PHILIPPINES The Most Dangerous Roads in the World 🇵🇭 | Episode 2

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Hey guys and welcome to Alex Beyond Borders. We  have the second episode of the most dangerous world roads in the Philippines. We had the first  episode. I'm going to leave the card at the end of the video if you didn't saw that. Something crazy  and outstanding. We saw in the first episode as well the oldest uh Filipina uh tattoo artist which  I was blown away by it. So I done a video on uh Alex and Channel Vault about her. It's something  outstanding when and I know it's a long way over there to the mountains, but when I'm going to be  in the Philippines, I'm going to try to make a tattoo at her. I don't know. I know it's really  difficult because sometimes she receives you, she's not it's it's crazy, but I'm going to try  it. Anyways, let's go with the second episode.

[00:00:45]And if you like what you see, and so Albert has to  try his luck on the Hima Highway every day a new The highway is named after its constructor, the  American engineer Yuzabius Hima. It was first designed as a footpath in the 20s of the last  century. For the people living here, the Hima is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It helps  develop the region, but also claims many lives.

[00:01:29]Up until today, it is considered to be one of  the most dangerous roads in the world due to its bad condition. For Dennis and his passengers,  the Hima is a true challenge every single time.

[00:01:47]I think by now I know every single turn on the  house. With the amount of time I spent driving it, the street has engraved itself into my memory.  I know the slippery parts, the tricky slopes, and the sections where the rocks come down.  Many horrible accidents have claimed lives here, and cars have fallen into the abyss. This section  might be the worst. If you apply the brakes carelessly, you start skidding immediately.  The passengers are aware of the dangers, too. Highways. This section of the street  has so many bends. Horrible. It's so high up. It scares me. I'm already exhausted. And  it's better if I just keep my mouth shut.

[00:02:38]Everyone here has heard  stories of horrible accidents.

[00:02:48]There are many reasons why so many  accidents happen. Mechanical problem.

[00:02:53]Most of them happen because of  technical problems with the old cars. But the weather also plays a role.  There's dense fog, rain, and worst of all, typhoons and landslides. That's the  way things happen here on the Hima.

[00:03:12]This road has claimed many lives. And do you  imagine if the brakes fails here? But the Hima also offers economical opportunities.  A dozen small dealers make money in this village with the passing traffic.  More than 50 buses stop here every day.

[00:03:37]So here we have nuts with the popular  adobo flavor. We buy it per kilo in the city and then put it in small bags. This  is garlic flavored and this is sweet peanut.

[00:03:50]Business goes especially well on the public  holidays. That's when everyone working in the big cities drives back to their families  in the mountains. I guess they taste good.

[00:04:06]After taking a short break, Dennis continues  to force his bus along the winding road.

[00:04:26]The Himma Highway also attracts tourists.

[00:04:34]Bikers from the capital city appreciate the  winding ride on the legendary highway. For a week, this group is traveling the mountains with  their historic British military motorcycles.

[00:04:54]Last night was a trial of courage  for the motorcycle club from Manila.

[00:04:58]They had to endure continuous rainfall with  poor visibility for several hundred kilometers.

[00:05:13]This this this road is not a joke. Uh actually  it is my first time here and I'm lucky enough to have these guys with me. The ride last night  was fun. Adrenaline thrills You cannot even see the the road because of the fogs and it's  raining and it was fun. We are very very cold and it's nice landslide. Basically, it's  dangerous. Actually, we're not uh saying it's a good thing to do. After last night's wild  ride, the bikers are taking it easy today on their winding tour, leading ever deeper into  the remote mountains of the high plateau.

[00:05:56]It's beautiful, but the danger  is real. In the meantime, Dennis has already covered half the  distance of the Hassima Highway.

[00:06:09]He has arrived at the Philippine Salad Bowl. This is where all the vegetables for the  region and the capital city, Manila, are grown. The Hansima provides the farmers  with everything they need for agriculture.

[00:06:26]Off the highway, there are  still almost only wild tracks, though. Romeo Kagayan is a farmer. In order  to reach his field, which is 3 km away, he must endure a good shaking,  a strain for man and material.

[00:06:51]When we arrive home after this stretch, we can still feel the road. Your hips  are hurting. Your body is tired. This path really wears you down. You should have  your wife giving you a massage afterwards.

[00:07:10]Today, Romeo and his helpers are  harvesting radish and cabbage.

[00:07:15]Afterwards, he has to drive the harvest  directly to the central market at the end of the highway. Prices are higher  if he sells fresh from the field.

[00:07:27]His helpers have already started  working. There are no reapers.

[00:07:31]Everything is done by hand. Man, imagine the work.

[00:07:41]The radish is washed and packaged  already on the field. The wholesalers expect it that way. Romeo's job as  a farmer has changed considerably over the past years. The highway has  become much more important for him.

[00:08:00]I used to only be a farmer. When I bought a truck,  I suddenly had two professions, farmer and driver.

[00:08:08]because I delivered vegetables for everyone.

[00:08:12]I have employees that do the planting  for me because I'm mostly driving now.

[00:08:33]Julius Curyab is a sales representative for  a seed company. There is strong competition and so he visits the farmers in the  fields to find out what they need.

[00:08:46]On these narrow paths, it's much  quicker to take the motorbike. This way, he can visit up to half a dozen clients a  day. So, he's bringing the seeds over there.

[00:09:01]How are you? Hi, I'm Julius from  Seedworks. Since you're growing carrots, I brought some seeds for you to try out.

[00:09:10]This way, Romeo is able to order his  seeds right in the middle of his field.

[00:09:21]It's good for business to come here by motorcycle  and we're used to these kinds of roads. It's normal for us, even if it's just a bumpy track.  We've learned to live with it. Romeo and his men must hurry. If they want the goods to be on the  market today, they have only a few hours left, man. And then they now they have to do that  road again. If Romeo arrives too late, he has to wait until the next day. A great financial  loss because the price will have gone down.

[00:09:57]Man, look at that.

[00:10:17]Meanwhile, Dennis is still driving  his bus through the salad bowl.

[00:10:24]He and his passengers have already  made it halfway. Time for lunch break.

[00:10:34]The passengers leave the bus somewhat  stiff-legged after the long winding journey.

[00:10:39]They have 20 minutes to move around and quickly  take a bite of something. Dennis has been loyal to the Morning Star restaurant for 25 years now. Ever  since he started driving the Hassima. The lunch costs 100 pesos, almost €2. For most people, it's  a lot of money and not everyone can afford it.

[00:11:05]Dennis and his conductor Sandy  enjoy free catering. After all, their buses bring customers. As that, you  know. So, what do we have here? Rice. We always eat here. We eat quickly so we  can move on quickly and get home early.

[00:11:25]Eat quickly, move on quickly, and drive quickly.

[00:11:31]They haven't yet made half their journey  and there are still many bends to come.

[00:12:03]A few kilometers further on this.

[00:12:14]Again and again, severe accidents occur on  the highway. Last year, a school bus with 15 students crashed and fell 100 m into the canyon.  12 students died. The others were badly injured.

[00:12:35]This exercise is supposed to prepare  paramedics for the many accidents.

[00:12:46]All of us are paramedics from the region. We  practice for emergencies as realistically as possible. God, these horrible things  happen here. So, we practice a lot to learn new techniques and get a feel for the  situation and how serious the injuries are.

[00:13:06]Farmer Romeo's house is in Buguyas,  situated directly at the highway. From here, it's not far to the fields, and he can head  off straight to the central market. As always, his wife tells him to drive carefully. Too much has happened and she knows that Romeo is  in a hurry to be at the market on time.

[00:13:40]From Buuyas, which is halfway down the highway, it takes 3 to 4 hours to reach the city  of Buuyo with its 500,000 inhabitants.

[00:13:57]Romeo has been driving the highway for  more than 20 years, rain or shine. Even a bad typhoon couldn't stop him a couple  of years ago. Once he had a brake failure, and he just about managed to save his truck by  driving into a wall. Romeo knows the old cars are always good for a surprise. And the brake  failure is the most terrifying. What happened?

[00:14:26]No, the filter was uh filled with uh  dirt. So I must have to repair. Oh, this is a we'll fix it there up. No. Oh, Romeo is not only a farmer and a  driver, but also a car mechanic by now. He owns several old trucks and  one of them could always break down.

[00:15:15]The guy is so yep.

[00:15:26]What can you do? You have  to watch out for yourself, even in the middle of the night. Do not rely on  others when it comes to fixing your own truck.

[00:15:41]Not such a big deal. The air filter is  dirty and Romeo can clean it himself.

[00:15:46]It doesn't even take half an  hour to repair the damage.

[00:15:55]Things like these happen often here. We're  prepared, but only if you fix it immediately, you can save your goods. I need to be at the central  market on time or else my vegetables will go bad.

[00:16:19]So now Romeo will drive even faster in  order to not have to queue up until the next morning and not to have to  sleep over at the central market.

[00:16:30]Man, such a strength and  resilience. This is Filipino people.

[00:16:37]Just wow. Everywhere along the  highway, the farmers and their families have settled between the canyon and  the road. Most of them own only small fields, which are in fact illegal, but  the authorities let them be.

[00:16:58]3 years ago, a typhoon dragged a few houses down  into the canyon. In the meantime, the inhabitants have rebuilt them. They want to stay on in spite  of the danger since they have no alternative.

[00:17:15]Vilma and Caprio Kissman are harvesting.

[00:17:24]They have grown their sciote fruits directly into the steep slope. The selling of  the fruits is their sole income.

[00:17:34]We've decided to live right at the  houseima because it's more practical.

[00:17:38]That way we can harvest the fruits  and bring them straight to the market.

[00:17:45]They have to carry their meager harvest up  the mountain on foot. During the rainy season, they can hardly sit on their field  without risking falling down the wet slope. Everybody's risking almost  their lives here. A sack of these pumpkin-like fruits brings them  300 pacetas, a bit more than€5.

[00:18:20]I wish there was somebody there to  help us. Then we would immediately leave this place because it's really very very  dangerous. But this is how we make a living.

[00:18:42]We worry a lot about the cars. We try to bring  and pick up our children from school. The traffic is scary. The street is really dangerous and  there are many accidents. I'm very worried.

[00:19:06]Well, even if he's in a great hurry,  Romeo stops the truck to visit them.

[00:19:28]Hi, how are you? Sorry for being so late, but  I had a breakdown and had to clean the filter.

[00:19:36]Let's carry your fruit onto the truck.

[00:19:41]Okay.

[00:19:45]Romeo knows how hard it is  for the family and tries to help them by taking their fruit to the market.

[00:19:58]It always tends to get foggy in the afternoon.  During the day, the tropical sun warms the humid air. It rises. In the afternoon, it condenses  to fog in the mountains and it starts to rain.

[00:20:10]Jesus. Within a short period of time, the highway  then turns into a dangerously slippery track.

[00:20:21]Sometimes there is a change in  the weather from one mountain to the next. Dennis ended up right  in the middle of this dense fog.

[00:20:38]We know our it gets foggy every afternoon.  Sometimes it's so bad that you can't see the road anymore. You have to be  very careful to stay on the road.

[00:20:58]Man, such a courage. I I don't  have any words. Farmer Romeo was lucky. He reached the valley before the fog did.

[00:21:16]The Hima is dangerous, but at least it  doesn't hurt as much. The bumpy tracks we usually travel hurt so much you  can't even sleep at night. The Hima has been paved almost everywhere now,  which makes it a bit more comfortable.

[00:21:33]In the end, Romeo did make it. He arrived in  the city on time. Thank God. And he catches a stand with the cooperative from his village. It  organizes the sale of vegetables for its local farmers. Romeo is allowed to pass the queue,  but he too has spent whole nights queuing up.

[00:22:13]I'm very lucky I didn't have to  queue up and got in straight away.

[00:22:20]My cabbage would stay fresh.

[00:22:26]The market is run by the state.  Farmers from the whole region sell their products to the salesmen  coming from the neighboring cities.

[00:22:45]Soon, a potential buyer for Romeo's Harvest shows  up. You like my vegetables? Let's see. How much can you pay? I'll give you 18 per kilo. Come on.  A bit more. I could set it for more. You know, it doesn't work that way, brother. Ah, okay. The  customer buys the whole load for 18 pesos a kilo, 35 cents if converted to euros. And Romeo  has to wrap every single cabbage into newspaper twice and put them into  sacks. Every single one of them.

[00:23:24]Great. I quickly sold my cabbage for a good price.

[00:23:30]Yeah. Now he just needs to get rid of his  radish to make this a really good day.

[00:23:41]Baguyo lies at 1500 m and is normally seen as a  summer resort, but it's a fast growing city and so traffic is growing too. On some days the smog and  smut make it hard for the people to even breathe.

[00:23:55]Dennis has been steering his bus along the  winding highway for more than 8 hours now.

[00:24:05]I don't mind the driving. 7  to 8 hours are normal for me.

[00:24:15]If you give up too easily, you won't  make money and your family stays hungry.

[00:24:25]The bus terminal in Baguio. This  is where passengers from all over the country arrive. Dennis will  spend the night here and sleep in his bus. Tomorrow he'll be back in  his living room, the Hima Highway.

[00:24:45]Okay.

[00:24:56]Come on, Sandy. Enough for today. Let's thank God  for driving well and safe and without an accident.

[00:25:13]That was it, guys. The second episode. This was  a series of two episodes. Uh it's amazing and I'm I'm thinking about the resilience of the  Filipino people how they risk their lives in any single situation just to take care of the  family and you know you got to do what you got to do but still and uh they rely on those trucks  and especially on the brakes like I was saying if there is a brake failure over there on those  streets I mean it's over and it's it's just wow just don't have any words and respect  respect because this is what it's all about uh about the respect for this for these people and  the roads man are so crazy. I mean I have fog over here in the north of Italy but uh you know I'm not  on a mountain. It's a big difference uh of seeing the street and you know the curves and everything.  So yeah, just just insanely um insanely thing that you know the people from the Philippine can do and  especially then the vegetables the guy who tries to earn a living by doing that street 7 hours 6  hours you know it's it's mind-blowing but this is uh we should learn from this from if you are going  to work now and I don't know you do your shift and you say oh my god I'm so tired whatever look at  this and have I mean think about It makes me think of a lot of things and like I was saying have a  lot a lot of respect uh for the Filipino people and Filipino as a country and as everything you  know how much I love the Philippines and uh we're going to keep exploring more of the nature of the  Philippine here on the channel and other country as well. And there is Alex and Channel vault which  is dedicated to the Philippines as you already know. Then if you like music there is Alex and  channel. So we have uh all three things covered up. Thank you for watching. Thank you for being  here. God bless the Philippines. And don't forget, we're going to have some amazing video coming  up. So, subscribe. Thank you for watching.