To make sure we will not forget our debt of gratitude to them, it is proper that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas feature Philippine heroes in our peso bills, Senator Robinhood Padilla said.
Padilla said it is important to continuously educate Filipinos on our heroes by using money, which all Filipinos – regardless of age or gender – regularly see every day.
“Mahalaga alam ng kababayan natin kung sino ang mga ito,”
“Ang alam ko ang pera lagi mo ‘yang nakikita, anuman ang iyong edad, anuman ang iyong kasarian, ang pera lagi mong, siguro di lang oras-oras kundi minu-minuto nakikita mo ‘yan sa harap mo at napakahalaga ang nakalagay niyan ang nakapagtuturo kung saan tayo nanggagaling at sino ba ang pinagkakautangan ng ating kalayaan. At mahalaga alam ng kababayan natin kung sino ang mga ito,” the legislator said at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies.
BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan explained the designs of Philippine currency notes are “cyclical,” and that they used heroes as the theme some years back.
Currently, Tangonan said they use the Philippine eagle that he said is an “endangered indigenous species that we are all proud of”.
He added they can go back to using heroes as the theme of our currency notes, noting that the design features “Filipino people and its culture”.
Padilla noted it is sad that many Filipino youths now do not know who our heroes are.
The lawmaker earlier cited viral videos showing youths not knowing who Gomburza or Apolinario Mabini are.
Earlier, he filed Senate Bill 451 mandating the teaching of Philippine History in the high school curriculum.
“Pero isang kahilingan ko po, huwag mo po tatanggalin ang ating bayani sa pera natin.”
“Kaya ang aking pakiusap sa ating BSP, na pagkatapos ninyong pagyamanin ang ating mga endangered species na ating ikinararangal at pinagmamalaki, at ‘yan din po ay sa turismo din naman yan na kailangang kailangan din. Halimbawa may pumunta ritong turista at nagpapalit ng pera nakikita rin nila ito pala ang mga species sa PH maganda rin po yan. Pero isang kahilingan ko po, huwag mo po tatanggalin ang ating bayani sa pera natin,” he concluded.