Let’s get one thing out of the way: the new Philippine polymer currency design looks vibrant and exciting. The fauna aspects of Philippine biodiversity exude a certain charm. Though the old paper currency is still circulating, the polymer currency will eventually become dominant, and the faces on the paper money will ultimately fall into disuse. While truly eye-catching, what price does this change in the polymer currency design hold?
People have been drawing political lines with these new designs. Some say it was the Duterte administration that kicked off the dehumanization of our money by replacing the faces of notable Filipinos with animals. From the 1,000-peso bill, heroism has been downgraded to make way for animals.
This shift through animals started earlier than Duterte, but with good reason. The replacement of a person with an animal began in 2010 during the PNoy Aquino administration. The 200-peso bill featured former President Diosdado Macapagal on the front, with an image of his daughter, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), taking her oath at EDSA 2 after the ouster of President Joseph Estrada, on the back.
GMA was replaced by a tarsier, which is justified since you cannot have a living or former head of state on Philippine currency. This is why former President Corazon Aquino appeared next to her slain husband, Ninoy Aquino, on the 500-peso bill after her passing. Aside from the tarsier being a vast improvement, GMA would not align with the heroics and leadership of some of the personalities on Philippine peso bills.
Replacing faces of heroism and notability seems innocuous. However, this is another form of historical revisionism, silencing and/or diminishing the legacy of their service to the nation and its people.
We can connect this trend and political approach to the narrative that “History is like chismis (gossip)” perpetuated by the Marcoses and their ilk. History, as both a discipline and a political mindset, is barely present in many Filipinos’ daily lives when our education system is in shambles.
TikTok has become the dominant mode of cultural activity, while troll farms constantly feed on lies and manipulate history. The faces of these notable Filipinos have had their last stand in our money. This is not just erasing their faces but disregarding their contributions and heroism.
It was, however, during the Duterte administration that the erasure of notable Filipinos began. There is talk that this is a blanket retaliation against the Aquinos and their legacy as heroes of democracy. Unfortunately, they had to start with the three personages on the 1,000-peso bill: the first Filipino graduate and war hero Gen. Vicente Lim, intellectual and activist Josefa Llanes Escoda, and the brave, stalwart Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos. All three displayed immeasurable heroism during the Pacific Theatre of World War II. The fierce gaze of the Philippine Eagle has replaced all of them. Those from the Davao camp have co-opted this majestic creature.
Lest we forget, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) oversaw these changes. But let us also factor in a crucial change the BSP underwent during the Duterte Administration: changing their agency’s logo. There was no need to change it in the first place, as the older logo was already a silhouette of a Philippine eagle. However, this change was part of the Davao-ization of specific government aesthetics. After all, the Duterte administration introduced a blatant frontal depiction of the Philippine Eagle (in gold, no less, which is quite gaudy) with spread wings as the new logo for the BSP.
of the National Bird
It is a pompous depiction of the Philippine Eagle, reminiscent of the Roman Eagle used by the Imperial Army of Ancient Rome. The golden eagle mark is a symbol of Rome’s might, victory, and expansion. Look it up and see the similarity between the BSP Eagle and the Roman Eagle. Also, search for the Nazi golden eagle symbol as well. Then come back to me and say that animals, or animal symbols, are not political.
Some argue that replacing animal symbols on Philippine currency celebrates the country’s biodiversity. However, animal symbols like tigers and eagles are often used by political supporters to align with their leaders, projecting noble qualities onto them. While official statements promote awareness of endangered species, one might question the sincerity of this ecological consciousness, given the increased violence against environmental advocates since Duterte’s administration.
Additionally, those who co-opt the Philippine Eagle as a symbol of Davao overlook its presence in other regions and ignore the fact that Duterte’s policies, like relaxing environmental safeguards, have worsened habitat destruction for the very animals featured on the currency. How can we celebrate our flora and fauna while supporting policies that endanger them further?
The new Philippine polymer bill designs look beautiful. However, these images result from political processes of erasure, omission, and recalibration. For what reason did they become visible? What became invisible for something else to emerge? Who benefits from these changes?
You may reach Chong Ardivilla at kartunistatonto@gmail.com or chonggo.bsky.social.
