Romeo Roberto "Romi" Garduce (born 1969 in
Balanga,
Bataan
Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...
), sometimes nicknamed as "Garduch," is a
Filipino mountain climber
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...
, a scuba dive master (since 2000), an environmentalist, writer,
motivational speaker
A motivational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep talk.
Motivational speakers ...
and works as an
IT professional. He began climbing mountains for a cause in 1991 as a member of the
UP Mountaineers. Aside from being a mountain climber and IT professional, he became one of the host for the
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
public affair shows ''
Born to Be Wild
"Born to Be Wild" is a song written by Mars Bonfire and first performed by the band Steppenwolf. The song is often invoked in both popular and counter culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude. It is most notably featured in the 1969 ...
'' and ''
Pinoy Meets World
''Pinoy Meets World'' is a Philippine television travel documentary show broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by Paolo Bediones and Miriam Quiambao
Miriam Redito Quiambao-Roberto (, born May 20, 1975) is a Filipino physical therapist, inspirat ...
''. He also hosted the GMA News and Public Affairs special entitled ''Pito Para sa Pilipino'' (''Seven for the Filipinos'') with
Richard Gutierrez
Richard Kristian Gutierrez (born January 21, 1984), known professionally as Richard Gutierrez, is a Filipino actor, environmentalist and model. He is one of the sons of actor Eddie Gutierrez.
Early life
Richard Gutierrez was born on January ...
.
Romi wrote and published his first book in October 2013, entitled ''Akyat! A Filipino's Journey to the Seven Summits''. The book chronicled his adventures and major climbs and expeditions. ''Akyat'' is a
Filipino word that simply means "climb".
After reaching the summit of
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...
in 2002, Garduce became the first Filipino to climb one of the
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven traditional continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first achieved on 30 April 1985 by Richard Bass. Climbing the Seven Summits ...
. On September 26, 2005, Romi Garduce became the first Filipino to ascend
Cho Oyu
__NOTOC__
Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means "Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the ''Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalang ...
, a death zone peak at , then the highest mountain peak scaled by a Filipino. That record was broken by
Leo Oracion
Leo Oración (born 1974) is a Filipino mountaineer and sportsman widely recognized as the first Filipino to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 17, 2006, at the age of 32. He reached the summit at 3:30 p.m. (local time), together with 15 ...
on May 17, 2006, when he was the first to reach the peak of
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
, the highest mountain on Earth, and planted the
Filipino flag. Garduce reached the summit of Everest on May 19, 2006. Due to Garduce's feat, he was awarded an
Order of Lakandula
The Order of Lakandula ( fil, Orden ni Lakandula) is one of the highest civilian orders of the Philippines, established on September 19, 2003. It is awarded for political and civic merit and in memory of King Lakandula’s dedication to the res ...
- Special Class of Champion for Life by then
Philippine President
The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...
as well as one of The Outstanding Young Man (TOYM) of 2006 for his feats and service to community work.
Garduce is the first, and to-date the only Filipino, who has climbed all Seven Summits, or the highest mountains in all continents following both
Bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
and
Messner Seven Summits list.
Early life
Born in 1969, Garduce hails from the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Balanga in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of
Bataan
Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. His father originally comes from
Catarman,
Northern Samar
Northern Samar ( war, Amihanan Samar/Norte san Samar; tl, Hilagang Samar), officially the Province of Northern Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catarman and is located at the northern ...
and worked all his life at
Subic. He finished high school at
Tomas del Rosario College and graduated Bachelor of Science in
Mathematics major in
Computer Science from
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migu ...
in 1989.
Climbing career
He became a mountaineer after joining UP Mountaineers in 1991.
On January 1, 2005, he was the first Filipino to climb the highest mountain outside Asia and the highest mountain in the Americas, Mt. Aconcagua, which was then the highest altitude reach by any Filipino. On September 26, 2005, Romi Garduce became the first Filipino to top out an 8000m peak,
Cho Oyu
__NOTOC__
Cho Oyu ( Nepali: चोयु; ; ) is the sixth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu means "Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan. The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the ''Khumbu'' sub-section of the Mahalang ...
, then the highest mountain peak scaled by a Filipino. On May 19, 2006, he climbed the summit of Mount Everest, his third Seven Summits Peak after Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua.
Garduce attempted to reach the peak of Mount Everest in an expedition sponsored by
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
concurrently with Leo Oracion's team, the
First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition (FPMEE) and principally sponsored by
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under ...
. On May 19, 2006, Garduce reached the summit of Mount Everest from the south ridge after
Leo Oracion
Leo Oración (born 1974) is a Filipino mountaineer and sportsman widely recognized as the first Filipino to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 17, 2006, at the age of 32. He reached the summit at 3:30 p.m. (local time), together with 15 ...
and
Erwin Emata
Erwin "Pastor" Emata (born ca. 1973/1974 in Makilala, North Cotabato) is a mountain climber and a runner from the Philippines. In 2006, he became the second Filipino to climb Mount Everest. His achievement was recognized by then Philippine Presi ...
.
After the Filipinos successfully reached Everest's peak, Sir
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineering, mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropy, philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa people, Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became th ...
, the first man to step in the peak of Everest, was interviewed by GMA Network in his
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...
home. He congratulated the three Filipino men (Romi, Leo and Erwin) for their determination and gave his greatest respect to the Filipino expedition team. The Himalayan Database published by American Alpine Club had included Romi Garduce in the list of Everest South summiters for 2006.
On August 25, 2007, Garduce reached the
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a m ...
of
Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus ( rus, links=no, Эльбрус, r=Elbrus, p=ɪlʲˈbrus; kbd, Ӏуащхьэмахуэ, 'uaşhəmaxuə; krc, Минги тау, Mingi Taw) is the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the we ...
(18,510 foot-high or 5,642 meters),
Europe's highest peak located in the
Caucasus mountain range within
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
's boundaries and the fourth of the Seven Summits that he reached.
On June 6, 2008, 9:30pm Philippine Standard Time, Romi Garduce reached the summit of
Denali
Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thi ...
,
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, making his fifth summit among the Seven Summits. Denali is the highest peak in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the C ...
. Only three out of their 9-man team made it to the Denali summit. Garduce climbed with a team from the American Alpine Institute (AAI).
After Denali, Romi went on the climb
Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko ( ; Ngarigo: , ), previously spelled Mount Kosciusko, is mainland Australia's tallest mountain, at 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level. It is located on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National P ...
,
Australia in 2009 and
Carstensz Pyramid
Puncak Jaya (; literally "Glorious Peak") or Carstensz Pyramid, Mount Jayawijaya or Mount Carstensz () on the island of New Guinea, with an elevation of , is the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth. The mountain is located in the Sud ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. In ...
in 2011 with another Filipino, Levi Nayahangan. Finally, Garduce completed the climb of the
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven traditional continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first achieved on 30 April 1985 by Richard Bass. Climbing the Seven Summits ...
of the seven
continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
s of the world last January 6, 2012 when he reached the peak of
Vinson Massif
Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located ...
in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
.
In November 2014, Romi completed his personal quest to "day-climb" Philippines' top five highest peaks, a project he called "5 peaks in 5 days." In 2015, he also climbed Makiling, a mountain in Laguna, Philippines, to prepare for his climb on Mount Ama Dablam in Nepal.
Writing and other careers
Aside from being a mountaineer, Garduce is a scuba diver master, an environmentalist, writer, motivational speaker,
an IT professional, and a TV host. He works at
Procter and Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer h ...
(Philippines) as systems manager of the financial reporting unit in the P&G office at
Petron Megaplaza
The Petron Megaplaza is an office skyscraper located in Makati, Philippines. It previously held the title as the tallest building in the Philippines from 1998 to 2000 when the PBCom Tower was topped-off. It currently holds the title as the 5th t ...
,
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
. In 2006, Garduce became one of the hosts for ''Pinoy Meets World'' and, in 2007, he became one of the original presenters for the travel and wildlife show ''
Born to be Wild
"Born to Be Wild" is a song written by Mars Bonfire and first performed by the band Steppenwolf. The song is often invoked in both popular and counter culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude. It is most notably featured in the 1969 ...
'' with
veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
Ferdinand Recio. He appeared at one of the episodes of the children's educational show ''
Art Angel''. He also hosted the special entitled ''Pito Para sa Pilipino'' (''Seven for the Filipinos'') with
Richard Gutierrez
Richard Kristian Gutierrez (born January 21, 1984), known professionally as Richard Gutierrez, is a Filipino actor, environmentalist and model. He is one of the sons of actor Eddie Gutierrez.
Early life
Richard Gutierrez was born on January ...
.
In October 2013, Romi launched his first book entitled ''Akyat! A Filipino's Journey to the Seven Summits ''at the Bonifacio High Street in
Bonifacio Global City
Bonifacio may refer to:
Places
* Bonifacio, Corse-du-Sud, a town in Corsica, France
* Strait of Bonifacio, separating Corsica from Sardinia
* Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, a municipality in the Philippines
* Bonifacio Global City, a central bu ...
. ''Akyat'' means "climb" in
Filipino. The book tells his mountain climbing adventures and struggles as a mountain climber. He hoped to inspire people through his book.
In September 2015, Garduce became a global ambassador for
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Sc ...
and appeared in the said whiskey's commercial. In November 2015, Garduce briefly returned in ''Born to be Wild'' as guest host.
In the episodes that he appeared, Garduce went to
Mount Makiling
Mount Makiling (also known as Mount Maquiling), is an inactive stratovolcano located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of above mean sea level and is the highest fe ...
as part of his training to climb
Mount Ama Dablam in the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
.
Awards
* Garduce was given the Order of Lakandula with Special Class of Champion for Life in 2006 by then President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...
.
* He was also named as one of The Outstanding Young Man (TOYM) of 2006 for his achievements and for serving the community.
* Garduce,
Oracion and
Emata were featured on postage stamps in November 2006 issued by the Philippine Postage Corporation to honor their feats.
* In 2017, he was one of the inaugural awardees of the History Maker Award by the
History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disne ...
.
Filmography
See also
*
Leo Oracion
Leo Oración (born 1974) is a Filipino mountaineer and sportsman widely recognized as the first Filipino to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 17, 2006, at the age of 32. He reached the summit at 3:30 p.m. (local time), together with 15 ...
*
Erwin Emata
Erwin "Pastor" Emata (born ca. 1973/1974 in Makilala, North Cotabato) is a mountain climber and a runner from the Philippines. In 2006, he became the second Filipino to climb Mount Everest. His achievement was recognized by then Philippine Presi ...
References
External links
Everest 2006: Philippine Everest 2006 ExpeditionRomi Garduce's personal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garduce, Romi
1969 births
Living people
People from Balanga, Bataan
Filipino mountain climbers
Filipino summiters of Mount Everest
Filipino television personalities
GMA Network personalities
GMA Integrated News and Public Affairs people
Filipino motivational speakers
Filipino writers
University of Santo Tomas alumni
Summiters of the Seven Summits