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Leg 24.01 – “Sinira natin ang Pilipinas!”
Thirteen brand new teams arrive at the Amphitheater at the University of the Philippines for the Starting Line. This first Leg will be a CashKarera Leg. So teams will be Racing to bank money at every Route Marker and task while also Racing to avoid a Non-Elimination penalty in the next Leg.
Once they are flagged off, teams must run through Quezon Hall and the Oblation Plaza to the Sunken Garden for the Duel Duel!
For this Starting Line Duel, teams will find 2 huge sets of long tangled ropes. Teams must choose a rope on one end and then untangle it through the maze of rope to a clue waiting on the other side. Once they have properly untangled the rope and retrieved the clue, they can continue on the Race.
However, teams also have the option to choose to untangle and unravel a rope on the other set for a chance to win a Fast Forward Flip, one of two Express Passes, a Super Yield, a Pit Start Pass and one of two extra Interchanges. However, five of the ropes lead to nothing at the end.
After teams have claimed the clue, they must make their way to the National Museum of Natural History where they will encounter a Road Block: Who can get it write?
Baybayin is the ancient writing system of the Tagalog People, particularly before Spanish colonization. In recent years, efforts have been made to raise appreciation for Baybaybin for its historical context and as an art form. For this Road Block, teams will be given their next Route Marker written in Baybayin which they must rewrite using calligraphy. They will then transcribe the same clue into the Roman alphabet. When correct, teams can follow the clue to their next Route Marker.
And that Route Marker is the Sentinel of Freedom in Rizal Park.
Teams must pick up a large cart of puzzle pieces and push it through Rizal Park to Burnham Green by the Quirino Grandstand where they must assemble a miniature version of the Relief Map of the Philippines, originally sculpted by Jun M. Mendoza.
Once correct, teams will receive the next clue. And after the Race, the assembled relief maps will be donated to elementary schools across the country!
The next clue directs teams to attach their completed relief map to a padyak and pedal their way to the Cultural Center of the Philippines to deliver it!
Once they have found the drop off location somewhere around the Tanghalang Pambansa and safely delivered their maps, teams will receive the next clue which reveals the Detour: Concrete Creativity or Performance Perfection.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines and the adjacent Philippine International Convention Center are two iconic works of the renowned architect and National Artist Leandro Locsin. Being able to offer a unique take on modernist architecture, particularly the brutalist style while incorporating Filipino elements and sensibilities has left an enduring legacy.
In Concrete Creativity, teams will explore one aspect in the construction of similarly brutalist structures known as concrete casting. First, teams must correctly build a mold including applying a proper release agent. Teams will then mix their own quick-setting concrete to the prescribed consistency and then pour it into the mold to create a piece that embodies the “floating volume” concept of Brutalist architecture, one of Leandro Locsin’s trademarks. They will then tap on the mold to eliminate any air pockets in order to ensure a smooth cast. Teams must then wait 15-20 minutes before carefully demolding their cast. When the foreman approves of their cast, they will receive the next clue.
In Performance Perfection, teams will learn a modern version of Pandanggo sa ilaw. In addition to learning intricate steps with varying tempo, teams must keep pace with the beat while balancing small cups filled with colored liquid mimicking candle wax on their head and their hands. Teams must properly perform the routine while not losing a single drop of liquid. Otherwise they must start the performance over until they get the thumbs up and their next clue.
This is a Limited Stations Detour. A maximum of seven teams can choose to do either side of the Detour.
After the Detour, teams can make their way to the Pit Stop: the Philippine International Convention Center.
The first team to check-in will receive P200,000 courtesy of Shell V-Power Nitro+ in addition to their CashKarera winnings today.
The last team to check-in WILL NOT be eliminated and must now choose a Non-Elimination Penalty envelope.
^Click here to follow the teams through the Leg and see the final CashKarera results!
”Director’s” Commentary
We’re back! Hehehehe.
So the CashKarera Legs return this season. Both as a way to have extra “episodes” and also to have a non-finale Philippine Leg too. I think this is overall a solid Leg that could easily suit a non-Philippine TAR as well.
One Starting Line task I’ve had jotted down for a while now is this rope task. Inspired by Survivor’s similar challengers, I think having teams untangling huge ropes would be hilarious and chaotic. Especially at the Starting Line. Of course, we have to have the side-challenge for the Fast Forward, Express Pass, Super Yield, Interchanges, Pit Start Passes, etc. Originally, I would’ve put plane tickets at the end of the ropes. But since we’re not flying out yet, then regular clues it is.
I needed to find a large area where we could stage the ropes task. The Quirino Grandstand was an obvious location, but I needed it for the later task. I’ve had all the major university campuses as potential Starting Lines. And remember the Sunken Garden, I thought UP would be a good choice here.
Next up, I’ve had a baybayin task on reserve as well. So with this Leg basically centered around this area, having a baybain task at the museum would be perfect. A simple task which is cultural and could potentially be challenging for some teams.
Then, again since we’re here in Rizal Park, I wanted to do something with the relief map which has since been removed. Sadly. So to pay tribute to it, it would be fun to have teams put it back together. Albeit a little smaller. So having teams push the pieces across the park to Quirino Grandstand and then assemble them there is another extra challenge.
To add to the challenge, having teams pedal the completed map down Roxas Boulevard could be an amazing task I think! We’ll ensure the teams’ safety on the busy road of course. But I think it could provide some fun and dramatic moments. Plus, we get to parade the maps for the public to see! Hehe.
Adding the tidbit about donating the maps to schools also shows we like to give back to our communities hehe.
Next, one thing I’ve had reserved too is featuring architecture. Specifically brutalist architecture which is very fascinating to me. The CCP and the PICC are of course excellent and stunning examples of such architecture. So I wanted to do a task related to that since we’re here.
I wish we could have all teams do the cement task. Especially something more intricate like actually having to lay the concrete blocks in some sort of puzzle. Like make it stand on its own weight or something like that. But we can’t have 13 spots. So it’s a simpler, more straightforward Detour here.
It’s definitely time consuming. So for the other side of the Detour with the unique take on pandanggo, we have to make it much more difficult and also time -consuming. The not spilling liquid should be enough of a factor to make teams struggle.
Finally, the Mat at this iconic location at the PICC. Perfect!
Overall, a really great opening Leg. Good enough for a CashKarera Leg and also to prepare teams for the rest of the Race outside of the country!