Michael Palin in the Philippines S01E02 - Episode 2
Summary:
Michael starts the second part of his Philippines journey on the tiny island of Palawan, exploring the magical Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, the longest navigable underground river in the world. The whole island is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, but when Michael visits the town of Brooke's Point, he sees that its natural environment is under serious threat from a huge nearby nickel mine, which is suspected of poisoning the area.
Michael then flies to Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, and visits the Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Centre, a large prison where he witnesses the dazzling, if bizarre, synchronised disco dance routine performed by hundreds of smiling inmates. But later, he discovers that the cramped conditions in the cells are far less enjoyable.
Back in the city, he meets comedian Margie DeLeon. He discovers that the Philippines is one of only two countries in the world where divorce is officially banned, the other being Vatican City!
The Philippines is one of the largest exporters of coconuts in the world, and Michael witnesses a local farmer's death-defying climb to the top of a 20-metre-high tree to pick and throw the fruit to the ground. But while the Philippines is blessed with nature, it is also vulnerable to the increasingly strong typhoons that hit the archipelago. Michael visits a local town destroyed by flooding and learns how billions of dollars of public money, that was supposed to have been spent on flood control projects, has been lost to corruption.
Finally, Michael arrives in the fishing town of Moalboal, where shoals of millions of sardines have settled in the bay. He meets local freediver, Gladys Documento, who has dived these waters for years. Enthused by stories of how spectacular being below the surface can be, 82-year-old Michael takes the plunge to see for himself the amazing sight of the huge formations of fish as they swirl beneath the waves, giving Michael an extraordinary experience he'll never forget.
