And inspect it. When was the last time you looked closely at your peso? Well, now's the time to do so. It's improved so much from the days that it didn’t have its own identity. Here are a few interesting facts on different Philippine peso bills through the years.
1. The first paper money circulated in the Philippines was the peso fuerte (PF) issued by the country’s first bank, the El Banco Espanol Filipino de Isabel II (currently Bank of the Philippine Islands or BPI) on May 1, 1852.
Cincuenta Pesos Fuertes (1852-1865)
2. In 1899, Republika Filipina Papel Moneda de Un Peso and Cinco Pesos (one peso and five peso notes respectively) were freely circulated to assert our independence. These were issued under General Emilio Aguinaldo's First Philippine Republic of 1898.
Republika Filipina Papel Moneda de Un Peso
3. The El Banco Espanol Filipino was renamed as Bank of the Philippine Islands in 1912, paving the way for the use of English from Spanish in all bank notes and coins which were issued up to 1933.
One Peso
Not only do government offices have websites already, a few also have satellite offices to cater to your needs much faster - just like the LTO Driver's License Renewal Centers in malls!
4. During the World War II, the Japanese Occupation Forces issued war notes in big denominations known as the Japanese government-issued Philippine fiat peso, called by some Filipinos as the "Mickey Mouse" money.
Japanese government-issued Philippine fiat peso
5. In 1949, the Central Bank of the Philippines (currently known as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) was established. It was then that the first currencies were issued known as the English series notes printed by the Thomas de la Rue & Co., Ltd. in England.
Philippine peso five centavo bill
6. During the term of President Ferdinand Marcos, the Central Bank of the Philippines issued the Pilipino series banknotes from 1969 to 1973, which underwent Filipinization and a radical design change from the English series.
Pilipino series limampung piso
7. From 1973 to 1985, the Central Bank of the Philippines issued the Ang Bagong Lipunan series (The New Society Series) Philippine banknotes which have the words "ANG BAGONG LIPUNAN" and oval geometric safety design.
Ang Bagong Lipunan series limang piso
8. The New Design series Philippine banknotes were issued on June 12, 1985. Security features of these include a security thread, scattered red and blue visible fibers, and fluorescent printing.
New Design series limang piso
9. Under the New Central Bank Act, a new seal was introduced when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was established on July 3, 1993. The Filipino flag expresses nationalism and unity, the risen sun denotes the nation’s bright future and renewed spirit, the mountains stand for stability, and the wheel represents movement and industry.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas seal
10. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas series or BSP series were introduced on July 3, 1993. Security features include glossy security thread, iridescent strip, optically variable ink, anti-copying line structures, perfect registration, serial number, and windowed security thread and watermark, which only appear when the banknotes are exposed under UV light.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas series banknotes
11. On December 16, 2010, the New Generation series were issued, which pay tribute to Filipinos who played significant roles in our nation’s history. Also highlighted are iconic natural wonders and world heritage sites of the Philippines.
image by Pinoy Numismatist Network
12. For the first time, a Philippine banknote bears a feature for the blind and the visually impaired through the 200-piso banknote. At the top left front side is a print that can be easily felt by touch so that a visually impaired or blind would be able to identify it.
The new 200-piso note
Visit the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to learn more about the Philippine monetary system.
Do you have other Philippine peso bill facts that you’d like to share?
