POSTAL STATIONERY
United Postal Stationery Society
November - December 2005 Issue
Triumph in Canberra
THE P.S.C.S. PHILATELIC UPDATE
Philippine Stamp Collectors Society
March April 2006 Issue
Featured in Philippine Daily Inquirer
STAMP COLLECTING : ALL IN THE FAMILY
Delfin T. Mallari Jr.
Page A14 of the July 20, 2006 issue
Page 13 of the July 21, 2006 issue of the Inquirer COMPACT
For 13 year-old Alyssah Xeniah Alcala, the tiny rectangular piece pasted on a mail envelope has been her favorite since Grade 2.
Aside from computer games, Disney television programs, Millionaires Game and occasional swimming, stamp collecting has been her hobby.
When you have stamp collectors for parents, its but natural for me, especially being the only child, to also indulge in the same hobby, she said, referring to her parents Alberto and Antonette.
It started as a leisure and fun but it evolved into a passionate personal activity, Alyssah explained.
The Alcalas live in a modest house in a subdivision along the Tayabas-Lucena national road in Barangay Gulang-gulang in Lucena City.
While other girls dabble on the latest teen stuff, the high school sophomore from Sacred Heart College in Lucena prefers to learn the essential rules of stamp collecting its tools, language and methods including the finer forms of soliciting stamps from other collectors worldwide.
For Alyssah, beautiful and exotic stamps and related postal objects are all that matter. Every stamp has its own historical value that when intricately lined up and pasted for safekeeping can provide anyone with an exciting glimpse of the past, she said.
Her exhibit of stamp collections in two frames titled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II won the gold and special prizes at the state level (youth category) at the Canberra Stamp Show 2006 held at the Hellenic Club in Canberra, Australia on March 18 20.
The Philatelic Society of Canberra staged the 14th consecutive biennial National Philatelic Convention, better known as the Canberra Stampshow, which displayed 81 exhibits totaling 344 frames of stamp collections from prominent Australian collectors and a number of avid philatelists from other countries.
Alberto claimed a number of firsts for Alyssah in Canberra : In the 20 years of the Canberra Stampshow, Alyssah was the first Filipino to join the exhibition. She was also the youngest exhibitor ever to join the prestigious event at 12 years old and one of the first two exhibitors to receive a gold medal for the youth category.
The same sets of stamps also won awards during the philatelic exhibitions in Gumaca and Lucban towns in Quezon, San Pablo City in Laguna, and the Philippine Postal Office lobby at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila last year.
Royal Collection
I am enjoying the sights and culture of the different places of the philatelic exhibitions that our club is joining. I also gained more knowledge and friends through my hobby, Alysssah said.
Alyssah even wrote Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Winsor) of the United Kingdom a letter informing her of her collection of different stamps that portray the royal personality.
The Queen responded with a thank you letter. She also sent me photos of herself inside the Windsor Palace, the beaming Alyssah said as she show the letter and the photos of Queen Elizabeth.
The girl started exhibiting her prized collections in her school two years ago with her initial compilation of stamps featuring the Virgin Mary and the little Jesus. She named the album Mother and Child.
Were only five stamp collectors in our school, Alyssah said with a shade of lament.
Alberto said the Quezon Philatelic Club, of which the whole Alcala family is member, has again initiated the holding of exhibits and friendly competitions in several parts of the province to revive the interest of the public in stamp collection as a worthwhile hobby.
CPS STAMP CHRONICLE
July September 2006 Issue
In Campus Paper
THE HEARTBEAT
Sacred
Mel & Joey
Jorge H. Cuyugan
Alyssah Alcala (PSCS member no. 4301-0625-0488) and her parents were shown on the popular T.V. show Mel and Joey last January 28. The segment was of course, about the famous stamp collecting family from Lucena City. Stamp collecting runs in the family. Alyssahs parents, Antonette and Alberto (Abet) were also stamp collectors and the couple never thought that their daughter would not only become a stamp collector like them, but a premier class collector. Alyssah started collecting stamps only 7 years ago and has already won international awards from Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Alyssahs interests aside from her specialized topical collection are scented stamps, 3-Dimnesional and hologram stamps, and stamps featuring Hollywood stars from foreign countries. The Alcala Family are one of the pioneers of the Quezon Philatelic Club, our sister club who are giving all PSCS members another philatelic gift with this issue to start this year philatelically right.
You may view this segment of Mel & Joey at :
3,513 views as of December 30, 2016
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyTIs-fzX7Y
courtesy of Reynan Lorenz L. Mascariña
The making of "Pamilya Alcala", segment of the January 28, 2007 edition of Mel & Joey of GMA 7.
PHOTOS BY ANNA MARIE ALCALA
THE P.S.C.S. PHILATELIC UPDATE
Philippine Stamp Collectors Society
April May 2007 Issue
Supported by Rotarians
THE BRIDGE
Rotary Club of Lucena South
May 25, 2007 Issue
THE BRIDGE
Rotary Club of Lucena South
June 22, 2007 Issue
THE QUEZON TIMES
July 7 13, 2007 Issue
AAPE Champion of Champions
THE PHILATELIC EXHIBITOR
American Association of Philatelic Exhibitor
July 2007 Issue
Honored by IPPS
PHILIPPINE PHILATELIC JOURNAL
International Philippine Philatelic Society
Third Quarter 2007 Issue
FILIPINO GLOBE
July 2007 Issue
Follow-up Article in Inquirer
YOUNG STAMP COLLECTOR WINS MORE AWARDS
Delfin T. Mallari Jr.
Page A13 of the June 21, 2007 issue
LUCENA CITY A high school student from Lucena City continues to reap honors abroad because of her stamp collections.
On June 17, Alyssah Xeniah C. Alcalas stamp collections, titled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was proclaimed the 2007 AAPE Youth Champion of Champions in the National Topical Stamp Show at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving, Texas, USA.
The exhibit was sponsored by the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (AAPE).
It is also known among stamp collectors as the World Series of Philately Exhibition, Alyssahs father, Alberto, said.
Winners of the AAPE Youth Grand Awards from nationally accredited shows in the US and Canada vied for the much-coveted Youth Champion of Champions and for many other donated awards.
The 14-year-old Alyssah represented Royal 2006 Royale, an annual national stamp exhibition in Canada where she won the Youth Grand Award and a Vermeil Medal last year.
This is a great victory for our daughter because shes an outsider. Alyssah is the first Asian or perhaps the first non-American or Canadian AAPE champion, said Alberto, whos also a serious stamp collector and the president of the Quezon Philatelic Club.
Alyssah, who is a sophomore at the Sacred Heart College in Lucena, bested several bemedaled stamp exhibitors for 2001, 2003 and 2005.
Alberto said Alyssah was equally surprised with the latest honor. She was in school when we received the news through e-mail, he said.
Last month, the same collection of different stamps that portray Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor) of the United Kingdom won a Vermeil Medal in Rochester National Philatelic Exhibition (Ropex 2007) held at the ESL Sports Centre in Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York.
Vermeil is the medal level between gold and silver.
Being part of Ropex 2007 is also very prestigious because this is being held under the auspices of one of the oldest philatelic organizations in the USA. Their first exhibition started as early as 1913. Apparently, no youth exhibitor from the Philippines has ever competed except my daughter, Alberto said.
Alyssahs Queen Elizabeth II stamp collection won the gold and special prizes at the state level (youth category) at the Canberra Stamp Show 2006 in Australia last year.
Alyssah was the first Filipino to join the 20-year-old Canberra Stamp Show and the youngest exhibitor ever to join the prominent event, according to her father.
She has been collecting stamps since she was in Grade 2.
In August 2006, the same stamp collection on Queen Elizabeth II garnered a large silver medal award in the Adelaide Stampex in Australia. The exhibition assembled 166 stamp collectors from different parts of the globe.
The following month, Alyssahs multi-awarded collection also received recognition in Royal 2006 Royale National Stamp Exhibition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which gave her the merit to qualify in the AAPE contest.
In October, Alyssahs collection was awarded a silver bronze medal and a diploma at Kiwipex 2006 held at the Christchurch Convention Centre in New Zealand.
Alyssah wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth II, informing her of her collection of different stamps that portray the royal personality. The queen responded with a thank you letter and photos of herself inside the Windsor Palace.
Although Im very happy with the recognition that Ive been receiving for my stamp collection, Im still sad that I was not able to join the other more prestigious competitions abroad due to lack of sponsors to fund my overseas exhibition, Alyssah had lamented in an earlier interview.
More stamp collectors from abroad have been supporting her exhibits in foreign shores.
We really need sponsors to support her exhibits abroad, Alberto said. Whenever there are prestigious stamp exhibits abroad, Alberto said he coordinated with the organizers through e-mail. All the payments for mailing and entry fees are shouldered by the sponsors.
Most of the time, youth exhibitors are free from entry fees, Alberto said.
The Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II stamp collection returned to the country once in November 2006, he said. Alyssah took the opportunity to expand the collections from two to three frames.
Alberto said the preparation of stamp collections for an overseas exhibit entailed expenses, including those for acquiring more philatelic items, display materials and fees for mailing, entry and registration, and documentation.
January 2008 Edition
Through the courtesy of Ms. Gretheline Ramos Bolandrina, publishing director, Alyssah was featured in two (2) issues of PLANET
PLANET PHILIPPINES
November 2007 Issue
PLANET PHILIPPINES
January 2008 Issue
STAMP COLLECTING
Young Stamp Collectors of
March - May 2008 Issue