3 Pinay mountaineers reach Everest summit

(Updated 4:55 p.m.) Proud that they have accomplished the historic feat, three female mountaineers on Wednesday became the first Filipino women to scale Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain. Television reports on Wednesday said climber Noelle Wenceslao was first to reach the top of the 29,035-foot Mt. Everest at 6:10 a.m. Nepal time, or 8:10 a.m. Philippine time. She was followed by Carina Dayondon, who summited the mountain 10 minutes later. The last member of the three-woman Kaya ng Pinay team, Janet Belarmino, was also able to complete her assault at about 11 a.m. "Ang mensahe namin sa sambayanang Pilipino, naabot na ng Pinay ang tuktok ng mundo (Our message to the nation is that the Filipino woman has reached the top of the world)," Wenceslao was quoted by television reports as saying. The three climbers have the rank of seawoman first class in the Philippine Coast Guard. Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo of the PCG's public information office said the three woman mountaineers would be given a “hero's welcome" when they arrive back in the country. The three successfully duplicated the achievement of three male climbers Heracleo Oracion, Erwin Pastor Emata and Romi Garduce in May last year. They left Manila for Bangkok on March 18 en route to the Nepalese capital of Katmandu. Oracion became the first Filipino climber to scale the 29,035-foot-high Mt. Everest on May 17, 2006, followed by Emata on the 18th and Garduce on the 19th. Incidentally, Oracion and Emata are both also from the Philippine Coast Guard. - GMANews.TV