Philippines
Caramoan, Philippines
A returnee-sprinkled season widely credited with revitalizing the show, set among the islands of Caramoan.
Sole Survivor
Denise Stapley
Won the jury 6-1-1
- Year
- 2012
- Location
- Caramoan, Philippines
- Format
- Three returning players
- Days
- 39 days
- Castaways
- 18
- Grand prize
- $1,000,000
- Jury vote
- 6-1-1
Also read at the Final Tribal Council
How Denise Stapley won
Denise attended every single Tribal Council of the season — an iron-man feat — surviving each vote on grit and tight bonds to outlast the entire cast.
In context
Era
The New School Era
2010–2020
Timeline
25th of 50
Aired 2012
Filming
Philippines
1st of 4 seasons filmed here
Starting tribes
The 3 tribes marooned when the game began — and where the names come from.
Filipino for the carabao / water buffalo.
An archaic Filipino word for 'monkey'.
Filipino for 'rooster'.
At the merge · they became Dangrayne — Merge tribe — a play on 'dang rain' after three weeks of near-constant downpour. The players first wanted a profane version; producers warned it would be censored, so they landed on the Filipino-sounding Dangrayne.
Returning players
Veterans who came back for another shot at the title.
Also filmed in Philippines
The twists in play
The whole arsenalIdol moments
The Matsing Idol
Jeff Kent blindsided insteadOn the cursed Matsing tribe — which lost every challenge and shrank to two — Malcolm tore the beach apart and found the idol lashed to the rice barrel. When it was outed at the merge, he calmly convinced the Tandang alliance he'd play it, steering the blindside onto baseball star Jeff Kent and keeping the idol in his pocket.
Explore Season 25
Common questions
- Who won Survivor Philippines?
- Denise Stapley won Survivor: Philippines (Season 25, 2012), taking the jury vote 6-1-1.
- Where was Survivor Season 25 filmed?
- Survivor: Philippines was filmed in Caramoan, Philippines.
- When did Survivor Season 25 air?
- Survivor: Philippines aired in 2012 and ran 39 days.
- Who were the finalists in Survivor Philippines?
Around the fire
The tribe's debating Survivor 25 right now
“Cirie never needed an idol. She WAS the idol — read every vote a round early and bent the whole jungle to her will without a single immunity win. That's the cei…”
Cast your vote, drop a hot take, and climb your torch — every contribution is tied to your profile at Tribal Council.
Join the debate at TribalSeason 25 of 50