Three more Filipinos successfully reach Mt. Everest summit

MANILA, Philippines -- When Dale Abenojar and Leo Oracion emerged as the first Filipinos to reach the summit of Mt. Everest less than 19 years ago, it opened the floodgates for other climbers from the Philippines to reach that height.

From none early in 2006, the country now has a total of 11 that made it to the proud list of conquerors of the mythical and highest peak in the planet.

Add to that group Ric Rabe, Jeno Panganiban and Miguel Mapalad, who recently made it to the top of Earth’s highest mountain, which has an elevation of 8,848.86 meters, or 29,031,7 feet above sea level.

Rabe, who hails from Cotabato City, was the ninth Filipino to have scaled it after completing the feat Friday, while Panganiban and Mapalad, who are from Pasig and San Juan, respectively, followed suit Sunday to become the 10th and 11th from the tiny archipelagic nation to make it to the top.

It came just 19 years after Abenojar and Leo Oracion accomplished what no other Filipino before them had done before — tame the feared Himalayan mountain called in other tongues as “Holy Mother” and “Skyhead.”

Abenojar claimed to have owned the distinction of making it to the summit first when he reached it via North Col on May 15, 2006 while Oracion came in next two days later via the South Col route on May 17 the same year.

There was an asterisk on Abejonar’s name since his climb was contested until today because of his lack of video documentation, while Oracion was backed by a television giant.

Interestingly, the recent ascents had a little similarity to the ones achieved back in the day when Abenojar did a biblical David to Oracion’s Goliath.

The 51-year-old Rabe, like Abenojar, did not have massive backers while Panganiban and Mapalad were part of the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition Team.

“We all know that Ric from Cotabato City—unsponsored, unpublicized, and quietly determined — already reached the summit yesterday morning (Saturday) through the South Col (Nepal),” said Rabe’s wife, Aileen on Facebook.

“Still, this isn’t a race to the top or a contest for publicity. True mountaineers climb with humility, not headlines. They don’t boast, they just quietly conquer,” she added.

The success, however, was not without setbacks as a Filipino, 45-year-old PJ Santiago II, died in an attempt at Mt. Everest.

The other Filipinos who made the peak are Erwin “Pastor” Emata (May 18, 2006) and Romeo Garduce (May 19, 2006), Noelle Wenceslao (May 16, 2007), Carina Dayondon (May 16, 2007), Janet Belarmino (May 16, 2007) and Regidor “Regie” Pablo (May 17, 2007).

And expect more to dream the climbers’ ultimate dream.