Rappler
03/24/2012
MANILA, Philippines - The Central Bank once designed a P500-bill featuring former President Marcos, Fe Dela Cruz, Director of the Corporate Affairs Office for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) confirmed recently.
"However, such banknotes did not reach the circulation stage," she said.
The P500 bills we know from the 80s to this day instead feature Marcos' arch-political rival, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.
What happened to Marcos' would-be bills?
Romeo Castillo MananQuil, the artist who designed the P500 bill, brought the untold story to light in Toronto's Celebrate Magazine in 2008 in the article, "How I 'Made Money' for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas."
He was part of a triad of artists on the project, including a fellow magazine illustrator and painter, Angel Cacnio, and the creative director with whom he trained in advertising, Rafael Asuncion.
The design MananQuil crafted showed a casual, almost smiling Marcos.
The bill was meant to go into production in late 1985, MananQuil explained to Celebrate Magazine.
Politics intervened. That was around the same time Marcos, facing pressure from Washington and internal grumbles, was forced to announce snap elections to legitimize his rule.
"The circulation of the newly printed bills was put on hold in deference to the law against electioneering, as Marcos, whose image appeared on the new bank note, was the incumbent candidate running against Corazon Aquino," MananQuil told Celebrate.
The rest is history reflected in Filipinos' wallets. Marcos claimed he won, people took to the streets, the dictator was deposed, his bill was never circulated.
Read the complete article on http://www.rappler.com/business/2965-p500-bill-with-marcos-face-was-never-circulated
