Philippine Baha (flood) semi-postal stamps issued in 1942

I woke up to the sound of rain this morning; it was not a gentle pitter-patter but a thunderstorm. An as expected, the morning news was filled with reports of floods and suspension of classes throughout the metropolis.

Torrential rains induce a certain degree of trauma to Marikeños especially with the floods brought about by Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009 and the Habagat (monsoon) just last month.

It is interesting to note that philatelic materials were used to raise funds for victims of natural disasters in the past. In November 1943, a strong typhoon hit the Philippines which caused massive flooding in the streets. [I tried to research for more information about the flood, but I still have not found substantial information. I guess censorship was so prevalent during the Japanese Occupation that information about the storm hardly leaked out.]
A set of semi-postal stamps was issued to raise funds for the victims. A semi-postal stamp is a postage stamp issued to raise money for a particular purpose. These stamps are sold at a higher value than the prevailing postal rates; the excess amount charged is allocated for the purpose for which the stamps were issued. These are usually issued for charitable purpose such as TB prevention, and in aid of victims of war or natural calamities, hence its other nickname, charity stamps.

The stamps were issued on 08 December 1943 during the second anniversary of the Great East Asia War.  The stamps were definitives surcharged with "BAHA 1943." These were priced 12 + 21 c, 20 + 36 c, and 21 + 40 c. Yup, the "+21," "+36," and "+40" cents were allocated for the flood victims. Imagine: the donation was higher than the actual cost of mailing.

The original First Day Cover cachet commemorates the Great East Asia War anniversary instead of the flood relief campaign. According to philatelist Linda Stanfield, an FDC cachet depicting the flood relief campaign was issued on December 22 due to public clamor, especially among the philatelic community.  The cover featuring the flood relief effort is referred to as the Second First Day Cover of this issue.

I guess philately used to be so popular back then that they were able to accumulate a sizable amount. I wonder if this will still work today given the current population of Filipino philatelists and the situation of the Philippines Postal Corporation.

Second First Day Cover: 22 December 1943
Japanese Occupation Baha Semi-postal Stamps
FDI of stamps: 08 December 1943