A commemorative stamp honouring the Filipino culinary icon Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes was issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation last month.
Born in Manila on May 11, 1917, Reyes was the eldest daughter of the founder of Aristocrat Restaurant. She grew up in a social milieu of Divisoria-Navotas along Manila Bay. Being the eldest among 12 siblings, Reyes took to cooking with her mother.
After Reyes’ own children grew older, she began travelling to the far reaches of the world to learn and savour its various cuisines. She concluded Filipino food stood out among the best, and her vision brought the flavours of the Philippines to the world. She eventaully founded Marigold Manufacturing Corporation, which launched an extensive line of sauces and mixes that.
Designed by Ian Darren Aycocho and Cristian Molina, the stamp was issued to mark the 100th anniversary of Reyes’ birth. It measures 50 mm by 35 mm; has a print run of 80,000 stamps; and was printed using four-colour offset lithography by Amstar Company.