The Anthem Philatelist

Art Beyond Borders! Johor Bahru, Malaysia will be the venue for the International Art Dialogue Exchange Exhibition and Book Launching of “Cultural Canvases” — a celebration of creativity, culture, and collaboration across Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and India. The event will be held in YES AMJB Gallery, R&F Mall, Jalan Tanjung Puteri 1, Johor Bahru July 26 – August 30, 2025 Representing the Philippines are 16 visionary artists whose works speak of heritage, emotion, and innovation: Roy Espinosa , Celso Pepito , Aris Bagtas , Roland Rosacay , Manuel Sinquenco , Al Vargas, Mark Chua, Lemuel Blanco, Fe Madrid Pepito , Espie Bagtas , Irma Espinosa, Jaz Blanco, Tatz Lee , Ana Lyn Seva, Grandjoy Agdigos, and Pauline Allison Espinosa. Be part of the unveiling of “Cultural Canvases: A Dialogue Between Filipino and World Art Traditions” — a book that bridges stories and strokes from across Asia. Let art be the language that unites us!

  BEYOND CONTEMPORARY ART PENANG International Art Summit and Expo November 9-12,2023 The Wembly, A St. Giles Hotel Penang. Philippine Delegations: Roy Espinosa Celso Duazo Pepito Manuel Sinquenco Art Lozano Fe Madrid Pepito McViñas Al Vargas Lloyd Lusica Ingrid Aimee Peñaflor Doods Iligan Penang, in Malaysia’s verdant northwest, is a laid-back but still uniquely cosmopolitan part of the country. With influences from Malay, Chinese and Indian culture, with a hefty dose of British colonialism thrown in, it offers fascinating architecture, plentiful culture, beautiful beaches and friendly locals. Not to mention the food… The capital, George Town, boasts plenty of old-world charm. Explore its time-capsule-worthy neighbourhoods from the back of a trishaw bike or follow the many murals and discover the city’s thriving street-art scene. But don’t stop at the city – head up to the cool summit of Penang Hill, explore the Tropical Spice Garden, or soak up the sun at Batu Ferringhi beach. Yo...

  ArtCebu   Joins   BORNEO ARTS FESTIVAL 2023 29 September - 1 Oktober 2023 Financial Park , Labuan FT   Participating Artists Mean Mustard Art Christine Rom Joshua Cabrera Jojo Gubalane Arts John Geoffrey Dabatos Elletsirk Estareja Han   EVENTS   BORNEO CREATIVE DANCE COMPETITION TINGKAH GERUH( BATTLE) FASHION CREATIVE NATIONAL COSTUME   ART EXPRESSION MUKUN SEBORNEO PERFORMANCE LION INTERNATIONAL PEACE POSTER ARTIST & BUSKER PERFORMANCE BAF23 TIKTOK CHALLANGE BAF 360 PHOTO BOOTH DJ CORNER LABUAN FM LABUAN & BORNEO CRAFT EXHIBITION BOOTH EXHIBITION BOOKS EXHIBITION CHOCOLATE FAIR *087-408740 (office hours) * Labuan Tourism (Facebook) @tourismperbadananlabuan (Tiktok) @labuantourism (Instagram)

I might not have the luxury of time to know him deeper, but the many possibilities of meeting him in person,  I can say that I have a  positive reading of this artist. We have had the opportunity to be together in many exhibits in Manila, but it was our participation in Langkawi Art Biennale and Perak Pior Art Trail that i have known him better. More than enjoying his jokes, I truly admire his professionalism in relation to his artistry ( by Celso D. Pepito) A protegee of the late Malang Santos , ArtPortalCebu is proud to feature Franklin Caña as one of our exhibitors for the incoming Visayas Art Fair 2022. Have a glimpse of his two entries for the Art Fair. FRANKLIN CAÑA VALENCIA In sports, dance, music and art, Filipinos are known to be gifted in these fields. And as they showcase their talents with much sincerity, it is not farfetch that their competitiveness will often bore them awards and recognition. In the field of sports, Manny Pacquiao attained worldwide fame as he...

" Sketching is already a part of my life since I became a member of the Creative Industry. It started simply to improve on my drawing skills, as advised by the late Julian Jumalon , it became a part of my creative passion in relation to my desire to making use of my time, as productive as possible. Our 10 day latest trip to Malaysia and Singapore were indeed, another exciting journey for me as a painter.   These 13 out of the 25 sketches i have done from Manila to KLIA2 , to Ipoh , to Taiping, to Kuala Kangsar , to Singapore , to KLIA2, to Manila , and to Cebu , were testaments of my fascination in recording my travel, through sketching.   Making this journey was a gift of joy for me, as i have enjoyed every minute I spent in many places we have visited In Malaysia and Singapore.   I am hoping that these 13 sketches will add more fulfillment to a freind who values the importance of collecting sketches!   In the end, i realized that bringing with me my pen, pencil...

From September 2 to 5, five visual artists from the Philippines will be joining the Pior Perak Art Trail in Malaysia. These are Celso Pepito ,  Roy Espinosa, Franklin Caña Valencia, and Manuel Sinquenco.   They will be joined by other artists from Indonesia,  Brunei, India, Singapore,  Vietnam and Mauritius.   In this event,  there will be workshops, plein air exhibitions, art exhibitions, community mural painting, art dialogue, getting- to- know the artist and sharing of culture, food and places of interests.    

Malacca's rich cultural history makes it a haven of museums. One of the several museums located here is the The Malacca Stamp Museum (Muzium Setem Melaka) was formerly the Melaka State Museum. It is also known as the "Sekolah Gambar". Originally, it was used as the residence for Dutch dignitaries living in Malacca. On March 19, 1954, G.E. Wisdom, the resident commissioner of Melaka converted this building into a state museum. However in 1982, the museum was moved to the Stradthuys . Now it houses the Melaka Stamp Museum . The Department of Museums and Antiquity has gazetted it as an ancient monument according to section 15 of the Antiquities Act.   The museum showcases various stamps, first day covers, philatelic products and bank notes. The museum opens daily from 9am to 5 pm except Mondays and during Friday lunchtime (12 noon-2:45 pm). It is presently located at the St. Paul's Hill , in between the Islamic Museum and Umno Museum .  Admission is 1 Ringg...

On a laid back Sunday afternoon without traffic, once can reach this magnificent destination in 20 minutes from the KL city center. The Batu Cave temple complex rises almost 100 m above the ground and consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, has a 100 m-high ceiling and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors must climb a steep flight of 272 steps. My wife had no problems climbing the steps this time, as they were relatively "easier" compared to the Great Wall climb. The cave is located in Gombak district, 13 kilometers (8 mi) north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia. The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be...

Before independence in 1957, each of the (then) eleven states of Malaysia had their own anthem (which they have retained to this day), but there was no unifying anthem for the whole country. When independence was approaching, Tunku Abdul Rahman , then the Chief Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (later Malaysia's first prime minister), led a committee to select a new anthem.    Hundreds were recieved, but none were deemed suitable. Finally, the anthem for the Malaysian state of Perak was considered, and the melody, due to its "traditional flavour" was selected to be the melody for the new anthem. In 1888 the Sultan of Perak was invited by Queen Victoria as a guest. When the Sultan's aide was asked what the anthem of Perak was, so that it could be played upon his formal arrival, the aide, not wanting to be embarrassed by saying that Perak did not have an anthem, perhaps giving the impression that his country was "backwards", proceeded to hum a favouri...