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Romeo Roberto "Romi" Garduce (born 1969 in Balanga, Bataan), sometimes nicknamed as "Garduch," is a Filipino mountain climber, a scuba dive master (since 2000), an environmentalist, writer, motivational speaker 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 public affair shows Born to Be Wild and Pinoy Meets World.[1] He also hosted the GMA News and Public Affairs special entitled Pito Para sa Pilipino (Seven for the Filipinos) with Richard Gutierrez.[2]
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 in 2002, Garduce became the first Filipino to climb one of the Seven Summits. On September 26, 2005, Romi Garduce became the first Filipino to ascend Cho Oyu, a death zone peak at 8,000 metres (26,000 ft), then the highest mountain peak scaled by a Filipino.[3] That record was broken by Leo Oracion on May 17, 2006 when he was the first to reach the peak of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, and planted the Filipino flag.[4] Garduce reached the summit of Everest on May 19, 2006. Due to Garduce's feat, he was awarded an Order of Lakandula - Special Class of Champion for Life by then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo[5][6] as well as one of The Outstanding Young Man (TOYM) of 2006 for his feats and service to community work.[7]
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 and Messner Seven Summits list.[8]
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