A man was left devastated after discovering that termites had eaten P25,000 worth of P500 bills he had saved over a year.
Cirilo Bitang shared a video online showing what remained of his savings, which he had kept in a wooden box stored inside a locker.
Bitang said the money was still in good condition the last time he checked it in the final week of November. However, when he inspected it again on December 19, the bills had already been damaged by termites.
He added that termites were also found in the room divider near where the locker was placed.
Among the damaged bills, only the P500 polymer note was reportedly untouched by the termites.
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), damaged banknotes may still be replaced depending on the extent of the damage. The BSP said at least 60 percent of the original size of the bill must remain, with visible signatures and a security thread, for it to be eligible for replacement.
