Philippine Paper Currency
The Philippine Peso (Filipino: Piso (pay so) is the official paper currency of the Philippines
and is divided into 100 centavos. The Philippine peso, like the United States dollar, is
descended from the Spanish pieces of eight. The word Piso derives from the Spanish
word peso, which means "weight".
5 Peso Note
The 5 peso note depicts Emilio Aguinaldo, a Philippine resistance hero who first fought
the Spanish, and later the American occupiers of the country. He was President of the
First Republic of the Philippines from 1899-1901.
On the reverse you can see the proclamation of Philippine independence, from the
balcony of Aguinaldo's house on June 12, 1898.
Special Note: You won't find this note in circulation, as it has been replaced by 5 peso coin.
10 Peso Note
The 10 peso note depicts Apolinario Mabini and Andres Bonifacio. Bonifacio was the
founder of the Katipunan, a secret society established to fight the Spanish. Mabini was
the Philippines first Prime Minister and Secretary of Foreign Affairs even though he was
a handicap.
On the reverse is the church of Barasoain, the site of the first Philippine Congress and
where the Malolos Constitution was drafted.
Special Note: You won't find this note in circulation, as it has been replaced by 10 peso coin.
20 Peso Note
The 20 peso note depicts Manuel L. Quezon, first president of the Commonwealth of the
Philippines. Along the right side of the bill are the coat-of-arms of the Commonwealth,
and two of Quezon's notable accomplishments.
The reverse side of the 20-Piso bill depicts Malacaņan Palace, more popularly known as
Malacaņang Palace, the residence of the President of the Philippines, along the banks of
the Pasig River. Quezon was the first Philippine president to live in the Palace.
Special Note: Be careful not to confuse it with the 50 peso note, as the color is nearly the same.
50 Peso Note
Depicted on the front is Sergio Osmeņa, the second president of the Commonwealth of
the Philippines. He served as president from 1944, after Quezon's death, to 1946, when
the United States granted the Philippines' independence.
On the Reverse of the bill is The National Museum. This building used to be the
Legislative Building, where the House of Representatives that Osmena presided over as
Speaker from 1907-1922.
Special Note: Be careful not to confuse it with the 20 peso note, as the color is nearly the same.
100 Peso Note
The front side of the bill features Manuel Roxas, the first president of the independent
Philippine Republic. This independence is shown at the right side where the Philippine
flag was raised.
The reverse side of the bill depicts the Manila compound of the Central Bank of the
Philippines.
200 Peso Note
Introduced in 2002, this bill depicts President Diosdado Macapagal, the father of the
current president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The back side of the bill features a scene from EDSA II uprising, with Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, being sworn in as president by Chief Justice in January 2001.
500 Peso Note
The front side of the 500-Piso bill features the portrait of Benigno Aquino, Jr. To the
right of the bill, there are two popular quotes from Aquino: "Faith in our people and faith
in God", and "The Filipino is worth dying for".
The reverse side features a collage of various images in relation to Aquino. He was a
journalist for the Manila Times, a senator, the mayor in his hometown of Concepcion, the
governor of Tarlac, and was the main driving force behind the People Power Revolution
of 1986, three years after his death.
1000 Peso Note
The front side of the 1000-Piso bill features the portraits of Jose Abad Santos, Vincent
Lim, and Josefa Llanes Escoda. The three are considered heroes of the resistance against
the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines during the war.
On the reverse you can see the rice terraces in Banawe, and some tribal artifacts.
Special Note: This is the largest note in regular circulation for the Philippines. You shouldn't
expect a street merchant or taxi driver to have change for it.
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