corruption no more

I tuned in this afternoon to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee's hearing on military corruption. Although I did not get all the details as to what they were talking about (since I wasn't tuning in to the news these past few days), I could say that these are promising developments to the reforms that we have been longing for the Philippines. One of the resource speakers (from COA) mentioned that the problem was with the system and that it was not effective in preventing corruption. If this was the case, hopefully our government officials will do something about it and reform the policies. However, I believe corruption cannot be simply eliminated by creating a tougher system or policies. Corruption can be abolished when people begin to develop values - especially honesty and integrity.

I applaud the officials who have stepped out to reveal these anomalies (despite impending threats to their careers, life, and families). May we indeed see reform to our beloved country.

new generation of bank notes

image courtesy of philstar.com

I was really excited when I read the Facebook status of message of PNoy yesterday regarding the launch of the new generation of Philippine bank notes. I searched around the Internet for some fresh pictures of the new bank notes and what I found really impressed me. I do hope to really see and get one within the week. 

The new bank notes are impressive. All six denominations (P20, P50, P100, P200, P500, and P1,000) have the same old colors but new designs. The P500 bill now features the late President Corazon Aquino with her husband the late Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr. Some marvelous landmarks in the Philippines were also featured such as the Banawe Rice Terraces (P20), Taal Lake (P50), Mayon Volcano (P100), Chocolate Hills (P200), the eight-kilometer Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (P500), and the Tubbataha Reefs National Park (P1,000). Aside from these some important species were also featured such as the South Sea Pearl Pinctada maxima, blue-naped parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis) Philippine tarsier, butanding (whale shark), maliputo fish, and the palm civet of the Cordilleras.

image from pinoyexchange.com/forums

Indeed the three years work of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has paid off. According to the BSP, the security features of the new bank notes include security threads, fibers, watermaks, invisible fluorescent inks, optically variable ink, microprint, more pattern, and iridescent band. They day that these new bills would make it difficult and more expensive for counterfeiters to produce fake money. I do hope that indeed you will be ahead of the counterfeiters this time. Good work BSP!