azcarraga |
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| EL AVISO, Rosario, Manila |
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| EL CONSUELA, Isabela Cagayan |
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| EL GLADIATOR, Sta. Cruz, Manila |
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| HOTA FUERTE, Binondo |
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| LA AMAZONA, Calle Tetuan, Manila |
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| EL PORVENIR |
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| LA AURORA, Manila |
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| LA ADALIA, Rosario, Manila |
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| LA ARPISTA. Norzagaray |
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| TABACALERA |
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| EL SALERO, Manila |
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| EL BRILLANTE, Manila |
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| LA ANTIGUA MARINA, Manila |
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| LA CHIARINI, Guagua Pampanga |
Quality collection, as always. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteSalamat sa papuri Alex.
ReplyDeletegusto ko po sanang magkaroon ng picture nitong mga ito sa facebook ko para maishare ko sa mga friends ko.sadyang nakamamangha po talaga salamat po!BILLVEX PUNO
ReplyDeleteHi Billvex you can use the pictures but give due credit the my site.
ReplyDeletewow...very spectacular collection..im proud you have this...congrats....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments.
DeleteI am currently doing a research on old Philippines photos, sketches, drawings, images that depict our heritage, culinary traditions. Can you help find great sites or even places where i can obtain amazing materials just like what you have in this site?
ReplyDeletethank you very much
Just sharing this email to me
ReplyDeleteHello,
I live in California and my wife's family is from Betis, Pampanga. While doing some family history research for my in-laws, a search for the name "Simeon Roque" led me to your amazing Pinoy Kollektor site.
We already knew that Simeon Roque had a tobacco factory in Betis - the only one in northern Luzon, I am told - but were surprised to see the beautiful artwork on the wrappers of "Maniaman" and the rest.
Do you ever sell any of the items you highlight on your website? My father-in-law, a grandson of Mr. Roque, is fiercely proud of his family (as are all Kapampangans!) and if we could give him an 88th birthday present that would evoke his grandfather's memory, he would be delighted.
I'd greatly appreciate it if you could either let me know about purchasing one of these labels, or suggest other sources.
Thank you in advance for your response, and for all the work you've done in showing unique Philippine items that have low visibility in the United States. With the plethora of design books featuring graphic design from Italian, Scandinavian, and French sources and the like, I'd love to see a book featuring some of your Pinoy Kollektor material.
Best regards,
DI
Unique collection. May I ask for your email add? I would like to ask something about the "Ang Ilao sa Antipolo"? Thanks.
ReplyDeletemy email add is mikedlr@yahoo.com
DeleteIn my own opinion and observation, I think you, pinoykollektor, are the only Filipino that owns a near completion of our local cigarettes, kuntawagin sa amin sa Cavite ay sigarilyong Tagalog, o ng matatanda. Ang alam ko lang na mga sigarilyong Pilipino ay: La Insular, La Yebana, Bataan (matamis), Pagkakaisa, at Magtanggol. Kudos to you. Also more power to you; God bless, and stay safe always.
ReplyDelete