A one-of-a-kind history lesson at the National Stamps Exhibit

In the e-mail age, stamps may already be archaic. But at the National Stamps Exhibit, these small pieces of paper are precious artifacts that showcase Philippine history.

 

 

The exhibit, Philpex 2012, was featured on GMA News TV’s “News to Go” Thursday and showcases a stamp collection worth over P3.5 million. It is currently on display at the Philpost Main Lobby at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila until February.

 

The featured stamps chronicle our history, from the foreign occupations down to present day.

 

Among the more noteworthy stamps on exhibit is one that features Queen Isabel II of Spain and dates back to February 1, 1854. 

 

According to National Stamp Exhibit OIC Lawrence Chan, the stamp is the first to be released “hindi lang sa Pilipinas pero sa buong Asya,” and is worth P175,000.

 

Other stamps that were featured were those from the American and Japanese occupation, as well as hologram stamps, which had the faces of the UK’s Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth. 

 

Another big attraction for collectors was the collection of stamps that displayed former presidents, from Ferdinand Marcos, to Cory Aquino, to Joseph Estrada, and most recently, Gloria Arroyo.

 

Of course, the exhibit wouldn’t have been complete without Manny Pacquiao stamps, which, according to the report, are the most in-demand among collectors. –Amanda Lago/KG, GMA News