MICHAEL PALIN JOURNEYS TO THE PHILLIPPINES FOR LATEST CHANNEL 5 TRAVEL SERIES

5 has commissioned a new 3 x 60’ travel adventure series with Sir Michael Palin - Michael Palin in the Philippines produced by ITN Productions. Michael Palin’s latest adventure takes him into the heart of one of the most fascinating, politically-charged and historically complicated areas on earth - the Philippines.

A place still dominated by the legacy of the Marcos family and its most infamous husband and wife couple Ferdinand and Imelda, whose 21-year rule from 1965-86 ended with an alleged $10 billion theft from the nation’s coffers, as their extravagant regime was exposed. 

Now part tourist paradise, it’s still shaped by extreme poverty for many and by political unrest and violence, Michael’s journey will take him across the entire, beautiful archipelago of the Philippines.

As soon as he arrives in the capital of Manila, Michael discovers a country on the edge.  Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos’s son, Bongbong, is now strangely President, despite his family being exiled 40 years ago. And the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte, is under arrest in the international criminal court in the Netherlands, accused of the deaths of 30,000 Filipinos and ‘Crimes against humanity’. 

Michael explores life in this vibrant and fascinating city challenged under this unusual political situation, before flying out to the militarised island of Pagasa in the middle of the contested South China Sea.  China is aggressively asserting its claims over one of the most important shipping lanes in the world and Michael suddenly finds himself in the middle of a conflict between a Philippine and Chinese coastguard ship.

Michael Palin says: “I find these journeys for 5 irresistible and revealing. Rarely does anyone have the chance to get as close to the great issues of a country as we did in the Philippines. I was a little nervous of taking on yet another journey, especially one so testing on the energy levels, but what we heard and saw was extraordinary and very different from any of the journeys we’ve done so far. A cracker, though I say it myself.”

Michael will also see some of the most beautiful parts of the country’s 7,641 islands, sleeping in remote beach camps in El Nido, travelling through underground rivers and swimming with thousands of sardines in Moalboal.  But as he arrives in the southern island of Mindanao, Michael will experience a very different part of The Philippines, a centre of Islamic extremism and an area on the UK Foreign Office’s ‘do not travel’ red list. 

Under military escort, Michael explores the extraordinary and haunting remains of the destroyed city of Marawi, and on the island of Jolo he meets a member of the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf.

It’s the only country in the world where you still can’t get divorced, and extreme poverty makes life very hard for millions. But despite the challenges and at the end of this epic journey, Michael discovers the people in the Philippines are some of the warmest and friendliest he has ever met. 

This series is Michael’s latest journey for 5, after the success of his previous series - hugely popular  journeys to Venezuela, Nigeria, Iraq, and North Korea - for the channel. 

Guy Davies, Consultant Editor for Commissioning at 5 added: “Michael’s new series for 5 is as challenging, insightful, and visually stunning. He is energetic and interested in people’s stories as ever. I still can’t believe he’s on his fifth consecutive journey for us, and he’s as energetic, funny, and warm-hearted as ever.  ”

Neil Ferguson, Series Producer and Director for ITN commented: “This was the most ambitious shoot we’ve ever done with Michael and the Philippines exceeded all our expectations.  It’s a country of stunning contrasts and we often experienced paradise one day, followed by something much darker the next.  And whether it was political protest marches, military flights to remote islands, sleeping on the deck of overnight ferries or swimming with thousands of sardines, Michael took it all in his ridiculously nimble stride.  It’s a real adventure.”

Michael Palin in The Philippines - (3x60’) is commissioned by Guy Davies, Consultant Editor for Commissioning at 5.