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 other climbers.[1]

Leo Oración
Born
Heracleo Salumbides Oración

1974 (age 48–49)
Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Other namesLeo
OccupationMountaineer
Known forThe first Filipino to reach the summit of Mt. Everest
SpouseVanessa Laurence
ChildrenLeamari Angela Oración
Kalayaan "Kaya" Oración
Lakan Tao Oración

Early life

Oración was born in the town of Lucbán in Quezon Province, Philippines. Prior to climbing Mount Everest, he worked as a lifeguard at the Shangri-La Hotel in Mactan Island, Cebu. He quit his job to pursue his passion full-time. Aside from being a mountaineer, he is also a triathlete who has won various adventure races.

He and fellow Mount Everest summiteer Erwin Emata are also enlisted officers of the Philippine Coast Guard. He is also a member of the triathlon team, Coast Guard-Sandugo, which placed second in the Philippine adventure race, the Carrera Habagat.

Everest expedition

Oración was a member of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition, whose quest to conquer Everest was supported by the ABS-CBN television network, among other entities. On May 13, 2006, Oración left Base Camp and proceeded up the mountain. He reached the summit on the afternoon of May 17.[2][3] Upon reaching the top, Oración radioed, "The Philippine Eagle has landed."[3] His statement is based on Neil Armstrong's message "The Eagle has landed" when the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, nicknamed the "Eagle", landed on the moon.[4] The following day, May 18, fellow expedition member Emata became the second Filipino to reach the summit of Mount Everest.[5]

Upon conclusion of his ascent, Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation awarded Oración with a summit certificate which indicated his Mount Everest summit ascent on May 17 via the south col. EverestNews.com also reported Oración's successful summit feat on its website.[6]

Oración's status as the first Filipino to reach the summit of Mount Everest has been challenged by another Filipino climber, Dale Abenojar, who claims to have reached the summit from the northern side on May 15 — two days before Oración. Abenojar's claim has been registered in Mount Everest chronicler Elizabeth Hawley's Himalayan Database.[7] Abenojar also presented a certificate which claimed that he was certified by the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA) to have summitted Everest via the North Col on May 15, 2006, at 10:45 a.m. Beijing time (or 8:45 a.m. Nepal time). However, he wasn't among the climbers that EverestNews.com reported to have summitted the mountain from the northern side on that date.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Himalayan Database Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley". Himalayandatabase.com. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  2. "Mountaineer Leo Oracion reaches Mt. Everest summit". GMA News. May 17, 2006. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  3. Papa, Alcuin (May 18, 2006). "Pinoy on top of the world". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. 1. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  4. Jones, Eric M. (1995). "The First Lunar Landing – Corrected Transcript and Commentary". NASA. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  5. Calipayan, Mitchelle P. (May 18, 2006). "Celebrations as 3rd Filipino reaches top of Mt. Everest". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  6. "NEWSFLASH Everest South Side: Heracleo "Leo" Oracion summits Everest but at 3.30 pm Nepal Time". EverestNews.com. May 17, 2006. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  7. "Chronicler says Abenojar made it to top of Everest - INQ7.net". September 29, 2006. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006.
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