Jeno Panganiban and Miguel Mapalad join Ric Rabe as Filipino mountaineers to successfully reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2025.
Filipino mountaineers Jeno Panganiban and Miguel Mapalad successfully became the 10th and 11th Filipinos to summit Mount Everest, doing so on Sunday (PH time) to make it a troika of success for this current climbing season.
Panganiban and Mapalad reached the summit around 8:00 a.m. after beginning their climb earlier this week. This was confirmed by their expedition team — Seven Summit Treks.
The two climbers successfully reached the summit just days after another Filipino, Ric Rabe, also ascended Mount Everest to become the ninth Filipino to achieve the feat. Everest’s summit is a hefty 8,849 meters above sea level.
However, the trio's success comes as a bittersweet development after one of the casualties this climbing season was Filipino trekker PJ Santiago, who passed away while resting at Camp 4, one of the bases before Everest’s peak.
Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition Team, who are carried by Panganiban and Mapalad, acknowledged their fellow Filipinos during the feat.
“Joining them in this monumental feat are two other proud Filipinos Sir Ric Rabe and the late Sir PJ Santiago II, whose unwavering spirit lives on in this triumph. Sir PJ may not have reached the summit, but he gave everything for this dream with love, courage, and pride for the Philippines,” wrote the team on social media.
They also dedicated their success to all Filipinos.
“This climb was never just for them it was for all Filipinos. To show that we can dream big, rise higher, and endure together,” they said.