Ain’t no mountain high enough for Romi Garduce

Romi Garduce is known to be one of the top adventure icons in the Philippines. Part of the highly esteemed UP Mountaineers climbing organization, Romi has travelled locally and internationally, being the first Filipino to climb the world’s seven summits: the highest peaks of the seven continents in the world. He is working closely with the Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition (CORE), the advocacy arm of Primer Group of Companies. CORE actively supports outdoor athletes, scientists, artists, and writers, and collaborates with NGOs, government agencies, and private organizations to explore new boundaries, advocate change, develop and promote new discoveries in the name of environmental, athletic, and scientific pursuits.
He and other well-known athletes have used sports as a medium to communicate to the general public their advocacies. This advocacy is also very important to the environment, and it shows families that we do have to take care of our surroundings, not to mention that we have a wealth of places to experience with our loved ones during times for vacation.

Last week, Garduce and a group of UP Mountaineers travelled to Palawan for a fundraising bike tour, Padyak Palawan, to showcase some of the country’s most impressive heritage sites, as well as highlight wildlife advocacy. It kicked off in Bataraza and culminated in the much beloved El Nido. In between, the group traversed beautiful places like the Talbon cave which is said to be the site of some of the world’s oldest human bones dating all the way back to 50,000 years. They also went to the Estrella Falls in Aborlan, Puerto Princesa, the Matanglaw and Umalad Falls in Roxas, and UNESCO sites like St. Paul’s underground river in Sabang and Sta. Isabela in Taytay, a well-known spot for kayaking, diving, and snorkelling.

 Padyak Palawan was not just to promote adventure tourism in Palawan, but also to spread awareness on wildlife conservation to protect endangered species, interact with local communities unique to each region, and further appreciate the exquisite resources in our own country.

 Every stop highlighted a significant feature that encouraged followers to do their part and give back to the Center for Conservation Innovation’s Palawan Programme: Oplan Tandikan.

Oplan Tandikan is a biodiversity conservation project that is committed to increasing the area of land conservation management and building conservation capacity, specifically of high-profile endemic species and their rapidly diminishing habitats.
Let us all do our share in preserving our natural habitats, and take advantage of the beautiful surroundings we have been blessed with together with our families and friends.

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