Senate Visit Overwhelms, Disappoints Summiteers

First posted 03:05am (Mla time) June 02, 2006
By TJ Burgonio, Nikko Dizon (Inquirer)


STILL dazed by their sudden shot to fame, mountaineers Leo Oracion and Erwin Emata yesterday were feted in simple rites at the Senate and hailed as “mighty horizon-chasers” for their historic conquest of Mount Everest.

Oracion, Emata and other members of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition (FPMEE ) team said they were touched by the gesture but a bit “disappointed” that only Senator Richard Gordon showed up to meet them.

Romi Garduce, the third Filipino to reach the summit of the world’s highest peak, was invited but failed to show up, according to Gordon.

Gordon read the Senate resolution commending all the FPMEE members, Garduce and the other climbers, and later handed each of them a copy of the leather-encased resolution.

“It’s a great pleasure this morning to read a resolution in favor of some of our mighty horizon-chasers in our country, who braved the elements, the harshest of elements, to be able to prove that when the Filipino is focused, he has a great heart, and great stamina, to be able to succeed in whatever quest, not only individually but as a team,” said the senator who gamely posed with the team for snapshots.

Gratitude
Oracion, Emata and other members of the team, all wearing gray vests dotted with the colorful logos of the sponsors, were profuse with gratitude.

“I can’t say anything more. I didn’t expect this. I was really surprised when they told me that they passed a bill [commending us],” Oracion told reporters.

“We’re very happy. I’m thankful to all the Filipinos, to Senator Gordon, and everyone who gave us this attention,” he said.

“They were quite disappointed by the absence of the other senators. They were expecting the other senators to be there,” said Harold Geronimo of Stratworks, the official team manager.

The mountaineers’ visit to the Senate came a day after Oracion, Emata and Garduce were honored by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang, and in motorcades through Manila and Makati.

“We’re not famous. We did this for the Filipinos, and to show and deliver the message that we can do it if we unite. We can do the impossible if we unite and help each other,” Oracion said.

Message delivered
On the claim of another mountaineer, Dale Abenojar, that he was the first to scale Mt. Everest, Oracion said: “I don’t want to say anything. Whoever reached the summit first, what was important was that we delivered the message that we can unite, stand together, we help each other, we can do the impossible.”

Oracion and Emata reached the “Roof of the World” on May 17 and 18, respectively. Garduce followed them on May 19.

Garduce failed to make it to the Senate yesterday because he was busy at his day job at a multinational company.

Garduce, who works as an information technology manager at Procter and Gamble, went back to work two days after arriving from Nepal last week.

“Just like any long vacation, it’s hard to go back to work. When I got back, I had 3,101 updates in my e-mail!” he exclaimed.

This is what young Filipino professionals could learn from what Garduce has achieved, said Roel Chan, brand manager of North Face, the outdoor gear company that manages Garduce.

“Romi has shown that you don’t have to quit your job just to be able to do the things you want to do,” Chan said.

“Romi works and yet he managed to reach all those achievements. It’s actually inspiring to ordinary people like me,” he said.

Chan describes Garduce’s story as “that of a regular Makati boy who goes to the office but was able to climb Mt. Everest.”