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The Voyager's next port of call is the frenetic Philippine port city of Manila.

In the third episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, globally acclaimed auteur Brillante Mendoza, a man who’s forged the path for Filipino filmmakers on the world stage, tours me around his nation's capital of 12 million people.

First, Brillante brings me to the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in all of Asia, where he majored in advertising.  It was here that Brillante launched a successful career as a production designer, working on television commercials for renowned Filipino and international brands.  However, Brillante reveals how he wanted something more from his life.

In 2005, he received a script for a movie, reworked it and with just USD$10,000, made Masahista (The Masseur).  The film would win Mendoza various awards including the Golden Leopard at the 58th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.

I then follow Brillante to Mandaluyong, one of the 16 cities comprising Metropolitan Manila.  It was in these streets that Brillante filmed Masahista -- and here that he realised filmmaking was his true life's calling.

In Mandaluyong, Brillante also filmed scenes for Kinatay (Butchered), a hard-hitting 2009 effort that earned him the Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director) at the Cannes International Film Festival, making him the first Filipino to ever win this prestigious award.

From here, Brillante brings me to visit the Quiapo Church, Manila’s famous Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, where he regularly attends mass.  Mendoza's personal life remains important, and here he explains that his greatest achievement beyond all his film awards is being a father to his adopted daughter.

I then follow and photograph Brillante in the packed streets of Quiapo, Manila's old downtown, where he filmed Tirador (Slingshot).  He explains to me that it is here, among the ordinary people living in these neighbourhoods, that he finds the inspiration for his films; he seeks people in extraordinary situations to reflect life's realities and inspiring change.

From the bustling streets, I retreat with Brillante to his personal Eden.  It is inside this lush, green hideaway -- known as the "Secret Garden" -- where Brillante continues to make films with honesty.  In this serene location, in one of Asia’s most unique cities, I conclude my time with a truly distinctive Filipino voice: Brillante Mendoza.

I found Brillante to be a remarkable subject; his passion for his craft, his country and his fellow Filipinos is both palpable and admirable.

To experience Brillante's journey through my lens, catch the third episode of Around The World With Voyager,which premieres on Monday 14 January at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

To learn more about my time on Voyager in Manila and with Brillante, read these articles in The Philippine Star, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler.

Watch the promotional trailers for the first and second episodes where I met and photographed Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei and Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong.