‘Eagle’ P1,000 banknote to inspire conservation efforts (Sabong News)
Author
Lee C. Chipongian
Date
MAY 01 2022
Wildlife photographer Floyd Bermejo is hoping the P1,000 polymer banknote, featuring the Philippine Eagle, will encourage more efforts in the conservation of the national bird from extinction.
“Gusto kong ma-i-save natin iyong Philippine Eagle,” said Bermejo on Saturday, April 30, in a statement released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The central bank described the photographer’s portraits as evoking “a sense of gentleness in the formidable creature”.
The endemic eagle, mostly found in Samar, Leyte, Mindanao and Luzon, is considered one of the most powerful birds of prey. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the Philippine Eagle — among the rarest in the world in terms of size, length and wingspan — as critically endangered. Currently, there is an estimated 400 breeding pairs left in the wild.
Bermejo said putting the national bird on the P1,000 banknotes “will foster greater awareness for its conservation, especially since it is endemic to Philippine forests.”
The BSP said the avid birdwatcher and conservationist, who used to be a bird hunter, is a member of the Robert S. Kennedy Bird Conservancy, a group dedicated to protecting the country’s birds through documentation.
Bermejo’s passion for photography “was rooted in childhood memories of hunting birds for food with his father in the mountains of Sipalay, Negros Occidental,” said the BSP.
“Nagustuhan ko iyong wildlife photography kasi parang naghu-hunt ka rin. Pero this time, you are using your camera,” he said.
Bermejo, who has worked with communities that served as habitats of endangered birds, has actively used his photography to push for his conservation advocacies. It was in Davao where he took the now iconic photo in the banknote.
According to the BSP, highlighting the national bird on the polymer P1,000 banknote “celebrates the diversity of the country’s flora and fauna” and “exemplifies the Filipinos’ strength and love for freedom as well as the BSP’s independence and clear vision to help achieve a stronger and more inclusive economy.”
Last April 26, the BSP started to circulate an initial 10 million pieces of the polymer banknotes. It will circulate the plastic-based money in phases. At the moment, polymer banknotes will only be available at banks’ over-the-counter services and not on automated teller machines.
The waterproof and dirtproof polymer bills are hygienic and sanitary, and significantly cleaner compared to paper-based money. Since it has enhanced security, the BSP believe it is harder to counterfeit.
Polymer banknotes also have a longer lifespan, cost-effective and economical in the long term, and it is environment-friendly because it is recyclable and has a lower carbon print compared to paper banknotes.
The polymer banknotes are produced by Note Printing Australia, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia. The BSP’s limited circulation will test the public’s acceptance and will help the BSP assess the validity of the purported benefits of using polymer.
