Monetizing Jose Rizal Mona Lisa H. Quizon History Researcher II Jose Rizal is the most depicted image in our Philippine currency. Besides, being considered the national hero of the Philippines, Rizal represents the universal man and the excellence of the Malay race. Rizal’s image has been used in both paper money and coins since the country began issuing currency in 1903. It was also during this period that the Americans began promoting Rizal as a model hero, to pacify the Filipinos and as a way of twisting the idea that the enemy of the Filipinos was the Spaniards and not them. They made the tragedy of Rizal an excuse for the so-called Benevolent Assimilation policy they imposed on our country. However, instead of cooperating with the Americans, many revolutionaries continued their struggle against them. Basically, money is an object that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debt in a given country. Money was only introduced in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization of the country. Filipinos traded with neighbouring islands such as Malaysia, Vietnam and even China by means of the barter system. Filipinos traded gold and pearls in exchange of silk, porcelains and metal wares. It was in May 1852 that paper money was introduced by the newly established bank, El Banco-Español de Isabel II. The bank issued denominations in five, ten, twenty-five, fifty and hundred pesos, payable in Mexican or Spanish-Philippine silver coins. The coins bore the portrait of Queen Isabella. In 1887, a farmer in Calamba, Laguna accidentally dug up an old earthenware jar which broke open and spilled out little round bead-like objects that glittered in the sunlight. The farmer brought the objects to Jose Rizal, who examined the specimens. Rizal noticed the character stamped in relief at the base. He recognized the character as being a letter from ancient Tagalog script. Rizal guessed that this little piece of gold might represent a form of currency by our ancient forefathers. Rizal also sent some samples to his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt. These gold beads were referred to as piloncitos, derived from the word “pilon,” a local sugar container that resembles the coin. It was in 1972 that Rizal was featured in the one peso coin. But some wonder why Jose Rizal is on the one peso coin? If he is considered as the national hero of the Philippine why placed on the one of the smallest currencies of the Philippines, and mot on the 1000 peso or 500 peso bill? Rizal was placed on the one-peso coin not because he is less worthy than the other heroes and presidents of but because one peso is the basic unit of our currency. Everybody can have one peso.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 01:13:56 +0000
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