MANILA – The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has released two Year of the Monkey Commemorative Stamps in time to welcome the New Year in 2016.

The colorful Year of the Monkey commemorative stamps features two designs, a close-up and another full image of the monkey measuring 4 cms x 3 cms which are now available in limited quantity at the Post Shop located at the Manila Central Post Office and post offices nationwide.

The close-up image of a monkey’s face is being sold for P10 each. PHLPost commissioned Amstar Security Printer to print 55,000 copies of this stamp.

Another 55,000 copies showing the full image of the monkey were also printed and are being sold at P30 each.

PhlPost also issued additional 5,000 copies of the souvenir sheet at P80 each for a large number of Filipino-Chinese philatelists and stamp-collectors who have been waiting for the release of this souvenir sheet.

The souvenir sheet contains both designs in blocks of four stamps to celebrate the coming New Year in the Chinese lunar calendar.

Monkey ranks ninth in the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac.  The “Monkey” individuals, according to Chinese tradition, are known to be cheerful and energetic by nature and usually represent flexibility.

People under the sign of the Monkey are wise, intelligent, confident, charismatic, loyal, inventive and have leadership. When it comes to family, those who are born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be considerate and thoughtful.