In celebration of World Wildlife Day, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is featuring the country’s unique wildlife and flora on its new First Philippine Polymer Banknote Series, emphasizing Filipinos’ role as stewards of nature.
The new polymer bills showcase protected species from across the archipelago:
- ₱1,000 – Philippine eagle and sampaguita
- ₱500 – Visayan spotted deer and Acanthephippium mantinianum orchid
- ₱100 – Palawan peacock-pheasant and Ceratocentron fesselii orchid
- ₱50 – Visayan leopard cat and Vidal’s lanutan plant
Wildlife photographer Floyd Bermejo, who captured the Philippine eagle and the Visayan leopard cat “Kyle” featured on the bills, said the initiative aims to raise awareness: “People don’t protect what they don’t know.”
The Visayan leopard cat, found only in Negros, Panay, and Cebu, has been classified as “vulnerable” since 2008 due to habitat loss. Bermejo hopes that featuring Kyle on the ₱50 note will inspire Filipinos to protect the species and its environment. He donated his photos for the banknotes, saying, “The ultimate goal of conservation photographers is to make our species visible to fellow Filipinos and future generations—not just in photos or banknotes, but in real life.”
