181. Honoring Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano: From an 1882 Legal Document to the 2026 ₱3000 Commemorative Banknote

Cayetano S. Arellano  holds a monumental place in Philippine history as a judicial pioneer, serving as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1901 until 1920. Born in Bataan, he worked his way through school to graduate with a law degree from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 1876. He quickly established himself as a premier legal mind, practicing civil law, serving as a magistrate during the Spanish regime, and teaching at UST, where he mentored future revolutionary leaders like Apolinario Mabini and studied alongside contemporaries like Gregorio Araneta.

Though he briefly contributed to drafting the 1899 Malolos Constitution, Arellano ultimately chose to collaborate with the incoming American civil government to prevent administrative collapse and preserve public order.

Appointed Chief Justice by the Americans, he successfully merged centuries of Spanish civil law with American procedural systems into a unified framework. His nineteen-year tenure established the foundational jurisprudence, institutional integrity, and independence of the nation’s highest court.

Following his retirement and death in 1920, his legacy was permanently honored through the naming of Cayetano Arellano High School and Arellano University.

₱3,000 commemorative banknote alongside two medals and a historical 1882 legal document, all featuring Cayetano S. Arellano, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Supreme Court.

This historical document is a 14-peso legal fee invoice (Minuta de honorarios) dated May 1, 1882, in Manila, Philippines, issued during the Spanish colonial era. It was drawn up by prominent lawyer Cayetano S. Arellano, who later became the first Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court- to bill his client, Don Lorenzo Calvo, for services rendered throughout April 1882. Written in elegant cursive script on aged ledger paper, the document itemizes three distinct legal actions, including filings submitted to the Audiencia (high court) and cases tied to the districts of Binondo and San Sebastian. A bold, stylized signature by Arellano at the bottom sits next to the word "Recibí" (Received), confirming that the legal fees were successfully collected.

The commemorative PHP 3,000 banknote, the first issued by the BSP adopting a vertical design, bears the portrait of the first Chief Justice of the Philippines, Cayetano Arellano. The obverse features the SC Session Hall, the current venue for En Banc oral arguments, and formerly the Main Library of the University of the Philippines before it transferred to Diliman, Quezon City. The reverse side shows Lady Justice, the SC New Building, and the names of the Chief Justices who have led the Court starting in 1901, from Chief Justice Arellano to Chief Justice Gesmundo