Collecting Philippine philatelic items can be such a hard task, especially with hard-to-find reference books that primarily discuss Philippine Philately at length.

I have search, far and wide, and hereunder are recommended reference books found invaluable to any Philippine philatelist:

Hodder and Stoughton's Teach Yourself Books - - Fred J. Melville's Stamp Collecting, a paperback encyclopedia which includes the history of postage stamps, intricacies of the hobby and a succinct discussion of stamp-making techniques.

I have subscribed to publications, such as Australian Stamp Bulletin, UN Postal Administration news, among others, addresses of which were cited in the book's glossary.

Also, in 1980, I acquired for a bargain price Wilshires' - - Here is Your Hobby: Stamp Collecting by Frank Cetin.

The Whole World Stamp Catalogue by Pan Books, compiled by Robin Ellis, introduced me to philatelic new issue services in late '80s. Furthermore, with the non-availability of stamp catalogues from local bookstores nationwide, I sought the Thomas Jefferson Library in Makati and luckily found a 1980 copy of Scott Stamp Catalogue. For more than two weeks, I cross-referenced stamps in my possession with their Scott numbers.

Other philatelic books are listed in the on-line Book Store. General Reference books are also reviewed and recommended for your consideration.