Introduction page for Volcanoes on Philippine Stamps

VOLCANOES

Most of the islands within the Philippine archipelago are of volcanic origin and today the Philippines contains around 26 active volcanoes.

The last major eruption in the Philippines occurred in 1991 when Mount Pinatubo produced the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century. The effects were felt worldwide and communities in the Philippines were severely affected.

Postal tax stamps were issued in the Philippines to help raise relief funds. In other instances stamps featuring volcanoes have been issued to raise awareness of the effects of eruptions.

Mount Mayon has long been featured on stamps as a landmark of the Philippines (including during the American and Japanese periods) and other stamps have featured volcanoes for tourism or simply because they form prominent features in the landscape.