The world’s longest stamp honors Filipino Catholic faith

The festive stamp is a heartfelt tribute to the cherished Filipino Catholic tradition of Simbang Gabi, and it features iconic churches that are found along the historic Pasig River: Binondo Church, Quiapo Church, Manila Cathedral Church, Sta. Ana Church, San Felipe Neri Church, San Pedro Macati Church, Guadalupe Church, Pasig Church, and Antipolo Church.

The Christmas stamps are made even more special by the fact that they’re the world’s longest postage stamp, measuring over 9 inches long.

The artist behind the work, Gelo Andres (@_hellogelo) from the nonprofit heritage organization Renacimiento Manila, told Lifestyle that there were supposed to be more than nine churches in the stamp design, including San Miguel Church in Manila, Pateros Church, and even Santa Ana in Taguig. “But we ended up choosing the nine churches instead to fit the theme of Simbang Gabi (which has nine evening/dawn masses) and also to fit the map layout,” he explained.

Other landmarks

Andres said that they included other historical and iconic landmarks along the river as well, like the Malacañang Palace and the Manila Central Post Office Building.

For him, having the theme of Christmas for the longest stamp really complement each other because “we are known to have the longest Christmas celebration in the world, starting from September all the way to the Feast of the Three Kings.”

It’s Andres’ Christmas wish for the stamps to help raise awareness about the historical and cultural treasures along the Pasig River.

“These historical churches highlighted on the stamp endured war, typhoons, earthquakes, and other calamities, yet they are still standing to this day,” he said.

“These are proof of the high quality of Filipino craftsmanship, and they are also a testament to the unwavering faith of the Filipino Catholics. The churches brought communities along the river closer and stronger together, and that’s why these structures deserve to be known and celebrated.”

They also wanted to highlight the significance of the river with the stamps.

“The Pasig River connected our communities, and it served as our natural avenue for the thriving city to flourish through transport and commerce for thousands of years. It doesn’t need more destructive concrete structures just to keep up with progress. Huwag sana nating hayaang mamatay na lang ang isang bagay na nagbigay sa atin ng buhay at nagdala sa atin ng bukas (I hope we don’t allow something that’s given us life and brought us tomorrow to just die). This river is the vein that brought our nation to life. The Pasig River is alive, and we should celebrate her with life,” Andres said.

Historical significance

Carlos described the stamps as “more than a celebration of heritage but also an invitation to rekindle our shared values of unity and devotion during the most joyous season of the year.”

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He added, “This stamp illuminates the essence of Christmas: love, joy, peace, and hope.”

The Pasig River holds a rich historical significance, serving as a vital waterway before and during the Spanish colonial period. It connects Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay and played a crucial role as a major transportation route for trade and commerce.

The iconic Manila Central Post Office building, which is undergoing rehabilitation, was built along the Pasig River so it could receive mail and other packages that were being transported through the river.

The 2024 Christmas stamp has special embellishments. It was created using four-color process printing plus blue iridescent ink on the river and suprametal multilevel embossing on the churches.

Their face value is P200 per stamp. They will be available at the Manila Central Post Office postal counter located at the Annex Building in Liwasang Bonifacio.