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The color of money runs deeper than the obvious.
With one look our money is green
or red, violent, orange, yellow, or blue.
As we look closer
it changes into many different shades
as painted by the countless stories
it has become a part of. Our history, heroes,
Values
Our daily life
The pursuit of happiness
And dreams fulfilled
Indeed the color of our money is the story
the pulse of our people
and as we evolve as a people
so does the color of our money.
The Filipinos first used paper currency in the mid-nineteenth century
while under Spanish rule.
With the establishment of the Central Bank of the Philippines in 1949,
great Filipinos appeared
for the first time
on our banknotes.
The English Series
As our country progressed,
our money continued its transformation.
This time, it highlighted design elements that affirmed our independence.
In the '60s,
the English words on the notes were translated into the national language.
Called the Filipino series
the banknotes featured key events and places in our history.
In the '70s, to echo the government's new society program,
the phrase "Ang Bagong Lipunan" was stamped on the new bills.
Our bank notes began to be printed
in the newly built Security Plant Complex of the Central Bank.
The New Design Series was launched after the People Power Revolution in 1986.
This included the 500-piso banknote with
image of Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
and the 1000-piso which featured three Philippine wartime heroes.
When the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was created in 1993
as the country's central monetary authority
its new logo was incorporated in all the banknote denominations.
By the new millennium
the security features of the bank notes have been enhanced
and the type of banknote paper upgraded
with the shift
from cotton linen to
cotton with Philippine abaca
Thorough planning and deliberation starts the process of making money available to the public.
First, the Bangko Sentral's Department of Economic Research determines
currency demand based on the expected price movement
as well as the growth of our population and the economy.
After this
the Cash Department places the order with the Security Plant Complex which in
turn procures the materials needed
to produce and print the bank notes.
When the designs of banknotes are changed
final approval of the President of the Republic is required.
From the approved design
a prototype banknote is prepared.
The banknote image is then etched on a master die
from which printing plates are produced.
Meanwhile,
ink experts mix the exact colors of the money.
With the ink and plates readied,
printing begins on special security paper and is composed of 80% cotton
and 20% Philippine abaca.
This combination gives it a distinctive texture that sets it apart from ordinary paper.
The sheets of banknote paper go through offset printing where
15 to 20 colors of the design are printed at a time.
Next, the paper goes through the Intaglio printing process which gives the
money it's embossed look and feel.
Raised ink
from Intaglio printing requires drying for several days.
After this, the banknotes sheets are submitted for a series of inspections.
the serial numbers are then printed on each banknote which are again subjected to
thorough inspection.
The sheets are then cut and packed into bundles of one thousand pieces each.
These are now delivered by the security plant
to the currency management group
from where banks exchange or withdraw their currency requirements.
From the banks,
the banknotes finally find their way into the economy
and our wallets.
There is one question that is repeatedly asked of the Bangko Sentral.
"Given our ability to print money why can't we just print a lot of money?"
As a matter of policy,
prudent central banks such as the Bangko Sentral
prints only the amount of money projected to be sufficient
to promote stable movement of consumer prices
conducive to a balanced
and sustainable economic growth.
Printing a lot more money than the economy needs is bad policy
because it will lead to higher consumer prices
and lower buying power for the family.
This is the bedrock of price stability.
The responsibility
of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Referring to money as currency illustrates how it is always current, dynamic,
flowing from one hand to the other.
Masterfully designed,
our new bank notes pay tribute to great Filipinos who played significant roles
at crucial moments in our nation's history.
The reverse side features iconic natural wonders we are proud of as Filipinos
covering Luzon,
Visayas,
and Mindanao.
The new generation
Philippine banknotes.
The new 20-piso honors President Manuel L. Quezon,
the first elected Philippine President who advocated the adoption of the national language
and worked tirelessly to gain back Philippine independence.
On the reverse is the image of the breathtaking Banaue rice terraces
which have been declared as a world heritage site.
It also features the Palm Civets from the Cordilleras that produce one
of the best coffee varieties in the world -
the Alamid coffee.
The 50-piso commemorates President Sergio Osmena
who led our country during the critical stage at the end of World War II
as well as our transition to an independent nation.
On the reverse is the Taal lake
home of the world's smallest active volcano
and the Maliputo fish
that is unique to the place.
The 100-piso pays tribute to President Manuel Roxas
who prioritized the crafting of a Central Bank Charter
and provided the leadership for the reconstruction of our country
from the devastation of the Second World War.
Also featured are the near-perfect
cone-shaped Mayon volcano and the Butanding or whale shark,
the largest living fish species in the world today.
The 200-piso is a salute to President Diosdado Macapagal
who started land reform and restored the celebration of Philippine independence
to June 12.
Other highlights are the unique icons of Bohol:
the Chocolate Hills
and the Tarsier.
The 500-piso celebrates the champions of Philippine democracy
Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
who stood up against Martial Law
and President Corazon Aquino, our first woman president,
who restored democracy after the historic and peaceful
People Power Revolution.
The reverse features the 8 kilometer Puerto Princesa Subterranean River
National Park,
declared in 1999
as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
And the blue-naped parrot.
Finally, the new 1000-piso honors our war heroes
Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, who
was martyred for refusing to cooperate with Japanese forces;
Girl Scouts of the Philippines founder Josefa Llanes Escoda, educator,
advocate of women's suffrage
and civic leader who showed extraordinary courage
by helping prisoners of war;
Brigadier General VicenteP. Lim,
the first Filipino West Point graduate who directed guerrilla activities
even from his hospital bed.
Other features are the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park,
declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1993 and the
world-famous
South Sea Pearl.
Distinct indigenous weave designs
that celebrate the creativity and excellent craftsmanship of Filipinos
complete the national symbols featured
in our new bank notes.
Every pero, every note is a testament to our hard work
that is why we have taken great measures to make sure the money we use
is genuine.
Our bank underscores the need to be current in the use of new technology to
enhance our backnotes' security features and to remain steps ahead
of counterfeiters.
At all times,
we must protect the integrity
of our currency.
This is the reason why we have developed new designs
and upgraded the security features
of all our banknotes.
The new generation
Philippine banknotes
They incorporate the latest available technology in banknote security
Feel the note
It is not smooth,
but a bit rough to the touch
Cotton and Philippine abaca gives the bank note paper a certain roughness
In addition, the raised prints or embossing from the Intaglio printing process
gives the money a distinct tactile feel
Observe closely
the serial numbers are composed of 1 or 2 prefix letters and 6 to 7
digits in asymentric or increasing size.
Red and blue fibers embedded in the bank note paper glow under ultraviolet light.
The watermark shows a shadow image of the portrait
and the banknotes denomination on the blank space
when viewed against the light from either side of the note,
the word Filipino
written in our ancient baybayin alphabet
can be seen in its complete form
when the banknote is viewed against the light.
When the bank note is rotated at 45 degrees and tilted downwards, we can
see the concealed denominational value
superimposed on the smaller version of the portrait.
Viewed against the light,
both the 20-piso and the 50-piso notes have an embedded
two millimeter wide security thread that
can be seen when the banknote is held against the light
A four-millimeter-wide-stitch-like metallic security thread
is in the 100
200
500
1000-piso notes.
Viewed from different angles its color changes from red to green.
The front of the thread carries in clear text
the initials of the BSP
together with the note's numeric denomination
in repeated series.
Likewise the back of the thread is printed
with the initials BSP
also in repeated series.
The 500 and 1000-piso banknotes
now have the optically variable device patch,
a reflective foil.
For the 500-piso
the OVD patch bears the image of a small BSP logo and the blue-naped parrot while
the 1000-piso carries
a small BSP logo
and the Soutch Sea pearl inside a clam.
The patches change color from red to green
when the note is rotated
90 degrees.
A security feature exclusive to the 1000-piso note
is the optically variable ink for the embossed denominational value
on the lower right corner of the face of the note.
It changes color from green to blue
when viewed at different angles
All these security features our in our banknotes
to make it difficult for counterfeiters to copy
but easier for our public to identify what is genuine
and what is not.
Takes some time to get to know the security features of our money.
Our new banknotes - a combination of the familiar and the new
they celebrate values we aspire for, our creativity and heroism as a nation, and our
God-given natural wonders.
Our money
the new generation Philippine backnotes
National symbols that make us
proud to be Filipinos.