PHLPost issues Year of the Goat stamps to mark Chinese New Year

Year of the Goat souvenir sheet by Philippine Postal Corp.

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) will issue Year of the Goat souvenir sheets in time for the Chinese New Year.

With a 3D gold-embossed metallic foiling, the souvenir sheet comes in three colors: Silver, bronze, and gold. It features images of PHLPost’s Chinese New Year stamps, including the two designs of the Year of the Goat stamps launched on Nov. 24, 2014.

“PHLPost celebrates the coming New Year in reverence to the country’s Chinese heritage with the issuance of these souvenir sheets. We also have a large number of Filipino-Chinese philatelists or stamp-collectors who have been waiting for the release of this souvenir sheet,” says Postmaster General Josie dela Cruz.

It is estimated that 27 percent of the Philippine population has Chinese ancestry and about 1.5 million Filipinos are pure Chinese.

The Year of the Goat (or the Year of the “Ram” or “Sheep”) starts from Feb. 19, 2015, until Feb. 7, 2016. “Sheep” individuals, according to Chinese tradition, are known to be tender, polite, filial, clever and kind-hearted. They have sensitivity to art and have fondness for quiet living.

About 5,000 souvenir sheets were printed at P200 each. The sheets will be available in major postal offices nationwide and at Post Shop, Philately and Museum Division, Manila Central Post Office, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila. These will also be available online via https://www.phlpost.gov.ph/pinoyemall.