BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (May 28) — With pride and cheers from her fellow Novo Vizcayanos, Janet Belarmino, one of the three women who conquered Mt. Everest received admiration from mountaineers here, saying her feat could encourage other people to join mountaineering as a way of loving and protecting the nature.

“We salute her not only for being a Novo Vizcayana but most of all for her passion to face the challenge and promoting mountainnering as a way of life,” said Genaro Basilio , 42 of the Nueva Vizcaya Mountaineering Club(NVMC) here.

Belarmino, 28 an alumni of the Saint Mary’s University(SMU) here conquered Mt. Everest Friday along with Noele Wenceslao, 27 and Carina Dayondon, 28. She hails from barangay Sta. Rosa with her parents, Herminio and Ermelinda, both former college professors at the SMU.

They are the first Filipino women and Southeast Asian women to reach Mt. Everest summit which stands at 8,850 meters.

Basilio, who himself climb the 4,101 meter above sea level Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia in 2000 and the 3,952 meter above sea level Jade Mountain in Taiwan in 2005 said the three women also serves as a pride of mountaineers all over the country along with Leo Oracion and Pastor Emata. Mt Kinabalu is the highest peak in East Asia while Jade mountain is the highest peak in Southeast Asia.

“Their triumph being a women climbers is very challenging for us males. She should be emulated by budding mountaineers and should be recognized for it,” Basilio said.

According to Basilio, the feats of Filipino mountaineers have encouraged local mountaineers to form their organization in the province.

At present, there are three mountaineering clubs in the province, namely the Sang-at Salug Outdoor Club, Arinaar Outdoor Club abd the Nueva Vizcaya Mountaineering Club where the number of members are growing.

He said the province’s mountains and forests serve as an ideal adventure attraction among mountaineering enthusiasts where they also integrate environmental awareness and protection.

“While these mountains pose as great challenge for us here, they also serve as an eye opener among our members to care and protect our environment,” Basilio said.

Belarmino, in a statement sent to the local media last year, Belarmino said there nothing comes easy for idealistic mountaineers since they have to meet the three Cs required before making it as a team. She said these are capability, commitment and compatibility.

Mt. Everest, she said is a place of thin air and harsh environment where no living thing can live and survive.

Belarmino said Filipinos climb because we believe in the spirit of Bayanihan or helping each other as a team.

“Undeniably, struggles and problems were there, they were with us every step of the way but because we understand what we are doing that Filipinos can, we were able to focus on our goal and work together as a team,” she stressed.

She added that the real victory is “conquering ourselves, our fears, our insecurities and our differences and not Mt. Everest.”

“We do not conquer Everest because it is not a prize, we just pray that the mountains will allow us to climb and experience its beauty with pure intentions and sincere hearts. We have our own Everest to climb like loans to pay, tons of workload, getting sick or family problems but we should not let our vision be blinded, otherwise we will end up losing the battle even before we get the chance to fight it,” Belarmino said. (PIA NVizcaya)

Photo Credits Pinays on Everest 2007

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