Adventure game show in El Nido

EL NIDO in Palawan, with its massive rock gardens in the middle of the

blue-to-emerald-green waters of Bacuit Bay, will serve as the natural background of an adventure game

show that will be beamed to viewers in Scandinavia between the months of September and December.

Strix Production, a Scandinavian television outfit, was in El Nido

for almost two months shooting the final segments of the show, billed ''Expedition Robinson'' and reputedly a big hit in Sweden,

Denmark and Norway.

Expedition Robinson is every Scandinavian's dream of an outdoor adventure in a deserted island. Danes and Swedes are constant participants, and this year Norwegians have joined the

game.

It's perfect for those who want to get away from the cold and

soak in the hot and humid climate of a tropical island, as well as

those who seek a change of pace from their day-to-day routine

in an urban setting.

Strix is composed of three production units--one each for

Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Each has its own production

staff, crew and participants. There are 16 participants per

country. The entire production consists of about 250 persons.

According to Matthias Olson, a production manager, Expedition

Robinson is an original concept of British rock singer Bob

Geldof. It was inspired by the novels ''Robinson Crusoe'' and

''Lord of the Flies.''

''Sweden is the first country to realize the dream,'' says Olson.

The idea behind the show is to bring Danes, Swedes and

Norwegians--from varying backgrounds and professions--to a

deserted island and see how they behave, react and respond to

one another and the new environment.

Expedition Robinson is also a test of skill, agility and stamina as

participants engage in simple outdoor games such as relays,

jungle quizzes, climbing and races. The entire competition runs

for 45 days.

Problems and relationship concerns are discussed and resolved

in island council meetings.

It is during these meetings that eliminations are decided by

secret balloting by the participants themselves, says Thomas

Tellander, another production manager.

Through this process of elimination, only one person is

eventually left in the camp. That person becomes the winner of

the Expedition--with the princely sum of $33,000 as the prize.

Tellander is quick to add that the Norwegians, Danes and

Swedes don't mix: ''They don't know what's happening in the

other camps.''

Expedition Robinson is a game show and documentary soap

opera combined--a docu soap, for short.

''There's a lot of drama that unfolds in this show because the

participants are strangers to one another. They are far away

from home, their loved ones, their children, girlfriends and

boyfriends, and they are in an environment that is both strange

and new to them,'' says Tellander.

''A tapestry of relationships is woven in the process of filming

the games, competitions, life in the camp and in the island

council meetings, which provide the docu soap part of the

show.''

A love affair, or a love-hate relationship, may blossom between

male and female participants. Indeed, anything can happen in 45

days.

It is apparently the combination of all these elements that has

made Expedition Robinson a big success in Scandinavia.

Olson claims that the show is watched by almost two million

televiewers. The number is expected to increase when it goes on

Norwegian television.

Now on its third year, the show was first shot and documented

in a nature park in Malaysia for two consecutive years. For this

year, Strix considered three locations in the Philippines--

Tacloban in Leyte, Pagudpud Island in the Ilocos, and El Nido.

''We chose El Nido for its rich and beautiful environment, the

high number of islands, and their accessibility,'' Tellander says,

adding that the facilities and logistical support of Ten Knots

Development Corp. heightened El Nido's attraction as location

of this year's show.

The top executives and some of the management staff were

billeted at Ten Knots' two island resorts, Lagen and Miniloc.

The 48 participants camped out at the nearby Pangalusian

Island, and other members of the production crew stayed at

Entalula Island.

A few months ago, some members of the Palawan media went to

El Nido to witness segments of the Expedition Robinson

shooting.

Led by a guide, we visited the camp site at Pangalusian and

noted that it was made of bamboo, old drift wood, and sawali.

Beds were improvised, but there were portable toilets.

Participants were provided basic food like rice, beans, coconuts,

fruits and canned goods, as well as uniform shirts, shorts and

boots during the game.

It wasn't easy getting the national government, the provincial

government of Palawan and the local government unit to

approve Strix's proposal to shoot Expedition Robinson in El

Nido.

The whole production concept was subjected to careful study

by the Departments of Tourism and of Environment and Natural

Resources, the Provincial Government of Palawan, the Palawan

Council for Sustainable Development staff and the Municipality

of El Nido.

A monitoring team--composed of representatives of the local

government unit, DENR, DOT, Ten Knots and Strix--was

organized to check and ensure that the activities of Expedition

Robinson were not harmful to the environment.

Strix complied with the requirements for an environmental

impact assessment.

''We have a very high awareness of protecting the

environment,'' says Tellander.

Palawan Gov. Salvador P. Socrates says it was the concerted

effort of the government and the private sector that made it

possible for Strix to shoot Expedition Robinson in El Nido.

He adds that through the adventure game show, the

municipality of El Nido, the province of Palawan and the entire

Philippines will be in focus in the Scandinavian countries.

The governor also says that compared to other provinces in the

country, Palawan has been able to maintain its natural

environment to a certain degree, making it one of the major

tourism destinations in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta, on the other hand,

says the Philippines should continue to host international

events such as Expedition Robinson.

According to a DOT official, the adventure game show has a

promotional value equivalent to about US$80 million. (Among

the tourist arrivals from Europe, Scandinavians make up the

third largest group to visit the Philippines.)