After the troubles and problems in Japan, The Beatles started their journey to Manila, the capital of The Philippines for two shows. On 03 June 1966, The Beatles arrived to The Philippines for the first and last time. The 2-nights in Manila was a disaster from the beginning until the end. After arriving to the country, The Beatles is urgently transferred to Don Manolo Elizalde’s yacht 2 miles away from the coast. With this arrangement, The Beatles was gone for at least 2 hours and this was the first.
On June 4, The Beatles had 2 sold-out concerts in Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. 80.000 people came to watch them. 50.000 audience watched the concert. This was equal to 15 August 1965 Shea Stadium, New York concert.
First Lady Imelde Marcos’s downgrading of The Beatles started on June 4 in a lunch organized at Malacañang Palace at 11am with 300 children waiting for The Beatles. They came to Manila Hotel to get The Beatles one hour before the part. Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles rejects this invitation and says The Beatles was still in bed and there were no preparations.
The day continued with concerts. Between the concerts, local TVs broadcast disappointed and crying children and said that Beatles downgraded them. Epstein watched them in horror and went to the TV studio to apologize and tell what happened. But the broadcast is interrupted as he was about to make a press release.
Tony Barrow who promotes the tour and came with Beatles said that Epstein accepted the offer one day before the concert but didn’t give an answer. As it turns out, The Philippines officials took this as a no.
The newspapers had “The Beatles Downgraded the President” headlines. The next day, The Beatles was supposed to go to New Delhi. Suddenly, The Beatles and the team was all alone without any help. The room and transportation services were cancelled. All Beatles members and the team were ragged in the airport.
200 angry Philippines kicked Ringo and Ringo injured his ankle. Brian Epstein and Mal Evans were also hurt. Alf Bicknell had a broken rib and a damaged spine.
The Beatles finally manages to get on the plane and hears Beatles Alis Dayan! (Go Home Beatles!) They made it to the plane but the plane didn’t take off. Epstein got permission after 40 minutes. President Marcos explains that the Beatles didn’t have any bad intentions about the government of First Lady.
But this does not change the damages and misunderstanding by Beatles. After a press conference following the concert, Ringo said, “I hated that place. I would never go.” and George said, “They treated us like animals. They told us it was a horrible place and we saw that.”
