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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.
The actor and broadcaster embarks on an epic 2,500-mile journey across the Southeast Asian country, which consists of more than 7,600 islands. He begins in the capital Manila at a political protest march marking the 40th anniversary of the day when Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were kicked out of power after 21 years of dictatorial rule and financial excess. Nearly 40 per cent of the country's urban population lives in poverty and Michael heads to Tondo, a tough slum-like neighbourhood, before he is invited to the Presidential palace to meet the latest President Marcos, who turns out to be a lifelong Monty Python fan.
Michael continues his adventure on the island of Palawan, where he explores the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, but discovers the environment is under serious threat from a huge nickel mine suspected of poisoning the area. He then flies to Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, and visits its detention and rehabilitation centre, a large prison where he witnesses the dazzling, if bizarre, synchronised disco dance routine performed by hundreds of smiling inmates.
Michael begins the final leg of his journey on the southern island of Mindanao, which is on the UK Foreign Office do not travel list due to the risk of Islamic terrorism. After tasting mangosteen and the notoriously putrid-smelling durian fruit, he arrives in Marawi, which was destroyed in a battle between jihadists and the military. He explores the bomb-damaged city and meets Queenie Pacalundo-Mamacotamo, who has returned to live in her damaged house, despite her entire street being destroyed.
