JOSE Rizal on a P150 peso bill? That simply does not exist, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The BSP on Thursday warned the public against believing claims on social media that it had released a P150 banknote with the image of Jose Rizal. It did no such thing.
“Images of the said banknote circulating on social media are fictitious,” the BSP said.
The image that it said was being circulated online showed a brown bill that features Jose Rizal, his Calamba home, and his monument in Rizal Park in Manila.
The BSP called on the public to report persons involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit currency to the BSP Payments and Currency Investigation Group at [email protected] or through telephone numbers +63-2-8988-4833 and +63-2-8926-5092.
It also advised people to double check claims made on social media and to get their information from official sources.
The BSP website has a guide on which banknotes are in circulation.
Criminal offense
Under the Revised Penal Code, the counterfeiting of banknotes as well as knowingly using or possessing them with intent to use are punishable with fines and a prison term.
Commemorative currency
The BSP at times issues commemorative notes and coins to memorialize an event of historic significance to the country.
Earlier this month, it sold a P150 commemorative non-circulation, legal tender coin to honor the martyrdom of GomBurZa or Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, The coin is currently sold out. It was sold for P2,200 each.
The BSP usually produces only a limited number of the commemorative notes and coins, and these are set apart from those intended for circulation.
The notes are also overprinted with an emblem or text descriptive of the theme or occasion being celebrated.
The denomination could be the same as those in circulation, or it could be a different one.
For instance, in 1998, the BSP issued a P100,000 commemorative note to mark 100 years of Philippine independence from Spanish rule. It also issued a P2,000 bill in the same year that featured the oath-taking of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada in Barasoain Church.
What are the banknotes currently available?
The banknotes currently in circulation are the P20, P50, P100, P200, P500, and P1,000 bills.
The P20 bill is orange and features Manuel L. Quezon, the Declaration of Filipino as the national language, and Malacañan Palace on the obverse side. The reverse side has the Banaue Rice Terraces, the palm civet, and the Cordilleras weave design.
The P50 bill is red and has Sergio Osmeña, the First Philippine Assembly, and the Leyte Landing on the obverse side. The reverse side shows the Taal Lake, the maliputo, and the Batangas embroidery design.
The P100 bill is violet and has Manuel A. Roxas, the old BSP building in Intramuros, and the Inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic on one side. The other side has the Mayon Volcano, the whale shark, and the Bicol textile design.
The P200 bill is green and has Diosdado P. Macapagal, the 2001 EDSA People Power, the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, and the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. The reverse side features the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, the tarsier, and the Visayas weave design.
The P500 bill is yellow and has Corazon C. Aquino, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., the 1986 EDSA People Power revolution, and the Benigno Aquino monument in Makati City. The reverse side has the Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the blue-naped parrot, and the Southern Philippines cloth design.
The P1,000 bill is blue and features José Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda on the obverse side. The reverse has the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Sulu Sea, the south sea pearl, and the Mindanao design for Tinalak.
The BSP has also released a polymer version of the P1,000 bill that has the Philippine Eagle and the sampaguita on the obverse side.
How to tell if a peso bill is fake
If you’re holding any of the bills in circulation, there are ways to tell if it is take or not,
The real banknotes have a host of security features.
The new generation currency is printed on security paper with embossed prints.
It also has a watermark, security fibers, asymmetrical serial numbers, and a see-through mark.
When tilted, its security thread can be seen, as well as the concealed value, the optically variable ink or ink that changes color, and the optically variable device patch, a reflective foil that changes color when the note is rotated.
The BSP also released enhanced new generation currency in 2020 which has additional features.
These new features include tactile marks on the edge and an enhanced value panel for P1,000 and P500 bills. The panel has a rolling bar effect when tilted from left to right.
Banner photo credit: Bangkok Sentral ng Pilipinas
