After the success of critically-acclaimed documentary Signos, Richard Gutierrez is back in this year's GMA News and Public Affairs environmental documentary entitled Planet Philippines. The biggest environmental project of 2009, Planet Philippines will take viewers on a grand and awesome journey into the country's final wilderness sites, best-kept secrets of the natural world where life and the amazing systems that support it are an everyday spectacle. (Airing last September 6, 2009)
ailed by scientists as a mega biodiversity haven, the Philippines is home to thousands of plant and animal species which can be found nowhere else on Earth. Planet Philippines travels around Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to examine the diverse Philippine landscape, seascape, and underground terrain.
Old growth forests with century-old trees serve as habitats to unique and endangered wildlife. Some rainforest species are so rare that footage of their behavior is sought after all over the world. Planet Philippines documented several of these rare species, including a bird which only lives on one Visayan island. The documentary takes viewers deep underwater to see the lives of fascinating marine species - from sea grass dwellers, to coral inhabitants, to the mighty pelagic species of sharks and manta rays. It also examines the most unexplored places on Earth - caves. Even in these extreme environments, living beings thrive, proving that in every facet, our planet is a paradise that cradles life.
But while the Philippines boasts of many marvels, it is also considered one of the hottest of so-called "biodiversity hotspots", areas in the world where species decline and habitat loss are at alarming levels. A report from the World Wide Fund for Nature, Zoological Society of London and Global Footprint Network also cites that the Philippines' ecological footprint or impact on the environment is 50-100% more than its annual biocapacity or its ability to regenerate resources. The documentary aims to bring these realities to the fore by showing what is at stake - a land blessed with natural resources that are ever astounding and yet diminishing.
Shot in high definition and produced using world-class nature filmmaking techniques, Planet Philippines is an impressive compilation of moving images showcasing the country's finest treasures. An experienced team of producers, camera crew and researchers spent months studying each terrain to film every nook and cranny of our small yet amazing piece of the planet. Actor and advocate Richard Gutierrez took time out from his busy schedule to trek mountains, explore caves and dive the open seas. Weeks of waiting on wildlife and being battered by the elements deliver what is perhaps one of the most thought-provoking and comprehensive environmental reports to be seen on Philippine television.
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