The Philippine Postal Corporation has issued the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity stamps, which features the top three winners of On-the-Spot Stamp Design Contest, yesterday, October 26, 2010. It is classified as a “Special” kind of issue with a denomination of P 7.00 and quantity of 50,000 pieces.

The top three winners in this year’s On-the-Spot Stamp Design Contest jointly organized by the United Nations Information Centre Manila (UNIC) and the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) were formally announced in awarding ceremonies held recently at Philpost.

The winners are: Krysten Alarice Tan (first prize); Justen Paul Tolentino (second prize); and Christian Art D. Malquisto (third prize). Tan and Tolentino are third and fourth year high school students, respectively, from St. Stephen’s High School, Manila, while Malquisto is a fourth year high school student from Lakandula High School, Manila.

The United Nations will once again celebrate the UN Month this October. The stamp are part of the Millennium Campaign that focuses on our common vision of a world without poverty towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Philippine Postal Corporation will issue a souvenir sheet to raise awareness in better managing and protecting crucial fresh water resources and to publicize the International Year of Freshwater, as declared by the United Nations for the year 2003.

The Philippine Postal Corporation will issue a set of stamps on October 24, 1999, United Nations Day, to publicize the International Year of Older Persons. (IYOP), World Teachers' Day (WTD) and World Heritage Site (WHS).

WORLD HERITAGE SITE - Paoay is located on a sandy plain, bounded by San Nicolas, Batac, Badoc and the sea. The blankets woven with hair by the women of Paoay were highly prized. Early documents refer to this town .as Bombay, the name which must have been the basis of the legend which hold that the very remote ancestors of the Paoayanos were settlers who had immigrated all the way from Bombay in India. Originally this town was a settlement located along the shores facing the China Sea. As early as 1593 this town was a Visita of Batac.