INTRODUCTION

Mixed reactions ranging from doubt, excitement, resistance and even such criticism on
new designs imprinted on bills was met when Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or the BSP announced
the issuance of the New Generation Currency or commonly known as the NGC in 2010. The
earlier theme of the Philippine currency series called the New Design Series or the NDS have
been in the process of circulation all over the country for almost 3 decades. Over the past few
years, there have been slight changes or important developments made in the banknotes that
needs to be incorporated in the Philippine currency series. As time passes by, Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas have finally decided to put into implementation, the successor of the New Design
Series, the New Generation Currency.
In response for the growing interest of people on the new program of the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas, changing of currency designs over time is on utmost importance since the
government is concerned and trying to control the presence of counterfeit---and trying to guard
banknotes against counterfeiters. And this method would be possible by making the designs very
difficult and costly for the counterfeiters to produce the exact copies of our money. While other
central banks are changing banknotes every 10 years on average, our recent currency series has
been in the public for about 25 years now.
The new currency designs have been available since the past 2 years and only six
banknote denominations have undergone the changing process. The six banknote
denominations would include the 20 peso bill, 50 peso bill, 100 peso bill, 200 peso bill, 500 peso
bill and 1000 peso bill. Theres not much of a difference between the NGC and the NDC model,
since the banknotes still pays tribute to the Filipinos who played significant roles in the
Philippine history as well as the presence of both animal and land trademarks in different
Philippine areas. Also, the sizes of the new banknotes have been retained and still the same as the
recent currency notes. In regards with the old currency, it will remain in circulation and still be
accepted within this year and will be officially demonetized by the end of the year.

TWENTY PESO NGC BANKNOTE

FRONT FEATURES:
President Manuel L. Quezon
Filipino as the National Language
1935
Malacaan Palace
Seal of the Republic of the
Philippines
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Seal

BACK FEATURES:
Banaue Rice Terraces
(UNESCO World Heritage
Site)
Palm Civet
Indigenous weave design from
the Cordilleras

FIFTY PESO NGC BANKNOTE

ONE HUNDRED PESO NGC BANKNOTE

FRONT FEATURES:

BACK FEATURES:

President Sergio Osmena

First National Assembly 1907
Leyte Landing
Seal of the Republic of the
Philippines
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Seal

Taal Lake
Maliputo
Embroidery design from
Batangas Province

FRONT FEATURES:
President Manuel A. Roxas
Central Bank of the Philippines
1949
Inauguration of the Third Republic,
Fourth of July 1946
Seal of The Republic of the
Philippines
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

BACK FEATURES:
Mayon Volcano
Whale Shark
Indigenous textile design from
the Bicol Region

TWO HUNDRED PESO NGC BANKNOTE

FIVE HUNDRED PESO NGC BANKNOTE

FRONT FEATURES:
President Diosdado P. Macapagal
EDSA People Power II January
2001
Independence House
Barosoain Church
Seal of the Republic of the
Philippines
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

BACK FEATURES:
Bohol Chocolate Hills
Tarsier
Indigenous weave design
from the Visayas

FRONT FEATURES:
Icons of Democracy:
o President
Corazon Aquino PESO
ONE THOUSAND
o Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
EDSA People Power I February
1986
Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Monument
Seal of the Republic of the
Philippines
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Seal

FRONT FEATURES:
War Heroes:
o Josefa Llanes-Escoda
o Jose Abad-Santos
o Vicente Lim
Centennial of Philippine Independence
1998
Medal of Honor
Seal of the Republic of the Philippines
New Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Seal

BACK FEATURES:
Puerto Princesa Subterranean
NGCRiver
BANKNOTE
National Park (UNESCO
World Heritage Site)
Blue-Naped Parrot
Indigenous weave design from
the Southern Philippines

BACK FEATURES:
Tubbataha Reef Natural
Park (UNESCO World
Heritage Site)
South Sea Pearl
Tnalak or Ikat
dyed abaca women in
Mindanao

HOW TO IDENTIFY ORIGINAL BANKNOTES FROM COUNTERFEITS?

Check the Paper, the Print Quality and the Raised Print
Banknotes are printed on special paper that gives them their
unique feel. The printed lines and colors on the banknotes are
sharp, clear and free from smudges. By running your fingers
across the front of the note you can feel raised print in areas
such as the words REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS and
denomination in words, portrait, signatures, and lower right
value panel on the face of the note.

Check the Serial Number

Composed of 1 to 2 prefix letters and 6 to 7
asymmetric (increasing size) digits located at the
lower left and upper right corner of the face of the
note.

Check the Security Fibers

Red and blue fibers embedded randomly on the paper.

Check the

Watermark

A shadow image of
value appears at the
viewed against the

the portrait and the denominational

blank space when the note is
light from either side.

Check the see-through Mark

The word PILIPINO written in Baybayin (pre-Spanish
Philippine Alphabet) is seen in complete form when the note
is viewed against the light.
Check the Concealed Value
The denominational value superimposed on the smaller version
portrait at the upper left side of the note becomes visible when the
note is rotated 45 degrees and tilted down.

Check the Security Thread

(a.) For 20- and 50-Piso an embedded thread running
vertically across the note is seen from either side when
viewed against the light.
(b.)For 100-, 200-, 500- and 1000-Piso a stitch-like
metallic thread running vertically across the note,
which changes color from red to green when viewed at
different angles. This thread bears the alphanumeric
denominational value clear text seen in front and the
BSP imprint found at the back, both in repeated
series.

Check the Optically Variable Device (OVD) Patch

Applicable only on: 500 PESO BILL, 1000 PESO BILL
A reflective foil that bears the image of the Blue-Naped Parrot (or
500)/ South Sea Pearl inside an oyster (for 1000) and a small BSP logo.
The background and the parrot/oysters exchange color when the note is
rotated at 90 degrees, i.e, red parrot/oyster becomes green while the
green background becomes red.

Check the Optically Variable Ink (OVI)

Embossed 1000 denominational value at the lower right
corner of the face of the note, which when viewed at
different angles, changes color from green to blue.
Applicable only on: 1000 PESO BILL