This color travelogue-style film from the mid-1950s is presented by Northwest Orient Airlines as both an advert for the airline’s services and perhaps, propaganda material, promoting democratic ideals in post-World War II Asia. The film takes the viewer around the island nation of the Philippines highlighting both the traditional handicrafts and ways of life in various towns and cities as well as the country’s modern marvels of new post-war buildings and mechanized industries. The narrator often emphasizes the great sacrifice of the Filipino people during World War II and their strong dedication to democratic ideals and modernization.

View from plane looking down at Corregidor Island in Manila Bay (0:07). Person looks out from boat at the bay, tree-lined coast and deep blue water (0:16). Filipino soldiers walk through perhaps Battery Way past two of the 12-inch mortars that survived the Japanese invasion during World War II (0:23). Servicemen inspect weather-worn ruins of anti-aircraft cannons (0:34). Remnants of mortar shells remain on the beach, rust color contrasts with white sand (0:41). Group of adults exit Malinta Tunnel (0:47). Mora vinta boat sails in waters off of Zamboanga, west Mindanao Island (0:54). Zamboanga fisherman and children do carpentry work on straw huts built above the water (1:12). A family voyages in their vinta, dugout canoe (1:21). Young woodcarvers in Luzon work on detailing the face of wood figurines (1:26). Exterior of Catholic church, congregants exit (1:53). Teenagers do Tinikling or bamboo dance (2:04). Man pokes at palm trees to harvest coconuts for copra (2:39). Men sit on ground and dig out meat from dried coconuts (2:53). Agricultural workers harvest sugar cane stalks (3:09). Take-off perhaps Philippine Airlines C-47A Skytrain (3:37). Horse-drawn rigs drive on road next to trucks (3:55). Artisan crafts rattan furniture (4:10). Miners observe as gold and silver mining carts exit the mining site (4:39). Miners exit the tunnel covered in soot and dust (4:45). Ox-pulled cart and field workers harvest pineapples in Mindanao (4:52). Abacá field/ Manila hemp (5:24). Cultivated stalks transported by miniature railroad through plantation (5:51). Interior of factory: machine husks stalks (6:02). Extracted fibers hung up to dry (6:18). Bails of abacá loaded onto inter-island vessels at local dock (6:29). Loggers saw at tree stump, mahogany lumber industry (6:55). Camera pans floating logs that are sent to mill, contrast tree lined coast (7:54). Modern machinery: power-saw (8:07). Men play game of Sipa on small public court (8:54). Jockeys on horses at Manila Race Track, crowds cheer, dust settles in the path of the horses (9:39). Philippine Army Band marches with different brass instruments, other troops march with rifles (10:26). Baseball game (11:00). Airborne Northwest Orient Airlines DC-4 Propliner (11:34). Interior of plane: flight attendants tend to passengers, various accommodations (11:43). Two women sleep on in-flight beds (12:41). Passengers disembark from plane at Manila International Airport (13:19). Camera pans Manila skyline, cars pass over bridges on the Pasig River (13:31). World War II ruins – reminders of old Manila (13:42). Heavily trafficked street in downtown commercial area of Manila (13:58). Back of Jeepney filled with passengers (14:08). Montage of new and modernized buildings (14:18). Manila Post Office (14:25). Manila National Museum of Fine Arts (14:37). Exterior of Manila Hotel (14:45). Filipina woman wears a pastel-pink colored “butterfly gown” (14:56). Newly-married couple poses for photos in front of hotel (15:03). Exterior of University of Santo Tomas main building (15:14). Exterior of engineering faculty (15:26). Group of young students pose for camera (15:36). Port-side factories and industrial centers in Manila (15:51). San Miguel Beer brewery (16:01). Mechanized assembly line – filling bottles with beer (16:05). Completed rope of abacá fiber transported to port for shipment (16:17). Rice-field planting to tempo of plucking guitar accompaniment (16:41). Closing credits and text in Tagalog (17:44).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com