Three Pinay climbers bound for Mt. Everest

It’s the ladies’ turn to scale the summit of the world’s highest mountain.

The men and women behind the successful Philippine Mount Everest Expedition Team are again sending a crack Filipino squad, that will include three young, but daring women, to climb the renowned mountain by the Himalayas next year

Art Valdes, head of the team, made the announcement Tuesday in a special session of the PSA Forum, which was graced by Leo Oracion and Erwin Pastor Emata, the first two Filipino mountain climbers to reach the Mount Everest summit.

"We’re calling it the Unity Climb since we intend to scale Mount Everest simultaneously on both the North and South sides, tapos dun na lang sa summit na mismo kami magkikita,"said Valdes in the public sports program sponsored by PAGCOR and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

Oracion and Emata will act as team leaders of the group, whose three women members are Carina Dayondon, Janet Belarmino and former Dragon Boat national team member Noelle Wenceslao.

The three were selected by a screening committee over a hundred mountain climbers.

"Hopefully, they’ll become the first ASEAN women to reach the summit of Mt. Everest," added Valdez, a former Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) undersecretary.

The Philippine Expedition Team was the group behind the successful climb of Oracion and Emata to the 29,035-foot high mountain last May, an experience which both said showed that the Filipinos are truly world class.

The 32-year-old Oracion was the first to reach the summit on May 17, followed by Emata a day after.

Emata, 32, said he lost a total of 10 kilos during their one-month expedition with a diet consisting of rice, mongo beans, potatoes and noodles.

"We’re fortunate not to sustain injuries but we lost weight," added Emata, who nonetheless gained back 15 kilos two months after the Everest conquest.

"Kaya nga kailangan magpa-kundisyon na agad," he said.