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Why Climb Mt. Everest? The 1st Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition Mt. Cho Oyu Expedition Mt. Denali Expedition Mt. Muztagh Ata Expedition Team Members Team Members' Blogs

Formidable free spirits, Filipinos all, with one goal -- to uplift the Pinoy spirit and empower them with an achievement the entire race can share. The Filipino assault on Mt. Everest in 2007 has been but a dream until the formation of this expert expedition team made up of the country’s most passionate mountain climbers and adventure athletes. Together, they will ascend to the world’s highest peak and shout from the mountaintops that indeed, the Filipino can!

	Arturo T. Valdez expedition leader His passion for mountain climbing gave birth to this First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition. A master outdoorsman from Bacolod, he had wanted to assemble a team to assault the world’s highest peak as far back as the 70’s. By recruiting the members of this expedition, he is a step closer to making the Everest dream a reality for all Filipinos.
	Ari Ben C. Sebastian A corporate lawyer on weekdays, he’s also a mountain warrior and extreme sports buff on the weekends. An accomplished scuba diver, skydiver and alpine climber, this former president of the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc. (MFPI) was one of the first Pinoys to reach the Himalayas in the 80’s.
	Fred B. Jamili His love affair with Mother Nature and mountain climbing stretches for nearly 30 years. This veteran has climbed most, if not all the known mountains in the Philippines, and some abroad. One of the expedition team’s leaders, he is also an accomplished caver and adventure race setter.
	Regie Pablo One of the expedition’s prime movers and team leaders, he is the current president of the MFPI on leave from his day job at Globe Telecom. A skilled mountaineer, he has conquered Razdelnaya Peak in Kyrgyzstan, Mts. Aylmenr and Cook in New Zealand among others.
	Florentino ‘Jong’ Narciso He is a physical education instructor in the International School. He is also an accomplished mountaineer, climbing gym instructor and adventure race setter.
	Erwin Emata Fondly called Pastor by the group, this Davaoeño’s love for the outdoors is matched by his boundless, enthusiastic energy. The team’s morale booster and resident comic, he is one of the best adventure racers in the country, having won numerous races such as the Carera Habagat, Survival Challenge in Guimaras, and Survival of the Fittest in Escalante, Negros.
	Leo Oracion Also one of the country’s most prominent adventure racers, this Cebuano has also conquered international adventure races such as the AXN Challenges in various parts of Asia and the 10 day expedition racing in NZ.
	Karina Davondon One of the youngest and few women in the group, she is a formidable sport climber from Cagayan de Oro City. Recently, she joined the expedition to the peak of Mt. Muztagh Ata (7,546 meters or 24,758 feet) in China-Pakistan. This is the highest peak ever reached by a Filipino – or a Filipina!
	Juan ‘JB’ Añonuevo A freespirit who could not rein in his love for the outdoors, he quit his job in government and became a fulltime mountain guide in his native Mayon in Bicol. He is also a sought after race setter and winning adventure racer.
	Levi Nahayangan A climber from Lagaw, Ifugao province, he turned his passion for climbing into a thriving business, with Lagalag, a shop which supplies outdoor apparel to other mountaineers. He is also an accomplished mountain and rock climber and adventure racer.
	Larry Honoridez A mountaineer and adventure racer extraordinaire, he joined the expedition in order to bring pride to his family and country.
	Janet Belarmino A member of the University of the Philippines Mountaineers, she is also a fitness instructor for the Moro Lorenzo Fitness Gym in Ateneo. An excellent sport climber, lawn tennis coach and champion triathlete, she is also a consistent winner in the Philippine and HongKong legs of the AXN adventure races.
	Ariel Ambayec A mountaineer from Mandaluyong, this father of two has also been a participant of several adventure races.
	Noelle Wenceslao A prized member of the Dragonboat team, she (along with teammate Janet Belarmino) was also a winning fixture in the AXN races here and in Hong Kong. Noelle is also an expert biker and extreme adventure athlete and mountaineer while attending class as a Physical Education student.
	Dr. RTed Esguerra A medical officer of the Philippine Coast Guard; member of the International Urban Search and Rescue, International Society of Mountain Medicine, Wilderness Medical Society, National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physician and Aerospace Medical Association. He specializes on High Altitude Medicine, Wilderness EMS and Air Medical Evacuation
	John Tronco The team’s official video and photo documentor, his mastery of capturing nature’s beauty on film is only matched by his passion for climbing.
	Choi Aquino This mountaineer, caver, and in-demand adventure racer lends his considerable strength and skill to help ensure the success of the Pinoy Everest ascent.
	Voltaire Velasco The ideals and philosophy behind the Philippine Mt. Everest team inspired this environmental physicist to support the team and contribute his knowledge on weather and atmospheric dynamics. He will act as the team's weather analyst.