Philippines-France 70th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps issued by PHILPOST

Posted on June 30, 2017 by rence chan

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) releases new joint special stamps featuring paintings of Filipino artist Macario Vitalis and French painter Jacques Villon to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Philippines-France Diplomatic relations.

“PHLPost is proud to present paintings of great Filipino artist Macario Vitalis and French painter Jacques Villon presented in miniature form or postage stamps which signifies common engagement, through friendship, and historical ties of both countries known throughout the world ”, Postmaster General Joel Otarra said.

Filipino Modernist Painter

Macario Cruz Vitalis (1898-1990) a Filipino Modernist painter influenced by French Post-Impressionism. Born in 1898 in a small town in Lapog, Ilocos Sur, he was a teenager when he left the Philippines and moved to the Unites States of America in 1927. Where he attended an art school in San Francisco. He left the United States for France in 1927 where he studied in the Academie de Montmarte and set up his studio in the Paris suburb of Puteaux.

Honorary Citizen

In 1975 he was declared “the only honorary citizen” of Ple’stin-les-Gre’ves, Britanny, where he had originally settled. In 1984 he was honored with the Medal of Excellence from the Institute Academique de Paris.

French Counterpart

Jacques Villon (1875-1963) was a French cubist painter and printmaker. Born Emile Mery Frederic Gaston Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in Normandy, France, he came from a prosperous and artistically-inclined family. To distinguish himself from his siblings, he adopted the pseudonym of Jacques Villon as a tribute to the French medieval poet Francois Villon. He lost interest in the pursuit of a legal career and for the next ten years he worked in graphic media, contributing cartoons and illustrations to the Parisian newspapers.

Diplomatic Relations

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and France was established on June 26, 1947 with the signing of Treaty of Friendship in Paris by then Vice-president Elpidio Quirino and then French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault. With

both countries reeling from wounds of World War II, the Philippines was granted its independence by the United States of America on July 4,1947 and French Republic was restored with the Liberation of Paris on 25 August 1, 1944.

Early Issuance or Mistake

There were some First Day Covers that was supposed to be issued on June 25, 2017 were sold by mistake at the Philatelic Shop on June 15, 2017 .

The sale was temporary halted a few days after it was learned that a couple of FDC covers had already been sold and some were posted in Ebay .

A stamp , catalog collecting and selling website http://www.philippinestamps.net/ first posted this issue and was later confirmed by some stamp collectors and dealers who were on site and were able to buy some of the disputed FDC.

It was also observed by philatelists and collectors for the past year that there were many stamp issues were NOT available for sale on the announced dates of the issuance. Collectors have to wait for several days or even weeks before they would sell these items.

Technical Description of Stamps

Kind of Issue :Commemorative

Denomination and Quantity 😛 12.00 and P 55.00 – – – 110,000

Date of Issue :June 26, 2017

Last Day of Sale : June 25, 2018 ( before supply last )

Printer :Amstar Company, Inc.

Sheet Composition :8(se-tenant pair)

Perforation :14

Size of Stamps : 40mm x 30mm

Printing Process :Litho Offset (4 colors)

Paper :Imported Unwatermarked

Designer :Rodine C. Teodoro