During the centuries of Spanish rule in the Philippines, the introduction of adhesive stamps and prepaid postage was a catalyst in the development of a modern postal system. Through stamps and other philatelic materials, we glimpse the ways in which Spanish, American, and Japanese authorities have endeavored to assert influence and control in the country, as well as the Filipino native response, resistance, and compromise.

Colonial Philately: Philippine Postage Stamps, 1854–1946 presents the country’s history as gleaned from the stamps issued and used during the Spanish and American colonial periods, the Philippine Revolution, the Commonwealth era, and the Second World War, as well as examining the system of postage in the centuries prior to the invention of stamps. Through narrative and descriptive prose, author Jose Eleazar R. Bersales lays out a chronology of Philippine stamps, interweaving details on the various issues and variants that provide a human dimension and create a well-rounded picture of the eras discussed. Definitives, commemoratives, impresos, certificados, postage dues, airposts, semipostals, souvenir sheets, essays, special delivery, officials, postmaster’s provisionals, and local revolutionary issues, as well as telegraph and revenue stamps used for postage during the Spanish period, are all presented in a manner engaging to general readers and experienced philatelists alike.

Richly illustrated with images from philatelic collections, this book offers a fascinating lens on the Philippines' colonial history and its journey toward independence.

Published in 2024 by Vibal Foundation, Inc.

240 pages