New generation

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP, Central Bank of the Philippines) released the redesigned Philippine Peso (PHP) bills on December 16, 2010. Compared with the older bills, the colors of this set are more vibrant and the numerals more prominent, making them easier to identify for tourists and visitors, and the design is also more consistent from one denomination to the next. Each bill features prominent historical Filipinos flanked by two images of objects, events or places which are also of historical importance to the country. I had to borrow the three larger denominations for this photo—they're not widely circulated yet; the government estimates that it will take three years for all the bills to be changed.

For those who are interested, here is the complete description of the bills, with links to Wikipedia for those who want even more information:

• 1000 - blue; Jose Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda; Centennial of Philippine Independence; Medal of Honor

• 500 - yellow; Corazon C. Aquino, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.; EDSA People Power February 1986; Benigno S. Aquino Monument

• 200 - green; Diosdado P. Macapagal; EDSA People Power January 2001; Aguinaldo Shrine; Barasoain Church

• 100 - violet; Manuel A. Roxas; Central Bank of the Philippines 1949; Inauguration of the Third Republic July 1946

• 50 - red; Sergio Osmeña; First National Assembly 1907; Leyte Landing

• 20 - orange; Manuel L. Quezon; Filipino as the National Language 1935; Malacañan Palace

Piso at sentimo

THEME DAY: CIRCLES/SPHERES • The coins of the Philippines—not new and shiny, but dull, scratched and nicked from everyday use. Our currency is known to the world as the Philippine peso. 1/100th of the peso is called a sentimo or centavo. The three smallest coins in the bottom row are 25, 10 and 5 centavos. The three bigger coins are pesos and the figures depicted on them are all national heroes of the Philippine revolution against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century. On the ten peso coin are Andres Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini. On the five peso coin is Emilio Aguinaldo. And on the piso, probably the most used of our coins, is Jose Rizal.



Follow the bouncing red dot around the world! And I suggest you start at Leominster, Massachusetts—you'll understand why. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.