On Top Of The World

The Philippines is celebrating the triumph of 32 year old Leo Oracion for being the first Filipino to reach the peak of Mount Everest at 5:30 pm Philippine time. A few hours later, his team member Erwin "Pastor" Emita followed suit.

In a country where no mountain reaches 3,000 meters and the only ice is inside freezers, Oracion, his teammate Erwin Emata and rival climber Romeo Garduce were hailed as heroes as they labored up the southern slope of the 8,848-meter (29,028-foot) mountain.

Meanwhile, Romeo Garduce, the other Filipino aiming to reach the summit is on his way to Everest’s Camp Three from Camp Two, which he left at about 7 a.m. (Nepal time).
Garduce, 37, a systems analyst, is due to reach the summit on Friday, according the report.

Let's all pray he'll make it to the summit tomorrow and that they can all return to our country and their families safe and sound. Mabuhay!