SENATOR Robin Padilla on Wednesday urged the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to feature Philippine heroes in banknotes to help educate the Filipino youth.

“Ang alam ko ang pera lagi mo ‘yang nakikita, anuman ang iyong edad, anuman ang iyong kasarian, ang pera lagi mong, siguro ‘di lang oras-oras kundi minu-minuto nakikita mo ‘yan sa harap mo at napakahalaga ang nakalagay niyan ang nakapagtuturo kung saan tayo nanggagaling at sino ba ang pinagkakautangan ng ating kalayaan. At mahalaga alam ng kababayan natin kung sino ang mga ito,” Padilla said at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan explained the designs of Philippine currency notes are cyclical and that they used heroes as the theme some years back.

Currently, he said they used the Philippine Eagle which is endangered.

Tangonan said that they can go back to using heroes as the theme of currency, noting that the design features “Filipino people and its culture.”

Earlier, Padilla filed Senate Bill 451 mandating the teaching of Philippine History in high school.

“Kaya ang aking pakiusap sa ating BSP, na pagkatapos ninyong pagyamanin ang ating mga endangered species na ating ikinararangal at pinagmamalaki, at ‘yan din po ay sa turismo din naman ‘yan na kailangang kailangan din. Halimbawa may pumunta ritong turista at nagpapalit ng pera nakikita rin nila ito pala ang mga species sa PH maganda rin po ‘yan. Pero isang kahilingan ko po, huwag mo po tatanggalin ang ating bayani sa pera natin,” the senator said.