New UN80 commemorative stamps honor PH’s peacekeeping efforts, culture

The stamps — designed by Filipino diplomat Marthy Aguellas Angue — are available at select PhlPost offices nationwide for P16 each

MANILA, Philippines – Two new UN80 commemorative stamps were unveiled to the public on Wednesday, June 25, in celebration of the Philippines’ 80th year as a member of the United Nations (UN).

Held at the Old Senate Session Hall at the National Museum, the launch was attended by members of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Postal Corporation (PhlPost), and national and international delegates to the UN.

As the country celebrated eight decades since signing the charter of the United Nations in 1945, the event commemorated all the international efforts made by the nation in times of discord and dispute with its theme, “Hope and Endeavor,” a motif echoed in the stamps’ design.

Celebrating culture, history

The design of the stamps celebrates the country’s culture, art, and role in global history as explained by designer and Filipino diplomat Marthy Aguellas Angue.

“I thought I might start with the first story Filipino kids hear about the United Nations. If we put in the Philippines, it will be no more than a dot,” Angue said during his speech.

He was referencing the late Filipino diplomat and statesman Carlos P. Romulo, who had once insisted on the country’s inclusion in the UN seal’s design, even if it was just a small dot. Romulo was the first Asian president of the UN General Assembly.

The design details of the stamp reflect the country’s history in the foreign mission of the UN. It marks the efforts of a seemingly small nation in the vast geopolitical landscape, and is in reference to the country’s multilateralism and peacekeeping efforts, Angue explained.

“Here are the dots, Mr. General. Hope like the sun over a war-ravaged world. Endeavor transcending borders and boundaries. Dynamic as partner, shining as pathfinder, soothing as peacemaker,” Angue said. 

The design’s symbols and typography are also a nod to the United Nations Security Council logo. However, a more Filipino touch is the dots seen in the stamp’s bottom left corner, which was inspired by the T’nalak of the T’boli weavers. 

“The motif places the Filipino at the loom of the global weave, moved by the dreams that united the nations in 1945. And if that dream was of a world in peace, prosperous and free, what else could we have woven but with the small dots of the world,” he said.

The small dots also represent the unheard and unseen global communities, adding more depth to the design, which is based in the country’s colors of red, white, yellow, and blue. 

For Angue, the dots should be a reminder of all the international efforts made in peacekeeping, an end to global conflicts, and anti-discrimination.

The stamp’s design is also Angue’s hopes for a more united global family: “But in advocating for the dots, as we have from the beginning, we secure, as General Romulo said, our stake in the United Nations: an identical destiny, a shared anxiety, hope, and endeavor. I pray these stamps enclose these tidings wherever in the world they are sent.”

Stamps in history

Luis Carlos, the postmaster general and CEO of PhlPost, said the new stamps were a “powerful reminder that the smallest objects can hold the largest meanings.”

The stamps, according to Carlos, act as symbols of cooperation, advocacy, and commitment to peace, development, and global solidarity. Carlos stressed the importance of stamps in history as they have “chronicled the soul of a nation.”

“They preserve moments, commemorate milestones, and inspire public consciousness. Through this commemorative issue, we are reminded of how design and narrative come together to foster national identity and promote values that transcend borders…. These stamps can be a window to the world,” Carlos said.

“May they reach not only homes and across the country but also hearts and minds inspired by the enduring partnership between the Philippines and the United Nations,” he added. 

The UN80 commemorative stamps are available at select PhlPost offices nationwide. The stamps are priced at P16. – Mikay Tormon/Rappler.com

Mikay Tormon is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a Minor in Sociology at Ateneo de Manila University.