The photographer behind the Philippine Eagle on the new P1,000 bill is from Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has recently released what it has described as a smarter, cleaner and stronger polymer P1000 bill, in response to pressing public health and safety concerns due to COVID-19.
The most noticeable part of the latest banknote is the iconic image of the Philippine Eagle replacing the photos of national heroes Jose Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, and Josefa Llanes Escoda on the obverse side, the BSP said.
The photographer who captured the image of the Philippine Eagle is Floyd Pison Bermejo, a licensed pilot, a wildlife photographer and a conservationist, a press statement from the Sipalay City Office of the Mayor said Friday, May 13.
Bermejo grew up in of Brgy. San Jose, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, and is the son of a mines’ employee in the barangay, it said.
Bermejo said he started bird-hunting with his father in the mountains of Sipalay for food, and now, he does bird-hunting with a different weapon, a camera, it added.
He wanted to show the people how important it is to protect our wildlife, and hopes that through his photos, people will be aware of what is happening and help save these creatures, the statement said.
The iconic image of the Philippine Eagle was taken at the Philippine Eagle Center in Mindanao in 2017. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas asked to use the photo and he gave it to the BSP for free, it added.*