ROMI Garduce, who is preparing for two bigger adventures following his conquest of Mt. Everest 10 years ago, is embarking on a quest to raise to awareness on the sights, sounds and the wildlife of the island of Palawan.
On Oct. 10 to 23, Garduce and a group of UP Mountaineers will be off to Palawan for a fundraising bike tour.
Dubbed as Padyak Palawan, the tour will showcase some of the country’s most impressive heritage sites, as well as highlight wildlife advocacy by promoting different stunning wildlife locations throughout the region.
“This is to promote eco-tourism by bike,” said Garduce in an interview with the Manila Standard during the launch of the tour at the Bikers’ Café at the SM by the Bay.
The tour kicks off in Bataraza and culminate in scenic El Nido.
Garduce said he was planning to go to the ends of Palawan via a kayak. But logistical issues came into play.
In between their tour, the group will enjoy traversing beautiful places like the Talbon cave, which is said to be the site of some of the world’s oldest human bones dating all the way back to 50,000 years.
Then, there are also plans to go to Estrella Falls in Aborlan, Puerto Princesa, the Matanglaw and Umalad Falls in Roxas, and UNESCO sites like St. Paul’s underground river in Sabang, and Sta. Isabela in Taytay, a well-known spot for kayaking, diving and snorkelling.
“Maraming sumama dito,” added Garduce, who went up the 22,349-foot Ama Dablam in Eastern Nepal last year, which was his preparation for a possible expedition to K-2, the second highest peak in the world. He is also setting his eyes on hikes in the South Pole and North Pole, which is called a Grand Slam in the world of mountaineering.
Padyak Palawan, according to Garduce, will not just to promote adventure tourism in Palawan, but also to spread awareness on wildlife conservation to protect endangered species, interact with local communities unique to each region, and further appreciate the exquisite resources of the country.
The tour will encourage followers to do their part and give back to Center for Conservation Innovation’s Palawan Programme: Oplan Tandikan.
Oplan Tandikan, the advocacy chosen by Garduce himself, which is a biodiversity conservation project that is committed to increasing the area of land conservation management and building conservation capacity, specifically of high profile endemic species and their rapidly diminishing habitats.
Padyak Palawan 2016 is presented by C.O.R.E., in partnership with the UP Mountaineers.
This event is for the benefit of Center for Conservations Innovations Inc. and made possible by the following major sponsors: R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange), Department of Tourism Mimaropa Region, Tourism Promotions Board, Cebu Pacific as the official Airline partner, and minor sponsors: The North Face, FOX, Blackbeard’s Seafood Island, and Powerman Philippines. Padyak Palawan 2016, along with media partners: Business Mirror, Business World, Business World University Edition, and Manila Standard.