0:00:02 > 0:00:05The Philippines - like no other country,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08a unique blend of indigenous, Asian, Spanish and American influences.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Recently in the eye of one of the worst storms ever,
0:00:12 > 0:00:17yet, like no other country, perhaps, still smiling through adversity.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26On my journey from the capital to the idyllic islands,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I travel through the lush landscape
0:00:28 > 0:00:32and have a close encounter with the world's oldest primate...
0:00:32 > 0:00:37(Eyes are astonishing. Psyching me out now, staring at me.)
0:00:38 > 0:00:41..before being healed by a shaman,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and getting a taste of how people here are addicted to entertainment.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Illusion! CROWD LAUGHS
0:00:47 > 0:00:50We smile, and that's part of our therapy.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53We like to make other people smile.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55They get me literally dancing in the streets.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00I can't dance! Let alone in traffic.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02So, join me as I island hop, skip and jump
0:01:02 > 0:01:06through the country in search of the Filipino factor.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48The Philippines is one of the
0:01:48 > 0:01:51fastest-growing economies in the world.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54With its diverse landscape and stunning array of wildlife,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57most tourists tend to head straight out of the city
0:01:57 > 0:02:00towards the countryside and tropical beaches.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08The capital, Manila, does not enjoy the best reputation.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12An urban jungle, they call it, with very little to show for itself.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Well, let's see if we can't prove them wrong,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and we're going to start by hitting the road
0:02:18 > 0:02:22in one of the most iconic vehicles in the world, the Jeepney.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29And what fine specimens they are, these garishly pimped-up relics
0:02:29 > 0:02:33from the American occupation after the Second World War.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Metro Manila is actually four cities stuck together to make up
0:02:43 > 0:02:47the world's most densely populated mega city...
0:02:48 > 0:02:52joined together by huge, clogged up multi-lane highways.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56SIRENS BLARE, HORNS HONK TYRES SCREECH
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Sometimes you are just desperate for some light relief.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08MUSIC: "Dance Wiv Me" by Dizzee Rascal
0:03:08 > 0:03:10# Why you all over there on your Jack Jones?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12# You need to let me get behind your backbone
0:03:12 > 0:03:14# Cos I'm the man for the job Let me work it
0:03:14 > 0:03:17# I won't waste no time I'll make it worth it... #
0:03:17 > 0:03:20For the past ten years, five days a week, under the blazing sun,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25Ramiro Hinojas has been strutting, spinning, duck-walking and beckoning
0:03:25 > 0:03:28in the midst of the huge onslaught of traffic
0:03:28 > 0:03:30coming from all directions.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32HE CHUCKLES
0:03:32 > 0:03:36It would just put the driver off, if you ask me.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39They get so distracted they start to crash!
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Oh, and he doubles up as a traffic cop, too.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Some of them horn. They horn, they honk their horn.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51And then some of them sign the thumb.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55And some of them clap their hands
0:04:05 > 0:04:09We'll try in the middle. Yes. I will follow you.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15This, hands.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Then back.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I'd like to blame my dodgy dance moves on the fact I'm facing
0:04:24 > 0:04:27traffic coming at me from four different directions.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But you can make up your own minds.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35This was to be the first of many times in my trip
0:04:35 > 0:04:39when I realised that Filipinos live to entertain and be entertained.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44# Get away from the bar Tell your boyfriend hold your jar
0:04:44 > 0:04:47# And dance with me. #
0:04:47 > 0:04:49If you look hard enough in the city
0:04:49 > 0:04:51there are serene little havens of greenery,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53and, in fact, if it hadn't been for
0:04:53 > 0:04:56the mass destruction of World War II,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01this city could still be clinging on to its title as the Paris of Asia.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12And it's here in the beautiful gardens of the Intramuros district
0:05:12 > 0:05:17in the old city you find monuments to Manila's colonial splendour.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23Ladies and gentlemen, walk this way!
0:05:24 > 0:05:27And the city's most entertaining advocate.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29I wouldn't say it's an attractive city -
0:05:29 > 0:05:30I'd say it's an exciting city.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32I'd say it's a different kind of city.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34I'd say it's a city worth taking time for.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I mean, really, if you want to experience something
0:05:36 > 0:05:39that's nothing like anything in our neighbourhood,
0:05:39 > 0:05:40then you've got to take a little risk.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42You've got to take a little time.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44One, two, three, and...
0:05:44 > 0:05:48HE SINGS THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Carlos is sensitive to the accusation that after
0:05:51 > 0:05:55three centuries of Spanish and then 60 years of American occupation,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59the Philippines is a country without its own identity.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04The lack of identity IS the Philippine identity. We're hybrid.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I wouldn't say that we're particularly exotic.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Don't come to the Philippines...
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Ladies and gentlemen, please take a seat.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Don't come to the Philippines if you want to go for noodles,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15if you want to find temples,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17if you want to find, sort of, your typical Asia.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19I mean, all of our neighbours have got that over there.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Come to the Philippines for its arts and culture,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24cos you'll really be surprised by the quality,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28the home-grown quality of arts and culture that you're going to find.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And talking of hybrids, here's one cultural influence
0:06:39 > 0:06:42dating back nearly 2,000 years that's very close to home.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Now, while most people might associate
0:06:46 > 0:06:48the Americans and the Spanish
0:06:48 > 0:06:50as having most sway over Filipino culture,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53let's not forget the Chinese.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Both historically and in the modern sense,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58they have a big hold over this country,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03and in fact, this area is the oldest Chinatown in the world.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It dates back to the late 16th century.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Gerik's great-grandfather opened a delicatessen here in Manila
0:07:14 > 0:07:18more than a century ago, and followed that up with a restaurant,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20coffee shop and bakery.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Filipinos and the Chinese have been in transaction, in barter,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31So actually we have a longer relationship with the Filipinos
0:07:31 > 0:07:33than any other culture.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37But the sense of community between the Chinese and Filipinos today
0:07:37 > 0:07:40goes far deeper than culinary exchange.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Gerik's family bought ten fire engines to serve the city,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51and enrolled 4,500 volunteers.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55All the profits from the coffee shop go towards this service.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58And guess who's tagging along for a ride today?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I tell you what - it's going to be
0:08:02 > 0:08:04a pretty unique way of seeing this city.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10OK, let's do it.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11SIREN BLARES
0:08:11 > 0:08:14HORN HONKS
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Manila is notoriously difficult to drive around,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25so how on earth do you manage it in a massive fire truck like this?
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Well, I've been driving a fire truck since I was 17, 18 years old.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I started being a fire volunteer when I was 12.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34HE HONKS HORN
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Back in a regular vehicle,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and a reminder of the other health hazard of driving in this city...
0:08:49 > 0:08:53RADIO PLAYS LOVE SONG
0:08:57 > 0:09:01..the Filipino addiction to the cheesy power ballad.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Luckily, an antidote is at hand.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11HE SINGS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:09:25 > 0:09:28This man's a bit of a legend around these parts -
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and indigenous music, not American pop radio, is what inspires him.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41APPLAUSE We have an audience!
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Indigenous music would be considered, usually, pre-Spanish.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Before the Spanish came,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51the musics that were here were the tribal people,
0:09:51 > 0:09:56the Chinese were here, the Arabs were here, the Indians were here,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59but they were not colonisers the way the Spanish were.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02You've got a instrument here. Give me an example of how that works.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04This is called a tubing.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Want to try it? Yeah.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Open a little bit wider. Turn your lips in.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Give it a go. Ayyy, ayyy, ayyy.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18You don't actually vocalise! Just the shape.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23We like to make other people smile. I guess we are like natural therapists.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27We are natural therapists, that's probably one reason
0:10:27 > 0:10:31why the OFWs, the overseas Filipino workers, carry that.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33You have a lot of teachers, therapists...
0:10:40 > 0:10:45And both therapy, of sorts, and entertainment can be found
0:10:45 > 0:10:49even in the rougher ends of town, like the red light district.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The Hobbit House, founded by a fan of Tolkien
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and The Lord Of The Rings more than 40 years ago.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01A novelty bar where most people have forgotten the novelty
0:11:01 > 0:11:04within a few minutes of walking in...
0:11:04 > 0:11:07which suits the staff perfectly!
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Some people might say that this is like a freak show,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13that in a way the little people are being exploited.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17What do you say to that? I think, no, it's not a freak show.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Because this bar, the owner of this bar,
0:11:21 > 0:11:27wants to help little people, like me, to have normal work.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31They have their own work where they belong.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38And outside the glitzy, expensive clubs
0:11:38 > 0:11:40that you can find in any major city,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43when it comes to creating an edgier scene,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Manila is finding its pioneers.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49This used to be a second-hand car parts warehouse.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Now it's an urban collective.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56Manila's got a lot of potential, especially music-wise.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00There's definitely a lot of upcoming kids, you know,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03like making music, producing.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06HIGH-SPEED DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
0:12:09 > 0:12:11And younger artists are keen to
0:12:11 > 0:12:14explode the cliched image of their country.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16At first it was a little bit...
0:12:16 > 0:12:20It was quite a struggle. It was a struggle, you know.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23We're female artists and DJs.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
0:12:34 > 0:12:38When we were starting, it was really hard because first of all,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41the music scene here in the Philippines
0:12:41 > 0:12:42is still dominated by men.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45So, when we came on the scene,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48we were just like another one of those like,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50"Oh, it's just going to pass."
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Like, "Oh, let's give them a couple of months or a year,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54"they're going to pass."
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I think with us combined, because when we play, we spin together,
0:13:01 > 0:13:06the logic is like this - a DJ with two hands can do a lot
0:13:06 > 0:13:11but a DJ, a duo with four hands can do so much more. Yeah.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Manila mania goes on well into the small hours
0:13:17 > 0:13:20but it's time for us to leave the big city
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and head out for some fresh sea air.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Early the next morning,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36and it's time to do the hop, skip and jump from island to island
0:13:36 > 0:13:39that makes the Philippines so unique.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43This is the fast catamaran that takes you from Cebu
0:13:43 > 0:13:45to the island of Bohol.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48At two hours, it still slower than a plane,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51but so much more a scenic way to island hop.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The Philippines have never made claims to any kind of exoticism
0:14:02 > 0:14:06that their neighbours like Malaysia and Thailand boast of.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09But that belies the fact they have some of the most beautiful
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and pure white sand beaches in the world.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25But towards the end of 2013, a twin natural disaster struck
0:14:25 > 0:14:28with a force that the world has rarely witnessed.
0:14:31 > 0:14:37First, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in central Philippines, hitting Cebu.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40But neighbouring Bohol bore the brunt of it
0:14:40 > 0:14:43and was literally torn apart.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46And then weeks later,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50the most powerful typhoon in human history to hit landfall -
0:14:50 > 0:14:55super typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda as it's known locally,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59left a trail of destruction and more than 6,000 people dead.
0:14:59 > 0:15:053.5 million people were displaced by winds of up to 330km per hour.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10But what followed pays testimony
0:15:10 > 0:15:14to the resilience of the people of the Philippines.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Hi. Hi, sir. Welcome to Baclayon Church. Thank you.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Would you like to help us? I would love to help you, of course.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Thank you very much, sir. Wow, you're working hard in this searing heat.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Yes, very hot. It's really hot.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31'Agnes, who works in the Baclayon Church,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34'came as soon as she heard about the quake.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:39How did you feel when you first came here and you saw that?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41We were so sad, because, well,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44this is the one of the tourist attractions in our province
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and this is the oldest stone church,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50so we felt very sad for what happened to our church.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52At that time we didn't know
0:15:52 > 0:15:55if we were going to restore
0:15:55 > 0:15:59or if we had funding for the restoration of our church.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06This is just phase one of a project that they estimate
0:16:06 > 0:16:08will take ten years to complete.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09In a sense they were lucky -
0:16:09 > 0:16:12two other churches actually built on the fault line
0:16:12 > 0:16:17were completely destroyed and some buildings unrecognisable.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Has it undermined, has it lessened your faith?
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Or does it increase your faith?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23No, no, it strengthened our faith to God, actually,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26because Bohol islanders, as many people know,
0:16:26 > 0:16:32we are a very religious people and we have this deep faith to God.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Tourism stopped completely after the church... Yes.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48How bad was that for you and how much do you need tourists?
0:16:48 > 0:16:55We need them very badly because, you know, it can really help us,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00tourism, because the truth is we need the financial support.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13The earthquake was so strong, Bohol's most famous and unique
0:17:13 > 0:17:17land formation, the Chocolate Hills, have been fundamentally altered.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21But here, they're turning a disaster into an opportunity
0:17:21 > 0:17:24by developing something called geo-tourism -
0:17:24 > 0:17:29witnessing first-hand our ever-changing landscapes.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32All this damage was caused by the earthquake? Yes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Essentially, prior to the earthquake last October 2013,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39the platform was much, much wider.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48The central part of Bohol moved 55cm, or slightly more than half a metre,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51closer to Cebu immediately during the earthquake.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So essentially, we're here at the foot of one of the hills...
0:17:57 > 0:18:00And Rene showed me something rarely seen before -
0:18:00 > 0:18:04the inside of a Chocolate Hill, split open by the quake.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07During the earthquake, the shaking or the shock
0:18:07 > 0:18:11was so strong here that landslides affected many hills.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15So either half or at least a third of the hills
0:18:15 > 0:18:18would be brought down by the strong ground shaking.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22And if you want to get the most panoramic view of these
0:18:22 > 0:18:27almost identical freaks of nature, try this view from on high.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37This is one of only two bicycle zip-lines in the world.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Both are in the Philippines and both only opened this year.
0:18:40 > 0:18:46Another example of turning natural disaster into opportunity here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49This one's especially for thrill-seekers.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Floating restaurants on Bohol are a staple of the tourist itinerary
0:19:06 > 0:19:10and rightly so - a chance to sample some local food.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13The crab is from the river we're sailing on.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16But only now are they recovering here from the fallout from the quake
0:19:16 > 0:19:20after a 50% drop in tourist arrivals.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25November and December was really very slow
0:19:25 > 0:19:30and then it's just overcoming the fear factor.
0:19:31 > 0:19:38We just have to show that we're still safe to be here.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39# I will survive
0:19:39 > 0:19:41# Oh, as long as I know how to love... #
0:19:41 > 0:19:44And Lourdes says there's something in the national psyche
0:19:44 > 0:19:48that can handle no matter what is thrown at Filipinos.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52They always believe that there's really
0:19:52 > 0:19:55a light at the end of the tunnel.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00You really just have to work hard and crawl out to reach the light.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02# ..I've got all my life to live
0:20:02 > 0:20:04# I've got all my love to give
0:20:04 > 0:20:08# I will survive
0:20:08 > 0:20:09# Hey-ey... #
0:20:12 > 0:20:14INSECTS CHIRP
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Oh, yeah, there it is.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24And talking of survival, maybe inspiration comes from
0:20:24 > 0:20:28one resident of Bohol who knows all about that - the tarsier...
0:20:32 > 0:20:35..the oldest surviving primate in the world.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38We're talking 45 million years on this planet.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And for some reason, this incredibly reclusive
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and endangered creature decided it would stick around for us.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49This is an incredibly lucky moment.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I am inches away from this tarsier.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55These animals are really solitary, shy, sensitive.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59If he or she was scared of me, they'd go for me like that.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01So far, so good.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07The eyes are astonishing - psyching me out now, staring at me.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Actually, this guy, the world's leading expert on the animal,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14is the reason the tarsier is hanging around.
0:21:14 > 0:21:20Once himself a poacher in the 1970s, now gamekeeper and protector.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Why is it in danger of being extinct?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Because of the destruction of the habitat.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Mostly the farmer here - slash and burn farming.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47My next stop - the pure white beaches
0:21:47 > 0:21:50of the tiny island of Panglao.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Unlike racier resorts in more commercialised countries
0:21:53 > 0:21:56like Thailand and Malaysia nearby,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58it's blissfully undeveloped.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:03 > 0:22:05And clinging on to some of its ancient rituals too,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08like shamanic healing.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:29 > 0:22:32As salaam alaikum. Thank you.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43As my journey comes to an end, a chance to reflect.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52The Filipinos, well, they're an incredibly generous people -
0:22:52 > 0:22:55always welcoming, always entertaining,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and happy to give of their time to outsiders.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02BRASS BAND PLAYS
0:23:05 > 0:23:08And with its love of music, ceremony and religion,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11this country is more akin, I would say,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14to South America than the rest of Southeast Asia.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Hopes are high that international tourism to here
0:23:18 > 0:23:21will be boosted over the next few years and, let's face it,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24this country has got some in-built advantages -
0:23:24 > 0:23:26English is widely spoken,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29there's an incredible natural environment here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32And for the Filipinos, the whole world is a stage -
0:23:32 > 0:23:35an all-dancing, all-smiling, all-singing spectacle,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and they want you to join in.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And just maybe, THAT is the Filipino factor.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16Ted, I wondered if... I'm not interested
0:24:16 > 0:24:18in coming to see Lady Gaga, sir.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19The Fast Show Special -
0:24:19 > 0:24:22part of the big bumper bank holiday comedy 50th birthday weekend.