Pagpapalit-disenyo ng PH bills pinalagan

MANILA, Philippines- Inihayag ng August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM), itinatag matapos mapaslang si dating Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., ang pagtutol sa desisyon ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) na palitan ang mga imahe ng Philippine heroes sa local wildlife sa bagong serye ng polymer banknotes nito.

“Seriously, are we really going to forget those who have fallen during the night? Do we really want a country devoid of heroes? Are they trying to make us forget that the blood of heroes runs in our veins so they  can replace it with the blood of slaves and let tyrants rule again?” tanong ng grupo.

“May the legacy and spirit of all our martyrs and leaders about to be  removed from our bills continue to be remembered and serve as  inspiration in the hearts of our people,” paghikayat nito sa mga Pilipino.

Tampok sa polymer banknotes, ipinalabas ng BSP na may pinahusay na seguridad at tibay,  ang mga sumusunod na disensyo:

• P1,000: Philippine Eagle and Sampaguita flower (ipinalabas noong April 2022),

• P500: Visayan Spotted Deer and Acanthephippium mantinianum,

• P100: Palawan Peacock-Pheasant and Ceratocentron fesselii,

• P50: Visayan Leopard Cat and Vidal’s lanutan.

Ipinaliwanag ng BSP na bagama’t binibigyang-diin sa polymer series ang biodiversity ng bansa, mananatili umano ang paper banknotes—tampok ang mga bayaning Pilipino– na balido at nasa sirkulasyon.

“It will co-circulate so our paper banknotes featuring our Philippine heroes will still be there,” pagdepensa ni Mary Anne Lim, BSP assistant governor.

“Ang aming stance talaga ay parehas na importante sa ating kultura at sa ating history [Our stance is they are both important to our culture and to our history]. And so, both are being honored and celebrated through our banknotes,” patuloy ng opisyal.

Tampok pa rin sa new-generation paper currency series of 2020 ang Philippine leaders at heroes tulad nina: José Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, at Josefa Llanes Escoda sa P1,000 bill; at Ninoy at Cory Aquino sa P500 bill.

Makikita naman sa ibang paper bills ang mga dating presidente ng bansa kabilang sina Diosdado Macapagal, Manuel Roxas, at Sergio Osmeña.

Bagama’t iniimprenta ang bagong polymer banknotes sa Australia, sinabi ng BSP na ito ay magiging “cost efficient” pagtagal dahil mas matibay ito kumpara sa paper banknotes. RNT/SA