When Recreational Outdoor eXchange (R.O.X.) said, “Get Outside,” they meant “everyone” including those with special capabilities.
On October 14, R.O.X. and the Columbia Davao team, made history when they, together with the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines (DSAPI), aided three Down Syndrome (DS) participants- Alvin, 27, Wakee, 10, and Eman, 5- in conquering the highest peak of the country, the majestic Mount Apo.
Eman, the son of Mount Everest conqueror Pastor Emata, broke boundaries just like his father for being the youngest person to reach the summit. When asked about how Eman changed his life, Pastor said, “Before he was born, God told me in a dream that Eman will be His special gift for me, and that I should take good care of him.” True enough, this dream came to reality that day when he joyously waved his flag on the summit of Mt. Apo.
Faced with the staggering elevation of 2,954 meters above sea level and a freezing 2.7 degree Celsius temperature, the team bravely ushered the DS participants each step of the way. The journey was not easy but it was made more fun with the jolly support group. Several stops had to be made along the way to check the vital stats of the three DS participants. The team also made time for some dancing, singing and story-telling to abate the weariness in the arduous journey.
It was all worth the sweat when the DS participants, supported by the volunteers, safely and successfully reached the summit.
This project came with a double-edged purpose.
One was to educate not only the three boys but most importantly the parents and the community surrounding them, that a child’s disability should not stop an individual from achieving their dreams. It just means that the parents’ approach and the child’s pace would be a bit different from the usual, thus, making the experience unique. They can even achieve more if we will break down the limits we put around them. As in the words of French pediatrician Dr. Jerome Lejeune who discovered the Down syndrome chromosome in unborn babies, “We should look at the child as a child first and his disability second.”
The second purpose was to contribute to the reforestation efforts initiated by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC). The climb culminated with the boys and the volunteers planting 100 trees in site G, which was badly hit by the massive fire that ravaged the peak in 2016.
The PARTNERS
The climb was organized and spearheaded by Lanie Vergara who heads the DSAPI-Davao branch. Lanie is fully supported by his mountaineer husband, Allan Vergara. The documentation of this project was complete thanks to the selfless efforts of Coicoi Nacario of Micromedia. Special recognition goes out to EDC and the Tourism of Kidapawan for accommodating the group to use their exclusive trail. Big thanks to Tiff Batungbacal, AVP for Outdoor and Action Sports, and her team (Ramdy, Maan, Jessa, Pierrick, Joanna, Coach Manny) for supporting this noble cause. Kudos to the Primer volunteers, Raymond, Rjae, Crisan, Ryan, and Mae.
Next Project
The boys won’t stop at the highest peak in the Philippines. Lanie said, “There will definitely be more adventures in the future for our boys.” Just like Columbia, Alvin, Wakee, and Eman will keep on conquering new heights, they will keep on “Trying Stuff.”
The author, Mae, with Eman and Wakee
Text by Mae Sanchez, Aira Navarro