Record-setting stamp collection in mall exhibit
The youth of today might not be familiar with the joys of stamp collecting, given the ease with which they can send out text messages and emails using their smartphones. Despite this, there are still many who maintain and continue to grow their collection of postage stamps. These people are called philatelists and they protect their precious collections in books lined with acid-free paper that they open and admire from time to time.
One philatelist, Kim Robert de Leon, shared his collection of postage stamps featuring popes at a recent exhibit at Robinsons Manila.
This collection, amassed through the years, consists of 2,398 stamps that garnered for De Leon a mention in the Guinness World Records in 2022. The bulk of his stamp collection is of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, both of whom have visited the Philippines.
According to the Guinness Records online entry, “The counting for the evidence took place inside a parish and was overseen by the priest. The event, on Feb. 22, 2022, coincided with the 41st anniversary of the first visit of Pope John Paul II and the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, the first Pope.”
The exhibit was organized by the Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) and copresented by Robinsons Manila through Lingkod Pinoy Center.
The collaboration is proof of the commitment of Robinsons Malls to foster cultural appreciation and engagement within the community. With this exhibit is the hope that people will take an interest in collecting stamps like De Leon, who is also the secretary general of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. Its US counterpart—the Boy Scouts of America—describes stamp collecting as “the world’s most popular hobby … enjoyed by millions throughout the world.”
Postage stamps are likened to “tiny windows that introduce the people of the world to the country’s leaders, customs, history, products and environment.”
