This is the nail-biting moment an acrobat balanced a long pole on his shoulder before his partner climbed on top.

Adonis Andoy, 36, raised the 20ft piece of metal with one hand and positioned it on the side of his head to keep it steady during a performance in Bukidnon, the Philippines.

Footage shows Andoy with the heavy equipment before his colleague, Rolando Gambito, 23, was assisted in scaling the pole.

Andoy appeared to tremble with Rolando's weight but successfully reached the top.

Rolando stood up and did a handstand while Andoy fought to keep the pole balanced.

The awesome acrobats held the position for more than a minute before successfully completing the routine, which earned cheers from the crowd on February 1.

Their friend Kerwin Viaros said: 'That was called pole balancing exhibition and it is one of the most dangerous stunts or part of our acrobatic shows.

'We do not use any safety gear for it which makes the audience even more scared while we do it.'