Inside the Philippines: What Are These Paradise Islands Really Hiding?

🇵🇭 Welcome to the Philippines — a country of more than 7,500 islands scattered between Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. This amazing land lives on the edge between paradise and the abyss: dazzling beaches sit alongside active volcanoes, tropical downpours give way to bright sunshine, and ancient traditions coexist with modern megacities.

In this video, we set off on a journey across the archipelago: from bustling Manila to the hanging coffins of Sagada, from the Chocolate Hills of Bohol to the Banaue Rice Terraces, from heavenly Boracay to mysterious Palawan. You'll learn about a people who smile even after a typhoon, and about a land where miracles seem possible.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 — Introduction: islands, climate, languages and history
03:24 — A unique flag and the philosophy of "between paradise and the abyss"
04:24 — Manila: a megacity of contrasts and vibrant jeepneys
07:09 — Northern Luzon: Banaue's terraces, Sagada's coffins, the tarsier
09:48 — Bohol: the Chocolate Hills and the mouse deer
11:07 — Cebu: Magellan and Asia's oldest university
12:22 — Boracay: a dream beach and its reboot
13:28 — Palawan: an underground river, El Nido, whale sharks
15:30 — The Ring of Fire: Mayon, Taal and Pinatubo
17:54 — Typhoons and the resilience of Filipinos
18:37 — The soul of the people: smiles, karaoke and fiestas
20:16 — Filipino cuisine: lechon, adobo, halo-halo
21:23 — OFWs, faith healers and Siquijor, the island of witchcraft
22:54 — Mindanao and the extremely rare Philippine eagle
23:39 — Conclusion: a country on the edge