I have seen several reports that the old version Peso notes are due to expire by the end of 2013. As I had over 20,000 peso stuffed inside my travel wallet it seemed like a good time to visit the country. In order to refresh my cache of cash But now I am here I find that most currency notes still seem to be the old version. Yesterday I got 15,000 peso from a Citibank ATM and it was all old version notes!
Yep bad idea to get caught at NAIA or elsewhere trying to take more than 10,000 PHP out of the country, it's illegal and is mentioned on your landing card and the card you fill in on the way out of the country. I have enough for my next taxi fare and a tiny bit extra, 700 peso in total.
This sounds a bit like a recurring story. I know my wife took some old notes with her on our recent trip and got them refused at the hair dresser. Embarrasment all round really Especially for a few P10 notes. Not sure about this latest round. Time flies too fast as you get older
I have a bag full of those little copper coins with the hole in the middle, 5 centavlo, though it says "5 sentimo" on the coin. Still valid currency, many are dated 2012. I guess that it takes a hell of a lot of those to buy a beer!
No Mark that is for the next time I arrive, I have 700 peso here in the UK, my next taxi fare will be 500 peso at the most, we don't live that far from NAIA. My exit funds are normally 2000 peso, 550 for the departure tax, 650 to relax in the Club Manila lounge and whatever is left for my taxi on my next return. edit: when I left two weeks ago departure tax was still 550 I know it could change again but 550 is the current rate.
Just to finish my story.. The Citibank ATM only dispensed the old version peso notes, I asked a Customer Service rep in Citibank if he knew when the old note would be withdrawn. "Sorry Sir, I cannot give you that information" wtf?? He was doing nothing, but went out of his way to be useless. Why do they employ these stupid people? It seemed pointless asking somebody with that attitude if they could change old for new. So I decided to break the thousands, and spend only old notes, or dirty new ones. The result, I got rid of all the old notes, and left the country with several bundles of new peso notes, 12,760 peso in total. and a bag full of coins No problem with taxi change when I go back! Interesting that some of the new money is already in a disgusting state, dirty and crumbling. Also I confused the notes on a couple of occasions. On the final day I paid a 260 peso breakfast bill with 2 x 100 and 1 x 1,000, That is a 1,000 Sir, the waitress told me And I confused the 20 peso and 50 peso note on a couple of occasions. Maybe I am just getting old...
Plenty of UK cash ends up pretty disgusting dirty and crumbling pretty quickly too, it's going to happen faster in a highly cash dependent economy like the Phils anyway. We in the UK have much higher usage of plastic than the Phils and have had for a long time so there is less stress on the paper money Now and again I have had reason to have large amounts of cash in the Phils, not something I like doing but occasionally needs must, each block in this shot is 10,000 PHP even though it looks like just a couple of notes, have a look at the shadows and you will see they are stacked Personally I liked the old designs the new ones are not as pretty. This shot was from a long long time ago.
