Megan immortalized in Phl stamps

MANILA, Philippines - Now that 2013 Miss World Megan Young has been featured on a stamp, she can be considered an ambassador for Philippine philately.

The first Filipina to win the Miss World title attended the launching of the 2013 Miss World Megan Lynne Young stamp at the main Post Office Building at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila yesterday morning.

“Even without asking her (Young), she is turning out to be an ambassador (for Philippine stamps),” Philippine Postal Corp. (PhlPost) postmaster general Ma. Josefina de la Cruz said.

The 24-year-old Young replied that being featured by PhlPost has made her “in a way” an ambassador to help promote Philippine stamps.

It would also “let the people know that the Postal Office is still in business,” the beauty queen added.

De la Cruz said rarely does PhlPost feature a living person on a stamp as this becomes part of the country’s history.

“Our primary objective, when we decided to put her (Young) in the stamp, was we thought that she deserved it. She has brought much honor to the country. She is our first Miss World,” De la Cruz said.

PhlPost printed 80,000 regular stamps, 7,000 souvenir sheets and 7,000 first day covers of the beauty queen’s stamp.

Despite the big bulk of printed stamps, De la Cruz admitted that she is worried that their current stock might not be enough.

She is now toying with the idea of having a reprinting of the souvenir sheet since it seems that the Miss World organization is planning to give copies of the framed stamp to every country that Young would be visiting during her reign.

So far Young has visited 15 countries and for the duration of her reign as Miss World, the target is for her to visit 50 countries.

“This would leave an imprint of Megan Young wherever she goes… With her beauty and presence in touring around the world with that crown, she is bringing hope and smiles to the lives of so many people,” De la Cruz said.

There are also discussions that organizers of Miss World would sell Young’s stamps online through its website.

“This is a big promotion for PhlPost and I hope that this would entice collectors to buy Philippine stamps. We have improved the quality and the design of stamps that are all intended to bring back the interest of collectors all over the world to Philippine stamps,” De la Cruz added.

Young admitted that she is very happy and ‘kinikilig’ (thrilled) to see her stamp because when she was informed two months ago that PhlPost would issue a stamp in her honor, she imagined one with a dull, old-fashioned design.

So Young was surprised to see that her stamp is in full color, gold foiled, with glitter and embossed on special stamp paper.

“It is a great honor for me. I don’t think I ever imagined that I would be in a stamp and going to the postal office. My grandparents would be proud because they are stamp collectors. They would be very proud that their granddaughter would be part of their collection,” Young said.

When it comes to courtship, the beauty queen said that she does not mind being courted the traditional way and being given handwritten letters.

“The times are changing, it is becoming digital. But I can say that letters, written by hand, if it comes from the heart and thought of carefully, would still be something different,” she said.

Miss World 2014 in Phl

Meanwhile, Miss World organizers said there were developments on the suggestion that the beauty tilt be held in the Philippines this year.

“We just received a letter of endorsement from Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez giving us 100 percent support to host the Miss World pageant here. From there we are going to move forward, so abangan ang susunod na kabanata (wait for the next chapter),” Miss World Philippines national director Cory Quirino announced.