New Design series

The New Design Series (NDS), also known as the BSP Series, was the name used to refer to the banknotes of the Philippine peso. They were conceptualized from 1983 to 1985, issued from 1985 to 2013, and circulated from 1985 to 2019. The coins of the series were minted and issued from 1995 to 2017, and remain legal tender as of 2023. It was succeeded by the New Generation Currency (NGC) Series. The series used the Friz Quadrata, Arial, Optima, and Helvetica typefaces.

₱5, ₱10, ₱20, ₱50, ₱100, ₱200, ₱500, ₱1000

Country	Philippines
Value	Piso ng Pilipinas (Filipino)
Years of printing	1985–1995 (₱5) 1985–2001 (₱10) 1986–2012 (₱20) 1987–2013 (₱50, ₱100, ₱500) 1991–2012 (₱1000) 2002–2013 (₱200)

History

When President Ferdinand Marcos' Martial Law was lifted in 1981, the central bank of the country, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), started to print and mint a new series of Philippine peso banknotes and coins, adopting anti-counterfeiting features. On June 12, 1985, the BSP issued the New Design Series, beginning with the 5-peso banknote which had the face of Emilio Aguinaldo on the obverse side. The following month, the 10-peso banknote, with the face of Apolinario Mabini on the obverse side, was issued. On March 3, 1986, a new 20-peso banknote was introduced, with the first 34 million of them having Marcos' signature, despite being released after the People Power Revolution.^[1]

Before the new 500-peso banknote, which featured Ninoy Aquino, was printed, the original proposed version was planned to feature Marcos. However, the People Power Revolution caused it to be replaced by the current 500-peso banknote.

Following the Philippines' new Constitution coming into effect in 1987, the 50, 100, and 500-peso banknotes, featuring Sergio Osmeña, Manuel Roxas, and Ninoy Aquino, were introduced. On December 16, 1991, the BSP issued a 1000-peso banknote, for the first time. It contained composite portraits of Jose Abad Santos, Josefa Llanes Escoda, and Vicente Lim, considered to be World War II heroes.

The 5- and 10-peso banknotes stopped production in 1995 and 2001, respectively, due to wear and tear caused by widespread usage. They were replaced by coin versions, though the banknotes remained legal tender until 2015. On May 2, 1997, the portrait of Andrés Bonifacio was added beside Apolinario Mabini on the 10-peso banknote. Elements of Katipunan were also included on the right side of the bill. The reverse design was likewise revised. The scene depicting the Katipuneros' blood compact, previously featured on the 5-peso banknote in the Pilipino and Ang Bagong Lipunan series, was added to the right side of the Barasoain Church. However, the watermark area continued to feature only Mabini, and the embedded security thread remained on the right side of the BSP governor’s signature until 1998. As a result, banknotes with Bonifacio’s image issued between 1997 and 1998 used the same paper originally intended for the 1985 version, which featured only Mabini.

In 1998, the 100,000-peso Centennial banknote, measuring 8.5" x 14" and recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest legal tender note, was issued in a limited quantity of 1,000 pieces to commemorate the Centennial of Philippine Independence. Alongside this, the 2,000-peso Centennial note, measuring 216 mm x 133 mm and bearing the signature of President Joseph Estrada, was launched on December 1, 1998. In 1999, the names of the signatories on banknotes were first included, beginning with those bearing the signature of Estrada. During the Estrada administration, the long-standing practice since the Commonwealth era, of reproducing the signature of the President of the Philippines above the legend "President of the Philippines," was discontinued. Instead, the president’s full name was explicitly printed. Additionally, the names of the signatories were rendered in all capital letters, while their positions were printed in lowercase.

Meanwhile, in the late 1990s, color reproduction machines became commercially available and posed a significant threat to the integrity of the currency. As a result, in 2001, the BSP decided to enhance the security features of the 1,000-, 500-, and 100-peso banknotes (with the 500- and 100-peso notes bearing the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo), as well as the 200-peso note, which was issued on June 12, 2002. These enhancements included the incorporation of an iridescent band and a windowed security thread to combat counterfeiting using color copiers. On that same year, the name of the Old Legislative Building (Dating Gusali ng Batasan, with the name was located at the lower-left side) on the reverse side of the fifty-peso note was changed to the "National Museum" (Gusali ng Pambansang Museo) and the name was moved at the top of the building, to reflect the turnover made by the Congress of the Philippines to the National Museum. The name of the building's facade was changed from "Executive House" to "National Museum". Also, the serial number was moved at the top of the denomination that was located on the lower left side of the banknote.

The second major political upheaval, known as the Second EDSA Revolution in 2001, was depicted on the reverse side of the 200-peso banknote, showing Gloria Macapagal Arroyo being sworn into office at the EDSA Shrine. The obverse side of the banknote featured a portrait of her father, Diosdado Macapagal. The 200-peso note of the NDS was issued in 2002, making it the last denomination to be added to the series. It was also a commemorative banknote, released on June 12, 2002, to mark the 104th anniversary of Philippine independence. Its release also coincided with the 17th anniversary of the launch of the NDS and the five-peso note on June 12, 1985, which featured the Aguinaldo Shrine, was colored green, and remained in common circulation even after production ended in 1995, seven years before the 200-peso note was issued.

The 200-peso banknote drew criticism from the opposition, who argued that legal tender should feature only deceased national heroes, not a sitting president. However, this was not the first time a legal tender featured an incumbent president. Coins were minted to commemorate the inauguration of Manuel L. Quezon as President of the Philippines in 1935. During World War II, various provincial emergency currency boards issued notes bearing the image of then-President Quezon. In 1975, the BSP released a 5-peso coin featuring then-President Marcos. Former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Estrada also appeared on a limited commemorative 2,000-peso banknote issued to mark the 100th anniversary of Philippine independence. A limited commemorative 1,000-peso banknote featuring former President Estrada was also released for the same occasion. Additionally, every banknote series since 1935 has included the facsimile signature of the incumbent President of the Philippines.

The 100-peso banknote became the subject of controversy in 2005 after notes printed by Oberthur Technologies of France, intended for circulation during the Christmas season and featuring the signature of BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., were released with a misspelling of the President's name, a first in Philippine history. The banknotes incorrectly spelled the name as "Gloria Macapagal-Arrovo" instead of the correct "Gloria Macapagal Arroyo." The incident quickly became the subject of public humor once it made national headlines. The BSP investigated the error and corrected it afterward.^[2]

The NDS banknotes were printed until 2013 (with the 5-peso note printed until 1995, the 10-peso note until 2001, the 20- and 1,000-peso notes until 2012, and the 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-peso notes until 2013). They remained legal tender until December 31, 2015, and could be exchanged for newer notes until the main banknotes began being demonetized from January 3, 2018. The NDS coexisted with the New Generation Currency Series banknotes throughout the 2010s, from December 16, 2010, to August 2, 2019.

The main NDS/BSP notes ceased to be legal tender on January 1, 2016, and were demonetized two years later on January 3, 2018. The entire series, including the 2,000- and 100,000-peso commemorative banknotes, was officially demonetized on August 2, 2019, making the NDS/BSP series the longest-running banknote series with a liability under the BSP, lasting 34 years.^[3][4][5][6]

Banknotes

Released or circulated

New Design/BSP Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Color		Design		Year
Obverse	Reverse					Obverse	Reverse	First Issue	Withdrawal
		₱5	160 mm × 66 mm		Green	Emilio Aguinaldo, First Philippine Republic historical marker at Malolos Cathedral in Filipino language, cannon	Declaration of Philippine Independence, June 12, 1898	June 12, 1985	January 3, 2018
		₱10			Brown	Apolinario Mabini, Mabini's True Decalogue (El Verdadero Decalogo), quill and inkwell	Barasoain Church	July 1985
						Apolinario Mabini, Andres Bonifacio, Mabini's True Decalogue (El Verdadero Decalogo), quill and inkwell, Kartilya ng Katipunan, Katipunan flag	Barasoain Church, Blood Compact of the Katipuneros	May 2, 1997
		₱20			Orange	Manuel L. Quezon, Commonwealth of the Philippines coat-of-arms, 1935 Philippine Constitution, Filipino as the National Language	Malacañang Palace	March 3, 1986
		₱50			Red	Sergio Osmeña, Fuente Osmeña fountain in Cebu, gavel	National Museum (formerly Legislative Building)	April 18, 1987
		₱100			Violet	Manuel Roxas, Inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic, July 4, 1946	Old and current headquarters of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Manila	April 18, 1987
		₱200			Green	Diosdado Macapagal, Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite	EDSA People Power 2001 and the inauguration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	June 12, 2002
		₱500			Yellow	Benigno Aquino Jr., BSAJ typewriter, His quotations of The Filipino is worth dying for and his signature Ninoy	Aquino as a journalist for the Manila Times holding a Rolleiflex camera (in front of an article about "1st Cav" and the Partition of Korea), Study Now, Pay Later education program, Concepcion, Tarlac town hall, Tarlac Provincial Capitol, 1986 People Power Revolution.[7][8]	August 21, 1987
		₱1000			Blue	José Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda; eternal flame at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, laurel wreath	Banaue Rice Terraces, Manunggul Jar cover and Langgal hut.	December 16, 1991
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Unreleased

Unreleased banknotes
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Colour		Design		Year of First Issue	Usage in circulation
Obverse	Reverse					Obverse	Reverse
		₱500	160 mm × 66 mm		Black	Ferdinand E. Marcos, narra tree, sugarcane, bundles of harvested rice stalks, indigenous weave design pattern from Ilocos region (Inabel)	Batasang Pambansa Complex, seal of the president of the Philippines (Marcos era), Some accomplishments of the Marcos administration especially during the New Society era (e.g. San Juanico Bridge, Angat Dam, Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, BLISS Housing Project, Green Revolution agriculture, etc.)	1985 (supposed)	Never circulated
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Design of the banknotes

5-peso banknote

Colored green, the 5-peso note was designed by Romeo Mananquil. The obverse of the 5-peso banknote featured the portrait of Emilio Aguinaldo. Along the right side of the banknote was the NHCP historical marker in the Malolos Cathedral (indicating the foundation of the First Philippine Republic, which Aguinaldo became its president) along with a cannon. The reverse of the banknote featured a depiction of the Philippine declaration of independence by Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898. Security features of the banknote included a security thread, scattered red & blue visible fibers, and fluorescent printing.

10-peso banknote

Colored brown, the 10-peso banknote designed by Rafael Asuncion was issued in July 1985, a month after the 5-peso banknote was issued. The obverse side of the 10-peso banknote featured Apolinario Mabini on the left and Andrés Bonifacio on the right. Bonifacio was the founder of the Katipunan (KKK), a secret society established to fight the Spanish colonial government. Mabini was the Philippines' first Prime Minister and Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Depicted on the right side was one of the flags of the Katipunan (see Flags of the Philippine Revolution), the Kartilya ng Katipunan, and the manuscript of El Verdadero Decalogo (The True Decalogue) written by Mabini along with the quill and inkwell. The reverse side of the banknote featured the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan, site of the first Philippine Congress and where the Malolos Constitution was drafted. The right portion depicted the initiation rites of the Katipunan. Members accepted into the society had to sign their name on the society's roster using their own blood. The design was previously used on the 5-peso "Pilipino" and "Ang Bagong Lipunan" notes. From its introduction in July 1985 until May 2, 1997, the 10-peso banknote only depicted Mabini and the Barasoain Church.

20-peso banknote

The orange-colored 20 peso bill was designed by Angel Cacnio. The obverse side of the 20-peso banknote featured Manuel L. Quezon, first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Along the right side of the banknote was the coat-of-arms of the Commonwealth, and two of Quezon's notable accomplishments. The first was "Wikang Pambansâ", which is Tagalog for "national language". In 1937 the National Language Institute was founded to establish a single national language for the Philippines. This eventually became the Filipino language, which is largely based on Tagalog. The second was the "Saligang Batas 1935" or the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines. This was the first real constitution that was nationally effected and large parts of it survive in the current constitution. The reverse side of the 20-peso banknote depicted Malacañan Palace, more popularly known as Malacañang, the residence of the President of the Philippines, along the banks of the Pasig River. Quezon was the first Philippine president to live in the Palace.

50-peso banknote

Depicted on the front side of the fifty-peso was Sergio Osmeña, the second president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. He served as president from 1944, after Quezon's death, to 1946, when the United States granted the Philippines' independence. The banknote was predominantly colored red and was designed by Rafael Asuncion. The National Museum was featured on the reverse side of the banknote. This building used to be the Legislative Building, where the House of Representatives that Osmena presided over as Speaker from 1907 to 1922 was located. The building and then renamed Executive House during the Martial Law period and was labeled as such in the fifty-peso banknote until recently.

100-peso banknote

The front side of the 100-peso banknote featured Manuel Roxas, the first president of the independent Philippine Republic. This independence was shown at the right side where the Philippine flag was raised while the flag of the United States was lowered on July 4, 1946. The banknote was predominantly colored violet and was designed by Angel Cacnio. The reverse side of the banknote depicted the Manila compound of the Bangko Sentral. The 100-peso banknote was the smallest-valued banknote to have the new security features implemented in recent years. But before the advent of the new security features, the 100-peso banknote was interesting for having other security features. On the front side was a barely visible "100" text above the signatures of the president and the Central Bank governor. This text was best seen on crisp new 100-peso banknotes. On the reverse side, the top row of windows of the main building had the words "Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas" ("Central Bank of the Philippines") running the whole length.

200-peso banknote

Colored green, the front side of the 200-peso banknote featured the portrait of Diosdado Macapagal. It also featured the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. The back side of the banknote featured a scene from EDSA II, with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Macapagal's daughter, being sworn in as president by Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. in January 2001. The little girl holding a Bible in between Arroyo and Davide is Cecilia Paz Razon Abad, daughter of Philippine Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad and Batanes Representative Henedina Razon-Abad.^[9]

500-peso banknote

Colored yellow, the front side of the 500-peso banknote featured the portrait of Benigno Aquino Jr. To the right of the banknote, there were two popular quotes from Aquino: "Faith in our people and faith in God" (which is located above the signature of the Philippine president), and "The Filipino is worth dying for", under which was signed his nickname, "Ninoy". There was also the signature of Aquino, a typewriter with his initials ("B.S.A.J."), and a dove of peace. A Philippine flag was also to the right of his portrait, near the central part of the front side. The reverse side featured a collage of various images in relation to Aquino. He was (in front of an article about "1st Cav", out of some of the pictures) a journalist for the Manila Times, a senator (the pioneer of the Study Now, Pay Later education program), the mayor in his hometown of Concepcion, the governor of Tarlac, and was the main driving force behind the People Power Revolution of 1986,^[7][8] some three years after his death in 1983. It was also interesting to note that unlike the names of the figures on the bills, "Benigno S. Aquino, Jr." was written in #eedba3-colored, cursive writing with a green laurel wreath as opposed to the name being simply written as with the other banknotes.

1,000-peso banknote

Colored blue, the front side of the 1,000-peso banknote featured the portraits of José Abad Santos, Chief Justice; Josefa Llanes Escoda, civic worker and one of the founders of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines; and Vicente Lim, a general in the Philippine Army, first Filipino graduate of West Point: the three are considered heroes of the resistance against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. It also featured the eternal flame at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, laurel wreath, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) logo. The back of the banknote featured the Banaue Rice Terraces, Manunggul Jar cover and Langgal. It was designed by Romeo Mananquil. Security features of the banknote included optically variable ink, a security thread, scattered red & blue visible fibers, and fluorescent printing. The words "Central Bank of the Philippines" were microprinted in the lower left border on the face of the note.

Coins

• 
  New Design Series coins.

BSP Coin Series (1995–2017)
Image		Face Value	Technical parameters				Description			Years of Issue
Obverse	Reverse		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge Thickness	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	Introduced	Withdrawn
		1¢	15.5 mm	2.0 g	Copper-plated steel	1.52 mm	Plain	"Republika ng Pilipinas", value, year of minting	1993 Logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	Dec 1995
		5¢	15.5 mm	1.9 g		1.52 mm	Plain (with 4 mm central hole)	"Republika ng Pilipinas", value, year of minting	Words "Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas" along the border
		10¢	17.0 mm	2.5 g		1.67 mm	Reeded	"Republika ng Pilipinas", value, year of minting	1993 Logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
		25¢	20.0 mm	3.8 g	Brass	1.5 mm	Plain	"Republika ng Pilipinas", value, year of minting	1993 Logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	Dec 1995
				3.6 g	Brass-plated steel	1.78 mm				March 22, 2004
		₱1	24.0 mm	6.1 g	Copper-nickel	1.75 mm	Reeded	"Republika ng Pilipinas", Profile of José Rizal, value, year of minting	1993 Logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	Dec 1995
				5.35 g	Nickel-plated steel	1.9 mm				April 21, 2003
		₱5	27.0 mm	7.7 g	Nickel-brass (70% copper 5.5% nickel 24.5% zinc)	1.87 mm	Plain	12-pointed scallop border design, "Republika ng Pilipinas", Profile of Emilio Aguinaldo, value, year of minting	12-pointed scallop border design, 1993 Logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	Dec 1995
		₱10	26.5 mm	8.7 g	Ring: Copper-nickel	2.14 mm	Segmented (Plain and Reeded edges)	Ring: "Republika ng Pilipinas", year of minting	1993 Logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	July 10, 2001
					Center: Aluminum-bronze			Center: Profiles of Andrés Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini, value