The Postal History of ICAO

Philippines : 65^th Anniversary of ICAO

Issue date: 07/12/2009

Image of the winged Deadalus formed from stamps issued by some countries of the world, so that the background looks like a mosaic (mixed media of morphed stamp collections). Inscription in the lower part: SAFE & SECURE / AIR TRAVEL TOGETHER on two lines. Logos of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) and the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines (DOTC), respectively on the lower-left and lower-right of the stamp. 55,000 stamps issued.

Logo of the Civil Aviation Authority.

Logo of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

Specimen stamp. The value is crossed out.

Specimen Block of 4 stamps. The value is crossed out.

Printing color strip in the margin.

Pair. Printing color strip in the margin.

Lower right block of 4 stamps with marginal inscription: USE NEW ZIP CODE. Used.

Block of 6 stamps with control or sheet number; used.

Souvenir Sheet. Larger version of the stamp design (i.e. continuous view of the same image of the winged Deadalus formed from stamps) divided into 4 parts at 7p each. 9,500 souvenir sheets issued.

In the margins, this sheet shows the logos of the following offices or organizations which are associated to or working with the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines (from left to right and top to bottom):

1. Top row: Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and ICAO.

2. Left side: Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA. Note that DMIA is operated by Clark International Airport Corporation – CIAC. Therefore, this airport is also called Clark International Airport) in the Philippines.

3. Right side: International Telecommunication Unit (ITU), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), and Airports International Council (ACI).

4. Bottom row: Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of the Philippines (AOPAP), International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA), and International Federation of Airline Pilots Association (IFALPA).

Specimen souvenir sheet. The values are crossed out.

Scaled digital representation of the reference artwork:

Original Philatelic Bulletin.

Official First Day Covers. The cachet on the right-side highlights the global cooperation (in the form of a pyramid) between ICAO and the Philippines’s Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), and various bodies of the country and other organizations of the world. The background of the cover shows a large mosaic with the reproduction (in watermark) of various stamps issued by the Philippines and other countries of the world, including a frame recalling the purpose of the stamp commemoration.

The identification of the logos is provided in the description of the above miniature sheet.

Background: The commemorative stamp is a collage of hundreds of stamps produced from some countries of the world and collected within the period 1952 to 2001. Arranged methodically, an image representing the winged mythological figure of Deadalus, a famous architect, inventor and master craftsman, appears. Deadalus’ successful flight has long stood as a symbol of safety, success and progress in flight. Considering that the morphed stamps come from a number of ICAO member States, the design conveys a universal language that speaks powerfully to us peace and flight. Friendship and understanding for the benefit of all mankind, through the safe and peaceful development of civil aviation, were the founding principles that ICAO set forth in the Preamble to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

This issue also commemorates the International Civil Aviation Day, which was celebrated for the first time in 1994 on the occasion of ICAO’s 50^th anniversary. The 2009 International Civil Aviation Day with its theme: “65 Years of empowering the global community through aviation” highlighted ICAO’s contribution to the global community. Philippines contributed to this celebration by releasing this issue and showing through the various products the close working relationship between their Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), and the other bodies of the country and the organizations of the word.

In the Philippines, ICAO works with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to ensure the country’s compliance with international oversight standards. It assists in the security of the airports in the Philippines and provides technical support that contributes to the overall growth of civil aviation in the country. The CAAP, formerly Air Transport Office, an agency under the Department of Transport and Communications (DOTC), was created by the Civil Authority Act of 2007, and is mandated to set comprehensive, clear and impartial rules for the aviation industry. Its mission is to ensure the full integration of civil aviation with the national transportation system, taking into account the requirements of national interest and environmental concerns in accordance with ICAO standards and recommended practices. Other major civil aviation stakeholders include the Civil Aviation Board (CAB), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) - operator of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

The Designer of the stamp was Godofredo F. Zapanta, Sr.; the Design Coordinator was Col. Crisostomo F. Abanes (ret.), Executive Vice President & Trustee, AOPAP (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of the Philippines) and founding member of AOPAP.