Cover Iva Agüero and Phil Estiot sail to amazing destinations and meet the most inspiring people who make their travel show more than just a travelogue
Iva Agüero and Phil Estiot sail to amazing destinations and meet the most inspiring people who make their travel show more than just a travelogue
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Through their travel show Dreamcatchers, Phil Estiot and Iva Agüero do not only show amazing places but share inspiring stories, real treasures of which many they found in the Philippines
Ten years ago, the French Phil Estiot and the Argentinian Iva Agüero both left their corporate jobs in Malaysia to embark on a sailing adventure together around Asia on their beloved sailboat, Dali. They documented their travels in video footage which not only regaled family and friends but was good enough to be turned into a travel/adventure television show called Dreamcatchers. It first showed in the Philippines at the end of 2016, and easily zoomed up the chart of travel shows. For Dreamcatchers is not the usual travelogue; it tells heart-warming stories of people and their unique experiences amid a backdrop of amazing sceneries. Here are Estiot and Agüero as they tell us more.
Anton San Diego: How did it all start?
Phil Estiot: “We started sailing in 2015. After a year around Indonesia, we came back with a lot of footage
and partnered with a production company in Kuala Lumpur, who really liked what we did. In 2016, we launched our first season. We got a lot of interests very quickly from travel channels around Southeast Asia, Brazil and Europe but the first to air Dreamcatchers was ABS-CBN on its Metro Channel, formerly Lifestyle.
Iva Agüero: When we began filming, we had an idea, a message. But we didn’t have much experience (in the film production business). In the beginning, we would do research online. I had direct access to a lot of people in the TV industry, contacted a lot of people using LinkedIn and said, “We are independent producers, we have this series.”
ASD: Did you know about the Philippines before coming here?
PE: We knew that it was a very beautiful country, but we were amazed to discover that it was more beautiful than we ever imagined. Palawan was our point of entry.
IA: Before the Philippines, we both have spent 20 years in Asia. I grew up in Malaysia for most of my life. We travelled a lot in the region, but for some reason, never quite made it to the Philippines. It always seemed less accessible than other destinations. We didn’t really do research before going to the Philippines; after all, we’re used to discovering places.
PE: You ask what our expectations were of the Philippines. We expected beautiful scenery and we knew that Filipinos are nice people, but we didn’t realise how welcoming they are. Like this beautiful family we met in the Mountain Province. It was raining hard and we got lost and this family came to our rescue. The father gave us his bed and I don’t even know where he slept. That was the big discovery of that trip: the people. Your people is the reason why we really fell in love with your country.
IA: We want to share such behind-the-scene stuff in Dreamcatchers, such as our experience with this family, I remember I was crying because I was so touched by them. We travel a lot but have not encountered this brand of generosity and the kindness. And they didn’t even show any hint of expecting something in return. It’s just genuine kindness and such a beautiful moment, which would be followed by many more. Like the same kindness from the people of Bohol where we lost our drone. They stopped to help us, using their cell phones and flashlights. We left for Bicol without the drone. Ten days later, we got a phone call on the number we left them. “Ma’am, ma’am, we found it, we found it!” I just couldn’t believe it.
Above Iva at Palawan Dinghy
Iva at Palawan Dinghy
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ASD: Amazing! Are these your favourite stories, or are there others?
PE: There’s so many but for me, it would be meeting Tom, our first encounter in the Philippines. This guy keeps on following his dreams even with only one arm. When we met, he was teaching martial arts. Who does that with one arm? Scared of nothing, always in good spirits. He’s gone through cancer but remains positive. When you meet a person like that, you’d think, “All my little problems, worries are nothing.”
IA: I have two, or three. First are the girls we interviewed for “Project Pearls” in Tondo. We went into the whole experience being sceptical and expecting people to tell us that they are just surviving and doing their best to make ends meet. Instead, we met not only the two girls we featured on the show but also volunteers from that community who all have these dreams. They were so lovely, so full of hope. And then there’s Lian. Her island and the kingdom she created all by herself are mind-blowingly beautiful. We were there for four or five days to film her interview, and completely naked. For me, that was once in a lifetime experience.
PE: Can I add the French man from Sagada who rode a bicycle for eight years, from France to Sagada. We never showed his face on camera.
IA: And he told us, do you care about my face or do you care about my story?
ASD: What would you like to tell Filipinos who are currently at home dreaming about their next adventure?
PE: First, be patient. The world we are living in today is not quite adventure friendly. The good news is that the Philippines is opening domestic tourism in some places again. Second, anything is possible. If you find one goal and put the energy into it, you can achieve it.
IA: I say that this is a really good time to assess where you are, what you want to do in life. This whole pandemic has allowed us to reflect on the things that are really important and if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do or a place you’ve been wanting to go, take this time to plan and figure out how you are going to make that happen. You need to make your dreams come true.
Above Phil and Iva at Miniloc Island
Phil and Iva at Miniloc Island
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ASD: How has the pandemic helped you see life in a different manner?
PE: Now more than ever, I realise how lucky we are, being able to discover places and meeting new people even in this pandemic. We shot a television series for the French channel MyZen TV here. It aired two seasons of Dreamcatchers already and asked us to produce for them a series called “MyZen People”, 13-minute interviews of people who made a change in their life. We shot season 3 in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. We shot 13 episodes in France in the summer, and the last episodes in the North West of Spain.
Read also: How To Travel In The New Normal: Bobby Cuenca Interviews Experts
Above Flirting with the creatures of the sea
Flirting with the creatures of the sea
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ASD: Is there a season 4 for the Philippines?
IA: That was the plan. The plan for this year was to leave the boat in the Philippines, do some work on land, do some projects every summer in Europe. The plan was always to return to the Philippines in September or October, get the boat ready and sail during the good season. Our plan is to propose season 4 to the Department of Tourism, to work together with them so we can plan the shoot according to what they think is best.
PE: And discover more beautiful stories, beautiful dreamcatchers’ stories because at the end of the day, what’s most important for us is to show people that it’s possible to dream, to make a change, to choose something that you haven’t dared to do for many years.
Anton San Diego, editor-in-chief of Tatler Philippines for 24 years and founding member of Manila House, blends his background in fashion and hospitality to shape the country’s leading voice on luxury and culture.
IG and Threads: @antonsd
Facebook: Anton San Diego
