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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY
14 DECEMBER 2006
ANNOUNCEMENT
1ST PHIL. MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION TEAM AT EMBASSY FORUM
The First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition Team (FPMEE), led by former Undersecretary Art Valdez,
will be the featured speaker at the “Pulong Bayan Sa Embassy” this coming TUESDAY, 19 DECEMBER
2006 at 6:30 IN THE EVENING.
Everyone is cordially invited. Please RSVP to rppress@verizon.net ASAP.
The team will also present a seven-minute video documentary of the team’s rigorous training and
actual climb of Mt. Everest. Some souvenir items from the FPMEE will also be on sale as part of its fund-
raising drive.
Our Pinoy Everest mountaineers acheived a remarkable feat unheard of climbers coming from a
tropical country. Leo Oracion climbed most of Everest’s “death zone” (24,000 ft. and beyond) without the
aid of supplemental oxygen. While the distance from the last camp (called Camp-4) to the summit is
normally negotiated between 10 to 12 hours, Pastor Emata did it in 12.5 hours. What made his effort
truly outstanding was the fact that Pastor’s time covered the distance going up and down at Camp 4.
Indeed, our Pinoy climbers tapped their reserved powers and energies to achieve the unimaginable
showing to the world what Filipinos CAN accomplish if they stay focused and put their acts together.
The FPMEE is an all-Filipino project conceived as far back as 1982 when Mr. Art Valdez organized the
first Pinoy foreign expedition which successfully hoisted the Philippine flag at the highest mountain in
Southeast Asia – the 14,000 Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah. Since then, Mr. Valdez dreamed of , one day,
planting the Philippine flag at the world’s highest peak which is Mt. Everest. However, Mr. Valdez said
that “it could not be done in 80s and the 90s primarily because of lack of focus, determination and
funds.”
It was only in 2003 that he finally and decisively worked to make that dream come true by founding the
FPMEE. Since the, the Pinoy mountaineers continuously trained and climbed tropical and alpine peaks.
The most prominent of these were Mt. Kyorang (20,540 ft) in the Himalayan side of Western India; Mt.
Cook in New Zealand; Mt. Muztagh Ata (25,000 ft) in the Pakistan- China boundary, Mt. McKinley (20,300
ft), the coldest mountain in Alaska; and finally, Mt. Everest itself (29, 035 ft).
The team is on presently on track for its “Unity Climb “ in 2007 involving two Pinoy teams going up to the
summit coming from Nepal (south) and Tibet (north) side of Everest. What will make this climb extra
significant is the fact that the lead climbers will be Pinays.
While this year’s climb is dubbed “Kaya ng Pinoy,” next year’s theme will be “Kaya ng Pinay.” Our
women-climbers had already led two successful expeditions this year, specifically to Mt. McKinley and
Mt. Cho Oyu – the world’s 8th highest peak which is in Tibet – last October 7. That achievement gave
them the distinction as the first Pinays and even the first Asean women, to have reached that peak (Cho
Oyu’s is 27,000 ft.).
If they complete the climb to Mt. Everest, not only would they be the first Pinays ever to do so, they would
be the first women in Asean to accomplish that feat. We are hopeful that would be the first to do since
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore also organized their respective women’s team to mount a
challenge to our Pinays’ bid in 2006. Weather permitting, the Philippine team might be able to
accomplish several “firsts” in the history of mountaineering. (END)
Reference:
Consul Patricia Ann V. Paez
Press and Information Officer
E-mail: pvpaez@aol.com
Tel. No. 202-467-9400
or
E-mail: rppress@verizon.net
Tel. No.: 202-467-9432
Consul Patricia Ann V. Paez
Press and Information Officer
E-mail: pvpaez@aol.com
Tel. No. 202-467-9400
or
E-mail: rppress@verizon.net
Tel. No.: 202-467-9432
