I was so busy this morn ing running errands here and there so it is only now that I got to post my entry. Again, someone is going to find this very familiar… right, Arlene?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above postcard shows a beautiful Filipina wearing the traditional Philippine costume, baro at saya. She is holding an image of 

Santo Niño

, or the Child Jesus, the patron saint of most Filipinos, especially in the Visayas region. Every year, colourful religious festivities are held in the different cities in the Visayas - Kalibo, Aklan (Ati-atihan Festival), Cebu City (Sinulog Festival), Iloilo City (known as Dinagyang Festival), among others – in honor of the

Santo Niño

. You may find more information about these festivals here.

Information at the back of the postcard says:

The beauty of the Philippines lies not only in its sceneries, but more evidently in its women. A mixture of different races, the Filipina radiates a beauty incomparable to the rest of the world.

Well, that’s true about Filipinos being a mixture of different races! Generally, Filipinos have moreno/morena complexion, or brown complexion. However, the lady in the picture is very much a mestiza, you can tell from her light complexion and facial features. She probably inherited her fair complexion from her Spanish ancestors. And my, what a really nice smooth skin she has – I could really use some skin care tips from her! *lol* 

And here’s the stamp that is used in this postcard:

 

This stamp was released by the PhilPost in 2010 as part of the Philippine Marine Biodiversity issue, showing a bowmouth guitarfish. I don’t know how it is called in Filipino though but the pectoral fins of this fish is said to be a highly-prized food.

 

On the left of the stamp is a calesa, or horse-drawn carriage, is also seen here. The calesa, also known as a karitela, is one of the modes of transportation introduced by the Spanish in the 1800s. It was said that only the nobles and the high-ranked officials could afford it at that time. The calesas are rarely used nowadays except in tourist areas and some rural areas.

Arlene is a blogger-friend (I Love Postcrossing) and a fellow Postcrosser. Although she’s been collecting postcards when she was younger, she only became a member of Postcrossing last year. Salamat kaayo, Lene.