Philippine Stamp: Rafael Palma

Rafael Palma was a Filipino politician, reporter, writer, educator and a famous mason in Philippines. He also became the fourth President of the University of the Philippines.

Philippine Stamp: 75th Anniversary of the National Archives of the Philippines

The Treaty of Paris (December 10, 1898) established the Office of Archives (formerly Spanish Division of Archives) under the American authority which stipulated the relinquishment or cession of documents from Spanish to American authorities and provided for the preservation of documents whether they may be in Spain or in the Philippines.

On October 21, 1901, the Philippine Commission Act No.  273 established the Bureau of Archives under the Department of Public Instructions (now Department of Education).

The Bureau of Archives was reduced into a division on November 1, 1915 by the Reorganization Act No. 1407.

February 4, 1916; the Commonwealth Act No. 2572 integrated the Division of Archives with Philippine Library and Museum.

The Bureau of Records Management (BRM) for coordinated management of official documents, was created on February 14, 1956 through the Reorganization Plan No. 8-A.

March 14, 1958; the Executive Order No. 290 provided for the organization of the Bureau of Records Management under the Department of General Services with the Division of  Archives as one of its divisions.

On September 24, 1972; the Presidential Decree No. 1 reorganized the Executive Branch and renamed the BRM to Records Management and Archives Office (RMAO). The RMAO was re-classified as a cultural agency attached to the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) by the Executive Order No. 285  on July 25, 1987.

On March 15, 1999, Executive Order No. 80 transferred RMAO to the Office of the President attached to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)  for program and policy coordination.

Finally on May 21, 2007, the Republic Act No. 9470 strengthened the system of management and administration of archival records, establishing for the purpose, the National Archives of the Philippines.

Philippine Stamp: First Third World Theater Festival and International Conference

The stamp was first issued on May 15, 1973 with denominations: 5s (Blue), 10s (Green), 50s (Orange) and 70s (Pink).

Icelandic Stamp: Fishing Scene

Many varieties of fish live in the ocean waters surrounding Iceland, and the fishing industry is a main contributor to Iceland's economy, accounting for more than half of the country's total exports. 

Philippine Stamp: Col. Jesús Villamor

Jesús Antonio Villamor was a Filipino pilot who fought the Japanese in World War II.

For leading his squadron and for his two confirmed kills, Villamor was twice cited by the United States Army for bravery, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for actions on December 10, 1941 and an Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second award of the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for actions on December 12, 1941, making him the only Filipino to receive the DSC twice.

For his bravery as a pilot and ingenuity as an intelligence officer, President Ramón Magsaysay awarded Lieutenant Col. Villamor the Medal of Valor, the highest Philippine military bravery decoration, on January 21, 1954. The Philippine Air Force's principal facility in Metro Manila which was first known as Nichols Field then later Nichols Air Base was renamed Col. Jesús Villamor Air Base in his honor.

Australian Stamp: Crown-of-thorns Starfish

The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a large nocturnal sea star that preys upon coral polyps. The crown-of-thorns receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its body. It is endemic to tropical coral reefs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. As solitary animals, they feed alone and maintain a distance between themselves and other members of their species.

The crown-of-thorns is the second largest sea star in the world. Only the sunflower starfish is larger.