WORDS BY MIKEY AGULTO
August 20, 2010 | 2653 views
The P500 Bill (1987-present)
A banknote predominantly filled with the color yellow.
Before the inclusion of Ninoy Aquino, the P500 banknote was supposed to feature then-President Ferdinand Marcos with the Batasang Pambansa on its reverse.
The aftermath of the People Power Revolution replaced Marcos' with Ninoy’s portrait, along with two of his quotes: “The Filipino is worth dying for” and “Faith in our people and faith in God.”
The bill we’ve been using for two decades now is bound to have a make-over today; the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is working on putting Cory’s portrait alongside Ninoy as a tribute to the former president.
Cory’s Presidency (1987-1992)
To be hailed as the president of a country coming from a dictatorship is an honor no other Aquino tributes can provide. Cory soon placed in the highest government seat as if to say, “This is all because of you.”
The presidency was the people’s tribute to Cory, Cory’s tribute to Ninoy, and Ninoy’s tribute to the people. More recognitions: Time Magazine’s 20 Most Influential Asian of the 20th Century and the 1986 Woman of the Year, among others - came soon after.
Noynoy’s Presidency (2010-present)
Everything up to this point amounted from the patriotic actions of the padre de familia. Eldest son Benigno Aquino III's decision to run for the presidency however, emerged from the call of the public shortly after his mother’s passing.
It is the perfect tribute – 25 years after the most significant national event of this country, the people are still longing for an Aquino to lead a nation.
Pinoys are a very sentimental race, holding on to the confidence the family has given decades ago. And years after the end of the P-Noy era, we highly believe we shall see another Aquino to carry this lifetime legacy.
