‘Amazing Race’ TV show comes to RP

The Philippines takes center stage starting tonight as one of the "pit stops" of the popular US reality television show the "The Amazing Race."

The first of two episodes shot earlier this year in Metro Manila and Palawan will air at 8 o’clock tonight over cable channel AXN. The second episode will air next Wednesday.

The STAR learned yesterday that low-key presidential daughter Lourdes Evangelina Arroyo, or Luli, would make a special guest appearance as the one who would welcome the finishers at an undisclosed "pit stop" in Metro Manila.

Each team in "The Amazing Race" is composed of a couple of no specific gender orientation.

Under the rules of the show, the "pit stop" is the place where the last couple to finish is either eliminated or given a chance to continue with the race but with all their pocket money taken away from them. The couple will then have to pay for their expenses for the next leg of the race.

In the show’s last episode in Auckland, New Zealand, the field was reduced to four couples with the elimination of the twin sisters Karmi and Karie, who were the last to arrive at the "pit stop."

The four couples left in " The Amazing Race" are the "dating models" Brandon and Nicole, "dating couple" Colin and Christie, married couple Chip and Kim, and "bowling moms" Linda and Karen.

In a preview of the Philippine leg of the game, Colin is described as having a "meltdown in Manila" as he complains about wading through mud while he plowed a farm with the help of a carabao.

The Philippine participation in the show comes with the imprimatur of Malacañang.

Energy Secretary Vicente Perez and former tourism secretary Roberto Pagdanganan were the officials in charge of a marketing effort last year to attract the producers of "The Amazing Race" to the country.

"We hope this will bring increased tourism interest in the Philippines, and while none of us has seen the actual episodes, we will be definitely glued on TV to watch what parts of Manila and Palawan they will be visiting," Perez said.

But Perez had a teaser for viewers of tonight’s episode.

"There is a surprise guest appearance, not by me, but somebody important. So I won’t mention. Just watch the episode," he said.

Perez traced his involvement in the show to his role as the Cabinet officer in charge of the development of Palawan.

Perez said the government assisted with the logistics of the show, which made use of helicopters and "more than a hundred personnel."

He said the Philippine leg of the show was filmed on location last February but was only being "telecast for the first time" tonight.