The First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition, conceptualized and lead by Arturo “Art” T. Valdez was launched in 2004. It is composed of a diverse group of Filipinos from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Some members hail from the Cordillera highlands in the north of the Philippines and the Muslim tribal communities in the south. The team is therefore representative of the microcosm of Philippine society. The team also aims to inspire the nation through mountaineering, its members’ greatest passion, and to be living examples of the Filipinos “can-do” spirit. Comparable to the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team (from the film "Cool Runnings"), the team hopes to demonstrate that despite all difficulties, it can accomplish anything if everyone just puts their act together. This spirit was embodied in action when on May 17 and 18, 2006, Leo Oracion (QuezonProvince and Cebu) and Pastour Emata (Davao) proudly planted the Philippine flag on the summit of Mt.Everest.
In 2007, the team hopes, with your support, to put the first Southeast Asian women on the highest point on earth. Groups in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have also formed women’s teams in order for their country to be the first to claim this honor. Carina Dayondon (Bukidnon) will climb from Tibet and traverse to Nepal; Noelle Wenceslao (Metro Manila) will climb from Nepal and descend in Tibet. If they are successful, Filipinos will again claim distinction in the peaks of the Himalayas. The team attended the 5:00 p.m. anticipated mass on Saturday, January 6, 2007, where they joined the members of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz community to pray and offer the mass for their success. They addressed the congregation and talked about their mission and thanked the Pinoys of New York City for the big turnout in support of their expedition.
The First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition is touring the United States to meet with Filipino communities and spread the message of Filipino pride. They want Filipinos here, especially young Fil-Ams to realize that they should be proud of their heritage and that everyone can achieve their goals through hard work and dedication. This interview was conducted this morning, December 11, 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
