Asia Insight - Season 4

A social entrepreneur in the Philippines is engineering a grassroots revolution in the retail industry. His group is working with small neighborhood shops known as sari-sari stores. These vendors supply millions of Filipinos with their daily essentials. Most sari-sari operators are women trying to supplement family incomes, but they often struggle to make a profit. In this episode of Asia Insight, we follow the group's trainers as they help the shopkeepers turn their businesses around - and leverage the power of networking.

In impoverished areas of the Philippines, many households cannot afford electricity and don't use their lights. As the homes are so densely packed, they block sunlight and remain in darkness even during the day. Illac Diaz is a social entrepreneur who is striving to help those in this situation by promoting the use of an ingenious method of lighting using plastic bottles. This episode of Asia Insight focuses on his project and the lives of those who struggle to find adequate sources of lighting in the Philippines.

Thailand's CO2 emissions have reached a staggering 310 million tons per year, mostly due to heavy traffic in urban areas and smog-spewing factories. At the 2014 COP20 climate change conference in Peru, the country boldly announced its plans to reduce CO2 emissions by between 7% and 20% before 2020, in line with its ambitions of becoming the industrial center of Asia. Many companies have already begun following the government's lead, by investing in modern facilities and switching to new fuels and materials. Members of the public are also doing their part with some people making products from waste that would otherwise be incinerated. In this episode, we follow Thailand's efforts on the frontline of greenhouse gas reduction.

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and is famous as the world's most densely populated city. More and more international companies are making inroads into the market in pursuit of cheap labour and although the country is experiencing rapid economic growth - an average of 6% every year - Bangladesh still remains one of the poorest nations in Asia. Dhaka's port bustles with migrants coming in from rural areas in search of work. Outside the city, however, life is hard with not enough farming work to go round. But with increased construction in the city, the demand for brick exceeds the supply. Is this a chance for the people of Bangladesh to escape poverty and look forward to a life of more abundance?

On December 26, 2004, a massive 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering an enormous tsunami. About 220,000 people died and missing in 14 countries. Aceh, a province in the north of Sumatra, was very close to the epicentre. The dead and missing there numbered 170,000, and over 400,000 people lost their homes. Mr. Lukman sold precious metals in Banda Aceh. When the tsunami hit, Lukman's wife Susilowati was visiting her parents' home; her husband was in their store. When Mr. Lukman finally reached their village hours later, their home had vanished, and their 3 children were nowhere to be found. 10 years later, Mr. Lukman and his wife are still haunted by memories of their children, crying as they remember them. The people of Aceh agree that the biggest change since the tsunami is the arrival of peace.

Laos has enjoyed constant economic growth averaging over 7.5% over the past 10 years. This has created new jobs and a demand for various types of workers, resulting in an influx of tens of thousands of migrants from neighboring Vietnam. Many Vietnamese see Laos' rapid growth as a golden opportunity for success, especially with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community and the region's economic integration expected later this year. We follow several Vietnamese migrants in Laos as they search for wealth and prosperity.

Bhutan is still one of the world's Least Developed Countries and many people in rural areas only own one pair of shoes and cannot afford to replace them when they are worn out. With the support of many volunteers, shoe-repair-shop owner, Dawa Dakpa, has been collecting, cleaning and repairing old shoes and distributing them all over the country free of charge. His goal is to make sure that everyone in the country will never have to go without proper footwear. In this episode of Asia Insight, we follow his tireless efforts to achieve this.

China's one-child policy has contributed to a rapid greying of the population. This has led to an increase in senile dementia, a condition in which memory and thinking skills decline so severely, that the ability to perform everyday activities becomes extremely difficult. Many elderly citizens have started wandering off and going missing with some disappearing altogether. Volunteer groups and the government have started taking action, in a bid to locate and reunite such seniors with their families. In this episode, we follow China's efforts to find its missing aging citizens.

Indonesia is home to 240 million people, 90% of whom are Muslim. Right now, Islamic fashion is very much in vogue, especially among the younger generation. Shopping malls in the capital city of Jakarta have more and more shops selling clothing and accessories, while websites specializing in Islamic fashion are enjoying big success. This program takes a close look at the work and life of Ria Miranda, and investigates the reasons why Islamic fashion is enjoying such a burst of popularity in Indonesia and beyond.

Kung Fu or Chinese martial arts have become a way for many youngsters from rural parts of China to escape from poverty. They enter academies in and around the mythical Shaolin Temple and train in a severe environment, miles away from their families and homes. Graduates typically go on to become police officers, military personnel, bodyguards or even movie actors. In this episode, we follow one 14-year-old trainee who is fighting for his dream of joining China's special police force and one day supporting his parents.

As its economy develops, the women of Papua New Guinea are becoming more enterprising and starting to play a wider role in society. The government feels that women are central to the country's future and have begun providing financial assistance to help females get started in business. The ventures women undertake are diverse, ranging from coffin decoration to hotel ownership. In this episode, we follow the female entrepreneurs of Papua New Guinea, as they forge new roads ahead.

By 2016, more than 14% of Singapore's population will be over the age of 65 and with a birthrate of just 1.19%, there is an urgent need to create a new social system to cope with this ageing society. Both government schemes and private sector investment are being put into place to create new opportunities for the elderly. On this episode of Asia Insight, we take a look at how Singapore is challenging its aging society.

Bright orange bicycles have become an increasingly common sight in Taiwan's biggest city, Taipei. They're all part of YouBike, the public bike sharing system introduced by the city's Department of Transportation to combat traffic congestion, global warming and energy issues. There are now around 6,000 bikes in service, with over 160 rental stations. Since its official launch in 2012, YouBike users have continued to climb. The total number of rentals has exceeded 40 million in just over 2 years. That translates to 11 users per bike per day - far more than user numbers in France and the U.K. where bike sharing systems have long been in operation. What's behind Taipei's success? We examine the efforts and initiatives of the city's transportation department and the company contracted to run the service - Taiwan's largest bicycle manufacturer. We'll also reveal the diverse ways in which the public has embraced the service.

China is known all over the world for its counterfeit goods, with millions of tourists taking home fake products from the country as souvenirs every year. But, as the nation's reputation for phony merchandise continues to grow, some people are standing up against unscrupulous vendors and are trying to make a change. In this episode, we follow China's Counterfeit Hunters in their quest to protect consumers and raise the quality of products made in China.

40 years after the Vietnam War, a painful legacy of the jungle fighting continues to inflict suffering. The toxic defoliant Agent Orange - sprayed by the US and South Vietnamese forces - damaged the minds and bodies of civilians and soldiers. The Vietnamese government acknowledges at least 300,000 victims. With 3rd and 4th generations being affected, that figure keeps growing. In this episode, we follow the Dao family as it struggles to survive a war that never ends.

Vietnam has emerged as one of the most gay-friendly nations in Southeast Asia after recently ending a ban on same-sex marriage. In a country, which used to treat homosexuality as a sin on par with crime and prostitution, it's a significant change of direction. Gay-friendly businesses are becoming less taboo and new enterprises targeting homosexuals are beginning to emerge. They range from wedding planners to hotels and restaurants. In this episode, we look at the changing attitudes towards gay people in Vietnam as the country begins to embrace its homosexual population.

An old film reel is uncovered. Shot by a Japanese news agency, it shows a village in North Vietnam sending its young men off to war. Who are they? What were they thinking as they left for the battlefield? The undocumented footage offers no clues - except a possible timeframe: It was taken sometime around 1971. 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War, our Asia Insight crew set out to find the young men in the film.

Da Nang, Vietnam is located directly between the capital of Hanoi and the economic metropolis of Ho Chi Minh. The city has long prospered as a trading base between the east and west and thanks to the opening of the East West Economic Corridor, a road that cuts through Southeast Asia from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand to Myanmar, Da Nang has undergone a dramatic economic transformation. It now has the potential to become one of the largest distribution base in Southeast Asia. On this episode of Asia Insight, we take a look at how these new developments are benefiting the business people of Da Nang.

Phalla Neang has been teaching young people with visual and hearing impairments in Cambodia for over 20 years. She began her work in a Thai refugee camp after fleeing Cambodia's Pol Pot regime in the late 1970's. She's known as the mother of education for disabled children, and is the head teacher of several schools run by a foundation that offers disabled youngsters an inclusive education program. We follow her in her tireless efforts to provide a quality and fair education.

English language education for students from overseas is now a huge industry in the Philippines. In Cebu City, the country's 2nd largest metropolis, there are currently more than 200 schools with thousands of young students enrolled from all over Asia. Parents of Southeast Asian students in particular are attracted to the low fees. They also feel that as their home countries become richer, their children will have more opportunities to work abroad in an English speaking environment. Our crew follows the fortunes of a young Vietnamese student and a popular teacher.

The Dordoi Bazaar in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek is Eurasia's largest. It is a key way-stop on the route by which Chinese products travel to Russia and Central Asia. But the bazaar faces major change, as Kyrgyzstan joins the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) led by Russia. Before, import and export taxes were very low, and the intermediary trade of the bazaar blossomed. Having joined the EEU, however, import tariffs on Chinese products are expected to soar, which will have a massive impact on sales. Merchants are troubled, with some choosing to downsize their business, or close up shop altogether. As China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy unfolds, and the country turns its attention to Central Asia, small landlocked Kyrgyzstan is stuck between 2 giants. By looking at the Dordoi Bazaar, we'll examine the pressures faced by merchants throughout Kyrgyzstan.

The small, yet affluent city-state of Singapore, on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Occupying an area of just 710 square kilometers, the population already exceeds 5.4 million and is expected to grow even further due to migration from overseas. Only 1% of the country's land is used for agriculture, making Singapore dependent upon imports for 90% of its food. To combat this problem, businessmen have come together with the government to develop new and inventive agricultural techniques. Such innovations include rooftop farms in the city, and indoor greenhouses and vertical farming in more rural areas. In this episode of "Asia Insight", we follow the progress of new agricultural innovations in the urban state of Singapore.

The Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan is seeing an unending stream of 'legally' abandoned children. As many as 2,000 infants are relinquished every year in accordance with a family law that seems to reflect the nation's socialist history. The number is particularly high in the capital of Astana where large-scale development is attracting people from the regions coming in search of work. Many babies resulting from encounters between such men and women end up being legally abandoned. The program delves into this troubling social problem by looking at a children's home for "relinquished" infants and a mothers' home for solo mothers who have decided to keep their babies.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, recently expressed concerns over a culture of vulgarity that was taking root in the country. This led to self-regulations by certain industries - the most noticeable being the sudden ban of models at the Shanghai auto show, which had a reputation for using scantily dressed females. This move tarnished the image of modeling in China altogether and many girls found themselves out of work. In this episode, we follow a model, an agent and an auto show PR Director who are trying to restore and change people's perceptions of modeling in China.

A social entrepreneur in the Philippines is engineering a grassroots revolution in the retail industry. His group is working with small neighborhood shops known as sari-sari stores. These vendors supply millions of Filipinos with their daily essentials. Most sari-sari operators are women trying to supplement family incomes, but they often struggle to make a profit. In this episode of Asia Insight, we follow the group's trainers as they help the shopkeepers turn their businesses around - and leverage the power of networking.

In September 2014, the world witnessed Hong Kong's so-called "Umbrella Revolution", named after the umbrellas pro-democracy marchers used to protect themselves from tear gas, after they occupied central areas and brought Hong Kong to a virtual standstill. Students and citizens called out for "true universal suffrage" but not a single one of their demands were ever met. In this episode, we catch up with some of the Umbrella Revolution's key players, and hear what they feel about the future of Hong Kong.

China's one-child policy has contributed to a rapid greying of the population. This has led to an increase in senile dementia, a condition in which memory and thinking skills decline so severely, that the ability to perform everyday activities becomes extremely difficult. Many elderly citizens have started wandering off and going missing with some disappearing altogether. Volunteer groups and the government have started taking action, in a bid to locate and reunite such seniors with their families. In this episode, we follow China's efforts to find its missing aging citizens.

The Tibetan Mastiff became known as the "Dog of God" in China during the height of a craze to have them as pets, and there was once a time when one could be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But now that the fad has died down and owners realize these big dogs require special care, many are being abandoned or neglected. In this episode, we follow an animal rights group at the frontline of rescuing Tibetan Mastiffs and meet several breeders who have different reasons for breeding.

The National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia in Phnom Penh has been offering nutritious free meals to its patients, thanks to the support of a Japanese NGO. Although Cambodia has 8 national hospitals, it is the only one to offer such a service at this time. In general, there is still little knowledge in the country regarding the links between a healthy diet and quick recovery from illness, and in this episode of Asia Insight, we follow the pediatric hospital's efforts to raise awareness regarding pediatric nutrition.

Rapid economic expansion in China has brought about changes in the lifestyles of its citizens. More people work later and dine later, resulting in increased numbers of diners. Guijie Street is Beijing's largest gourmet restaurant district. More than 100 eateries and bars line the 700-meter street. Young people from all over China flock here to find jobs in the catering trade. The streets also bustle with unlicensed vendors. This small area actually reflects trends in modern day China. On this episode of "Asia Insight" we take a look at 24 hours in Beijing's major gourmet town.

The Republic of Korea has long been known as a homogenous country, but due to struggles with a labor shortage and an aging society, the nation has been actively allowing foreigners to work and settle in the country since early 2000. It even went as far as taking the step to revise laws to allow foreign nationals to become South Korean citizens. Many see such policies as a positive move for the country's future but others strongly oppose them. This episode of Asia Insight shows how South Korea is gearing up for change to become a multi-cultural society.

Thailand's CO2 emissions have reached a staggering 310 million tons per year, mostly due to heavy traffic in urban areas and smog-spewing factories. At the 2014 COP20 climate change conference in Peru, the country boldly announced its plans to reduce CO2 emissions by between 7% and 20% before 2020, in line with its ambitions of becoming the industrial center of Asia. Many companies have already begun following the government's lead, by investing in modern facilities and switching to new fuels and materials. Members of the public are also doing their part with some people making products from waste that would otherwise be incinerated. In this episode, we follow Thailand's efforts on the frontline of greenhouse gas reduction.

China has a long and proud tradition of acrobatics, but as the country becomes wealthier, fewer youngsters are choosing acrobatics as a career. We follow a group of students from Africa as they train with hopes of becoming top acrobats one day.

Being one of the most undeveloped countries in Asia, Laos still lacks adequate medical services in rural areas, and the mortality rate for pregnant women is ranked bottom among all the ASEAN member nations. We follow a Laotian midwife in her tireless efforts to change peoples' thinking and provide care to mothers and their newborn babies.

As the world pays more attention to China as an economic superpower, more and more people are moving to the country to study the arts and culture - ancient philosophies and ways of living that have developed over thousands of years. We follow 3 men based in Shanghai from Spain, Switzerland and Greece to try answering these questions.

Tibet was once among the world's most isolated places. Its main city, Lhasa, was a center of traditional culture and Tibetan Buddhism. But in recent years, development by the Chinese government has brought waves of construction. This episode of Asia Insight takes a look at the ways some people are benefiting from Tibet's development boom, while others are simply trying to hang on.

Over the past few decades, millions of people from rural China have flooded to the cities in search of wealth. We focus on several lonely children and an elderly volunteer who tries to ensure their well-being.

Laos is a landlocked country on the Indochina Peninsula and one of the poorest countries within ASEAN. On this episode of Asia Insight, we follow the efforts to promote organic farming in the hope of putting Laos on the economic map in Asia.

An in-depth portrait of Asia today, covering its dynamism as a center of growth as well as its traditions tossed around by the advance of globalization.

The One Belt, One Road (OBOR) economic policy links the commercial city of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, to all the way to Spain by train. This episode follows the gradual changes occurring now.

An in-depth portrait of Asia today, covering its dynamism as a center of growth as well as its traditions tossed around by the advance of globalization.

Ever since China's underground music and art culture started to really emerge in the 1980's, artists have had to release their work while maintaining a delicate relationship with authorities. Even today, the government still cracks down on what they consider vulgar culture. We follow a contemporary artist, a rock musician and a filmmaker as they search for ways to express themselves in modern-day China.

An in-depth portrait of Asia, covering its dynamism as a center of growth as well as its traditions tossed around by the advance of globalization