MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has released a new set of stamps featuring some of the country’s historic plazas in observance of National Heritage Month.
PHLPost said the stamp collection pays tribute to town plazas that have long served as centers of community life, culture, and history in the Philippines.
Featured in the collection are the Sta. Barbara Plaza in Iloilo, Bacolod City Plaza in Negros Occidental, Tabaco Plaza in Albay, Vigan Plaza in Ilocos Sur, Zamboanga Plaza in Zamboanga del Sur, San Carlos Plaza in Pangasinan, and Plaza Roma in Intramuros, Manila.
PHLPost said the stamps aim to highlight the architectural beauty and historical significance of these public spaces, which have traditionally functioned as venues for social, religious, political, and cultural activities.
It noted that Philippine plazas, often surrounded by churches, municipal halls, and heritage structures, reflect the country’s layered history and the blend of indigenous and colonial influences that continue to shape Filipino communities.
The stamps were designed by PHLPost in-house artist Jose Antonio Jayme in coordination with Judith Neric of the Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. The photographs used in the stamp series were credited to landscape architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren, who is known for his advocacy for public spaces and his research on the history of Philippine plazas across the country.
