Arroyo is Pinatubo’s 6,659th Pinatubo climber

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — President Arroyo was declared yesterday as the 6,659th person to reach the crater of Mt. Pinatubo — some 5,000 feet above sea level — which she did in three hours.

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, observed to be lagging behind the President during the trek, was named the 6,600th Pinatubo climber.

Both received "certificates of conquest" from Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon atop the volcano’s summit.

Using a satellite phone which Smart Communications gifted her, the President called up the Sta. Juliana Tourism Council (SJTC) in Capas, Tarlac to report that she and her party had reached the crater at about 11:30 a.m.

The First Couple insisted on being treated as "ordinary tourists" by paying P20 each as dues to the SJTC.

"I am very happy. It’s a nice experience," the President told Ronnie Tiotuico, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) who was left behind in Sta. Juliana to monitor the presidential party’s Pinatubo trek.

After hearing Mass officiated by Fr. Cris Cadiang at the summit, the President had lunch consisting of rice, Pampanga tocino and longganisa with tomatoes with the rest of the trekkers, who included Clark Development Corp. president Emmanuel Angeles.

Tiotuico said the President’s group experienced heavy rains during their descent at about 1:30 p.m.

"We were initially worried but we got word later via satellite phone that the President even enjoyed the rain as it took off the heat on the slopes," Tiotuico said.

The presidential party arrived by helicopter at about 6 a.m. at the Army’s Light Armor Brigade headquarters at Camp O’Donnel’s Crow Valley range which was used for bombing practices during the Balikatan military exercises.

From there, the party motored to Sta. Juliana where Tiotuico briefed them on the do’s and don’ts in climbing Mt. Pinatubo. "I told them to leave behind only their footprints and take nothing but pictures," he said.

From Sta. Juliana, the President and her husband were driven aboard a van by businessman Levi Laus, who organized the trek, to Sitio Dimapili.

Tiotuico quoted members of the President’s party that with the help of Aeta guides, Mrs. Arroyo outpaced her fellow trekkers in reaching the crater.

"She sounded exhilarated and without any trace of being tired when she called me up to say she had reached the summit," Tiotuico said.

The President told Tiotuico that she would donate two satellite phones for the use of the SJTC for tourists who would trek Mt. Pinatubo.

"You should continue this (mountain-climbing) project to provide livelihood for local folk," the President also told Tiotuico.

The Aetas were on hand when the President and her party returned to Sta. Juliana, performing an animal dance called tapile.

Tiotuico said that the number of tourists climbing Mt. Pinatubo decreased after an American was shot on its slopes in Porac, Pampanga last year.

Ordinarily, as many as 200 tourists trek to Mt. Pinatubo’s summit daily.