PHLPost releases NVM Gonzalez Birth Centenary commemorative stamps

This is a press release from the Philippine Postal Corporation.

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) on Thursday, September 17 released new commemorative stamps in honor of the Birth Centenary of National Artist for Literature Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez (September 8, 1915 – November 28, 1999), popularly known as “N.V.M.”

“PHLPost pays tribute to National Artist N.V.M. Gonzalez and his contribution to the preservation and promotion of the arts in our country and to the world,” Postmaster General Josie Dela Cruz said.

His literary works and photos were featured in the background of the postage stamps.

According to his biography, “NVM” was a son of a school supervisor and a teacher. Gonzalez attended Mindoro High School from 1927 to 1930, and although he studied at National University in Manila, he never obtained a degree. While in Manila, Gonzalez wrote for the Philippine Graphic and later edited for the Evening News Magazine and Manila Chronicle. His first published essay appeared in the Philippine Graphic and his first poem in Poetry in 1934.

In 1950, he began a long teaching career, beginning with a position at the University of Santo Tomas. Gonzalez also taught at the Philippine Women’s University, but it was his length of service at the University of the Philippines that gave distinction to Gonzalez’s career – as a teacher at the University for 18 years. Because of his immense talent in creative writing, Gonzalez was one of the only two people to teach in UP at that time sans a degree.

Gonzalez made his mark in the writing community as a member of the Board of Advisers of Likhaan: the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Center, founder of The Diliman Review and as the first president of the Philippine Writers’ Association.

The special commemorative stamp will be sold at P10.00 each and about 65,000 copies were printed by Amstar Company, Inc. measuring 40X30 mm.

The stamps and official first day cover are now available at the Post Shop, Central Post Office, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila, and area post offices nationwide. For inquiries, please call 527-01-08 or 527-01-32. – Rappler.com