Personalized stamps, anyone?

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Postal Corp. (PhlPost) will be coming out with personalized stamps that can be used as souvenirs or giveaways.

Enrique Tagle, PhlPost Marketing and Management Support Services manager, yesterday said they will launch the personalized stamps on Feb. 24.

“We are revitalizing our philatelic market business, thinking that in all postal administrations, philatelic is always a bright spot,” Tagle told The STAR.

He said the personalized stamp features a person’s picture taken in a regular photo booth usually seen in parties. However, it will be printed on security paper used for stamps. The stamps can be used to mail letters.

The stamps, measuring 30 mm x 40 mm, will be in se-tenant format or two stamps joined together. The original stamp will be paired off with the face of a person.

PhlPost will offer packages to companies wanting to use personalized stamps as their giveaways. The original stamp could bear the logo or façade of their office building.

PhlPost is also planning to place a photo booth at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to attract local and foreign tourists.

To make the tourist’s visit more memorable, the PhlPost identified four favorite tourist spots that would be used as the companion stamp. These are Boracay, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Baguio City and Palawan’s Underground River.

“For instance, if the tourist is in Boracay, the original stamp should feature Boracay while the other stamp is the person’s photo. But for the meantime, we would only use the PhlPost building in Lawton as the original stamp,” Tagle said.

Tagle said they are also targeting the Senate and the House of Representatives.

With the 16th Congress in session, he said they would propose the concept to senators and congressmen who could use personalized stamps when sending letters to their constituents.

“We are still writing to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. because he is a philatelist,” he said.

“This would be a nice souvenir to give to their guests. They would just have to frame the stamps,” he added.