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| When the Japanese invaded the Philippines, and the islands
defence's crumbled into defeat for the Filipinos and the Americans, a number of defending
soldiers and some civilians took to the jungles and mountains to continue the fight
against the Japanese invading armies. When the 'official' defence fell the newly formed resistance groups began to grow in both numbers and strength. Most of the currency represented in the Philippines section of this web site was printed by these guerrilla fighters, in the towns and the provinces that they defended. Due to the scarcity of materials, many were printed with plates made from lead salvaged from old batteries, using emulsion paint for ink and paper from old paper bags. They were issued by authority of President Quezon whose portrait appears on some of the notes, but they were declared illegal by the Japanese who issued their own currency for the Philippines. To be captured with this guerrilla currency in your possession was often punishable by public humiliation and then death. |
