Today’s note is a newly issued (2011) 20 Piso note from the Philippines. On the reverse it features a cute little critter. It is the Asian Palm Civet, also called Toddy Cat.

They also feed on palm flower sap, which often becomes a fermented toddy, or a sweet liquor. The little drunken critter has been called a toddy cat.

The Toddy Cat is a small, gray and black animal weighing between 4 and 11 pounds, or the size of a house cat. It has a long stocky body with course hair and a 19 inch long tail. There is a white mask across the forehead, a small white patch under each eye, a white spot on each side of the nostrils, and a narrow dark line between the eyes. The muzzle, ears, lower legs, and distal half of the tail are black, with three rows of black markings on the body.

They eat chiku, mango, rambutan and coffee, but also small mammals and insects. Ecologically, they fill a similar niche in Asia as Common Raccoons in North America.

This little cat was made famous with the movie “The Bucket List” with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nickelson.

Kopi Luwak is coffee prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten by the animal, partially digested, and harvested from its feces. Kopi Luwak is currently the most expensive coffee in the world. ENJOY!!!

(FRONT) The portrait of Manuel Quezon was revised, the Malacanang Palace was moved from the reverse to the bottom center.

(BACK) Asian Palm Civet featured at center with Incorrect inscription at top (see Below).

The Bananue Rice Terraces are erroneously labeled as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the new generation 20-peso bill. The Banaue Rice Terraces were not included in the UNESCO inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras in 1995 due to the lack of integrity of the surrounding environment resulting from the numerous modern structures that had not been regulated by the local government.