The tables turned on Frank DeLima at the Zirkoh Comedy Bar in the Greenhills suburb of Manila. DeLima may be used to joking with and playfully putting down the audience in his Hawaii shows. But this time local Manila performers harassed him onstage in both Filipino and English, and everyone was loving it.

DeLima took it in good humor and topped off his impromptu appearance with a rousing karaoke rendition of "My Way" that brought down the late-night house.

His performance was a highlight of "The Manila Experience with Frank DeLima," a six-day tour of the Philippine capital in September organized by Panda Tours Hawaii.

Frank definitely was funny throughout the trip, promising "to be careful and behave." He came with the group everywhere, dined with us daily, and provided the laughs we all wanted to hear. Panda Travel hopes to make it an annual event.

Greeting us at the airport with flower lei, and the exuberant Filipino welcome, "Mabu-hay!" CCT Travel's Edna and local tourist guide Terry joined us on the ride to the hotel Dusit Thani in Ayala Center in Makati City.

DOLLS TELL STORY

Our first stop on the Marikini Tour the following day was the historic Doll Museum in the Marikina Sports Complex, where more than 500 papier-mache and resin dolls in glass helped tell the history and cultural legacy of Marikina, from the city's agricultural past to an urbanized, industrial present.

Marikina is the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines," and at the nearby Shoe Museum, among several collections, DeLima's elegant character Imelda was fascinated by the footwear of the former Philippine first lady, Imelda Marcos. "It looked like she actually wore most of them," he quipped.

Also displayed was traditional footwear from other countries and entries to shoe design competitions. "That's shoe business," said DeLima.

At Bob Mars shoes, a small Marikina shoe outlet and factory, we watched several workers at benches producing hand-made shoes. The owner told us that her 50 workers make about 1,000 shoes per day, for local malls.

The proclaimed World's Largest Pair of Shoes are displayed at nearby Riverbanks Mall in Marikina. Comparing his own shoes to the leather giants, DeLima declared, "Not even close to my size!"

By bus, we drove by Rizal Park, an oasis of flowers, fountains and lawns in the city center, popular with strollers and lovebirds in the late afternoon and evening, and visitors to its auditorium, planetarium, orchidarium and butterfly pavilion.

The old walled city of Intramuros is where Manila was founded by conquistadors in 1571.

Inside Fort Santiago, the former Spanish military headquarters, DeLima said his character Cardinal Vermicelli would be impressed with the San Augustin Church, the oldest structure in the country. The museum showcases Filipino, Spanish, Chinese and Mexican art treasures.

Intramuros' Casa Manila is a reconstructed 19th-century mansion replete with 16th- and 19th-century furniture and furnishings; a "colonial lifestyle" mansion, circa 1850, that was lux-urious for its time.

"Auntie Mary and the taxicab tutus would just love this spacious kitchen," said DeLima.

We had plenty of free time the next day to visit nearby shopping malls like SM Department Store, Glorietta, Greenbelt and Landmark, followed by a great one-hour treatment of our choice at The Spa Greenbelt, Makati, where "a deep-tissue massage could definitely not rub me the wrong way," DeLima said.

PICK A TOUR

An early-morning wake-up call the next day offered a choice of tours:Corregidor, an island off the southwestern tip of the Bataan Peninsula, 26 miles from Manila, or Villa Escudero.

DeLima decided to take the two-hour drive from Manila to Villa Escudero. There, we explored the village by carabao-drawn cart and jeepney, visiting the Foundation Museum, a coconut harvesting demo and taking a tour of the rural village and chapel.

A highlight for all was the Philippine Experience Cultural Show, with talented villa employees.

All too soon we were eating our final breakfast, and DeLima was ready to head home.

"Although 'The Manila Experience' was my first visit, I have lots of Filipino friends at home," said DeLima, "so I knew what to expect — like a warm climate, a huge population and lots of cars on the road. ...

"It's always a pleasure to learn more," he added.

An easy task. In this friendly city , many speak English, and a smile gets you a long way.

Note: "The Manila Experience with Frank DeLima" may repeat, but has not yet been scheduled. For more information about Panda Tours, call 800-303-6702 or go to www.pandaonline.com.