HIGHLIGHTS

Xavier School Golden Jubilee Stamps Issued

Posted Monday, 05-Jun-2006 10:15 AM

     Philpost will soon release the Xavier School Golden Jubilee commemorative stamps to mark the school’s 50th anniversary.  The official date of issue is June 6, 2006, the exact date fifty years ago when Xavier School first opened in Echague, Manila.  The school is the first non-tertiary school in the Philippines ever granted this distinction and the only educational institution to be issued commemorative stamps in se-tenant format.

     The commemorative stamps feature four separate stamps, denominated P7 each, showcasing images identified with Xavier School.  The Xavier blue and yellow are used as alternating color background with the stylized school seal rendered as watermark to unify the four stamps into one integrated whole.  

     The old and new seals used in tandem depict the heritage of Xavier School.  The current emblem, adopted in 1963, features a blue and red shield.  The left side of the shield features two suns superimposed representing China and the Philippines with the blazon of the Society of Jesus at the center.  The right side has a black and white checkered crescent reversed above a checkered band representing the coat-of-arms of the Javier (Xavier) family dating back to the 13th century.

     The new high school building, completed in 1992, houses several classrooms, science labs, a tennis court, library and a multi-purpose hall.  The building was the first of several new facilities constructed during a period of rapid expansion in the 90s.

Lower left:

     The bust of Paul Hsu Kuang-Chi on the school campus is an exact replica of the original found in the Xu Guangqi Memorial Park in Shanghai, China.  He was a Ming dynasty scholar who served the imperial court as Minister of Rites.  He converted to Christianity in 1603 and became a staunch supporter of the missionaries, particularly the Jesuits. Xavier School’s Chinese name is Kuang Chi, named after this greatest of Chinese Christians.

     The bronze statue of St. Francis Xavier was installed to commemorate the school’s 20th anniversary in the Greenhills campus.  Francis Xavier, one of the original members of the Society of Jesus, is regarded as the greatest missionary for his prodigious work in Asia.  He was canonized in 1622 and is the school’s patron saint.  This year also marks the saint’s 500th birth anniversary.

     The stamps were designed by Peter Martin Gomez (’99) based on invaluable inputs from Mike Tan (’66) and Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak (Philpost Design Committee Member), avid stamp collectors both.  In an inspired move, this project was assigned by former  Countdown to the Jubilee Committee Chair, Hero Yu (’72), to Dave Atienza (’71) who worked tirelessly.

     He is justly proud of this achievement given the rigorous process involved from getting certification from the National Historical Institute (NHI) all the way through the design development and approval. “This is a unique memento that each Xaverian must possess,” further noting that, “Xavier holds the distinction of being the only non-tertiary school in the Philippines to have been granted the honor of a commemorative stamp and the only one with a se-tenant design.”

     The stamps are available in three packages.  There is a special Souvenir Set priced at P500 which includes a first day cover and a set of 8 stamps packaged in its own jacket.  The first day covers will also be sold individually at P100 each and the stamps in sheets of 16 pieces at P150/sheet or P112/sheet if purchased in multiples of ten sheets.  All proceeds will benefit the Xavier School Educational and Trust Fund.  Visit or contact the Jubilee Office at 723 0481 loc. 380 for orders.

Go back to the top ^