Following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) controversial move to replace national heroes in the 1000-peso bill with the Philippine eagle, senator Nancy Binay thinks that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and Congress should have a say on the design of our local coins and bills.
The country’s central bank earned the ire of social media netizens after it revealed its redesign without the familiar faces of Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Girl Scouts of the Philippines founder Josefa Llanes Esconda, and AFP Brigadier General Vicente Lim—three heroes who fought against the Japanese resistance in World War II.
Binay expressed her disappointment in the removal of Filipino heroes in the design series in favor of local flora and fauna.
“Aalisin yung mga bayani para sa eagle (We are taking out our heroes for the eagle)? Sadly, it is like saying that our martyrs and heroes are no longer worth our money. The BSP did not only erase our heroes in the P1,000 bill—it has also diminished Philippine history by focusing on plants and animals. Literally, our heroes lost their role,” Binay said.
The senator also suggested that designs for money in the legal tender must be first approved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and endorsed to Congress. Once Congress has concurred, the new design may be released for circulation.
In a statement, Binay pointed out that even naming streets, schools, and other establishments of historical significance go through the approval of Congress, and noted that it should be the same case for banknotes and coins.
Binay said, “Redesigning our money should have the concurrence of Congress and the NHCP because it has relevance and implications in our history, and there’s a higher purpose to what image or content should be printed on notes and coins.”
The new design will also be the first time the heroes will not be featured on the banknote, thirty years after the 1000-peso bill was first introduced. It is the highest denomination in Philippine currency.
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