AFTER the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) won in the prestigious World Mail Awards in Berlin on June 18, 2014, the country is again in the limelight of the world postal industry with the triumph of a Filipina youth in the “2014 International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People,” organized by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
An estimated 1.5-million young people participated in this year’s contest which had the theme “Write a letter describing how music can touch lives.” Ms. Ashley Nicole Abalos, an 11-year old student from PAREF-Woodrose School, Muntinlupa, won the bronze prize for the contest.
Ashley’s letter was made to a blind musician she heard at a public concert. “Music is not music until it is shared,” she wrote. “Through your music, you are able to open the eyes of many even if you yourself cannot see.”
The international jury commented: “Written with great sincerity, this composition full of emotions and genuine reflections captured the magic of music to connect people.”
“The winning of the Philippines through Ashley makes this an exciting time for us,” says Postmaster General Josefina Dela Cruz.
The competition was created by the 1969 Tokyo Congress and officially launched in 1971. Since then, millions of young people all over the world, up to age 15, have participated in the competition at national and international levels. The UPU establishes a theme annually, with participating countries choosing an entry for the UPU international competition.
“The contest not only harnesses the skills of young people in letter-writing, but is a great way to make the youth aware of the significance of the postal sector, as being strengthened by the UPU and the re-engineering efforts of PHLPost,” adds PMG Dela Cruz.
The first prize winner is a 13-year old from Bosnia and Herzegovina while the second prize winner is a 10-year old from China. The winners will receive their prizes on October 9, the anniversary of UPU’s foundation to form part of World Post Day.