A new series of polymer banknotes are circulating in the Philippines, each one featuring a rare, endemic animal—here are their stories.
Last December 2024, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced the launch of a new polymer banknote series, which began circulating in the first quarter of this year. The polymer collection is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, the BSP opted for a new material with the goal of creating what it calls “smarter, cleaner, and stronger” banknotes. Secondly, the usual faces of Philippine historical figures are evidently missing, replaced by pictures of animals. More specifically the country’s rare and endemic fauna: the Philippine eagle, Visayan spotted deer, Palawan peacock-pheasant, and Visayan leopard cat.
For the longest time, Philippine banknotes have featured the country’s flora and fauna, but they were usually located at the reverse side of these pieces. Today, they’re on the obverse side for everyone to see; but how much do we really know about these precious species?
News of the new banknotes sparked a lot of online discourse on whether it was a good idea to remove the influential figures who shaped history (a look at the replies in this X thread should give you an overview of what these contentions are). It’s a valid critique, but there’s also great importance in highlighting our country’s flora and fauna, especially when the public may not be aware of just how rich and threatened our country’s biodiversity is.
Curious? Here’s what you need to know about the banknote animals that are integral parts of Philippine natural heritage.
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Philippine Eagle
The Philippine eagle is perhaps the most well-known among these local animal species, having been declared the national bird in 1995. It’s not only the largest eagle in the world—and one of the most unique with its distinctive crest—but also among the rarest, with an estimated population of fewer than 900 individuals, and only 400 breeding pairs. To put that into perspective, the average school probably has more students than the entire country has Philippine eagles.
Like most critically-endangered species, this small population is caused by habitat loss and illegal poaching. But it’s also not easy to breed the bird, which exacerbates an already delicate situation. The eagles take around five to seven years to reach sexual maturity, and a couple can only lay a single egg every two years, according to the Philippine Eagle Foundation. During this two-year duration, a pair of eagles will usually wait until their offspring is old enough to make it on their own before laying another egg.
Eagles can live for more than 40 years in captivity; yet to ensure the survival of a species, a wild population must thrive. Sadly, at least one Philippine eagle dies every year: deforestation forces them to move further into human populated areas, which brings them closer to poachers and farmers attempting to protect their livestock.
Luckily, conservation efforts supported by institutions abroad and carried out by the Philippine Eagle Foundation are here to ensure the species will stay alive for future generations to admire—and there are results. A new eaglet named “Riley” was born recently, marking the first unassisted Philippine eagle hatch in 38 years.
Meanwhile, Viggo, the star eagle of the 1,000-peso banknote, celebrated his 15th birthday on March 7, 2025. The picture used on the bill was taken by pilot and wildlife photographer Floyd Pison Bermejo in 2017.
Visayan Spotted Deer
The Visayan spotted deer is one of the most endangered and endemic deer species in the world, as the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic And Natural Resources Research and Development explains in a statement. These deer live in the dense forests of Panay and Negros in the Visayan Islands, only emerging at dusk to feed due to their nocturnal nature.
The Visayan spotted deer also plays an important role in Visayan mythology, as it’s said to be the favorite companion of the harvest deity Lalahon. Habitat destruction and illegal poaching are once again main culprits behind the species’s dwindling numbers. The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity states that the species is currently restricted to five percent of its original range. The scattering of deer populations also makes it physically difficult to track down threats like poaching.
Luckily, local organizations and zoos abroad have set up breeding and protection programs to help with conservation efforts. These include The Philippine Spotted Deer Conservation Project of 1987, and places like the Mari-It Wildlife and Conservation Park, Talarak Foundation, and Silliman University CENTROP (which has the largest population of captive-bred Visayan spotted deer in the world). On March 4, 2025, researchers announced that they were able to map the species’s genome sequence to aid captive-breeding programs.
Palawan Peacock-Pheasant
The Palawan peacock-pheasant is currently listed as “Vulnerable” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. With roughly 50,000 mature individuals, it’s not as threatened as the other species on this list, though research states this population is undergoing a concerning, steady decline.
As the name suggests, this bird species resembles the peacock: males sporting metallic blue feathers with spotted tails and females possessing a muted brown color. And one could easily mistake them for the bigger bird, but in miniature size.
The bird’s natural habitat is deep in the rainforests of Palawan Island, though ongoing habitat loss and poacher traps have made their survival increasingly difficult. Interestingly, the birds are incredibly elusive and shy, so their estimated lifespan in the wild is uncertain. But in captivity, the birds can live for roughly 15 years, according to the Rosamund Gifford Zoo.
Visayan Leopard Cat
Just to prove how unique the country’s biodiversity is, the Philippines is also home to wild cats no bigger than a domestic feline. One of them is the Palawan leopard cat, and the other is the star of the new 50-peso banknote, the Visayan leopard cat (whose photo was also taken by Bermejo).
The Visayan leopard cat, known locally as maral, can only be found in Negros, Panay, and the Cebu islands of Western Visayas. They normally hunt small mammals, birds, and reptiles, which conservationists say is essential in maintaining ecological balance. These cats have also been spotted in sugarcane plantations, keeping rodent populations in check since these areas tend to attract mice and rats.
While it hasn’t been officially evaluated by the IUCN, this subspecies of leopard cat is a rare sight, as they’re known to be solitary and nocturnal creatures. The Visayan Leopard Cat Conservation shared that the cats are still under threat with rapid deforestation and illegal hunting.
Perhaps the next series of banknotes will bring back the human faces we’ve grown accustomed to, which is certainly a welcome return. But in the meantime, there’s no harm in appreciating an opportunity to learn more about the animals who also call this archipelago home.
