Rough Groove

Filipino at the roof of the world

*photos courtesy of Arvin Arcilla, Smart Mountaineering Club Phys-T Master during our first BMC session for us recruits last 12 July 05. With him is Janet Belarmino, another member of the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition.

Leo Oracion, a native of Lucban, Quezon, the first Filipino to reach the roof the of the world, Mt. Everest made the feat at around 1730H, last Wednesday, Manila time. Following suit was Pastor Emata of Davao City, another FPMEE member and expected tomorrow, Saturday is Romi Garduce, who climbed independent of the two. Well, it was a great day for Filipinos as it made the nation celebrate of such a feat. But this is also without its controversy.

Originally, the FPMEE group was scheduled to climb the tallest mountain by 2007, as a team but with Romi Garduce spoiling it when he decided to climb it this year, things just changed. It also doesn’t help that the two groups were backed by the two biggest networks: GMA for Garduce while ABS-CBN for FPMEE. Sensing that ABS-CBN would be left out if it will still wait for next year’s ascent, FPMEE suddenly changed its course and announced that it will be sending its two very capable mountaineers (Emata and Oracion) as advance party for next year’s schedule. That’s why, tongues started wagging that the Everest attempts just became a race fueled by the TV network wars. Predictably, ABS-CBN denied this.

While they were able to clench the record, its just really sad that such noble (?) causes are tainted with commercial interests. Pati ba naman dun sa tuktok ng mundo GMA vs. ABS-CBN pa rin? Its just pathetic. No wonder that we as a nation doesn’t improve.