The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has reminded the public to always check the banknotes they receive during the holidays, when cash is exchanged more briskly and fake bills proliferate.
The central bank said the security features of Philippine banknotes may be verified in three ways: Feel, Look and Tilt.
First, feel the paper. It should be rough to the touch because of the material used and the embossed prints.
Then, look. The embossed prints, watermark, security fibers, asymmetric serial numbers and see-through mark on the banknotes can be seen by the naked eye.
Finally, tilt. The concealed value of the banknote becomes visible near the upper left hand corner when the banknote is tilted about 45 degrees.
“The embedded security thread in the 20-Piso and 50-Piso can be seen from either side of the note when viewed against the light. The windowed security thread (for higher denominations), optically variable patch (for 500- and 1000-Piso bills) and optically variable ink (for 1000-Piso bills) change color when viewed at different angles,” the bank added.
The central bank said suspected fake bills may be presented to any of its offices. If verified to be fake, the central bank will replace the bill with the same denomination. (Ventures Cebu)