Rock and Rice

Rock and Rice aims to build connections between Filipino climbers back home and abroad. We’d love to do what we can to support climbers back home with gear needs. Help us out by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/RockandRice

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"When you’re on a tough project, biglang nawawala lahat ng stress. Pumasok ka talaga sa isang flow state kung saan hyper-aware ka sa bawat galaw, sa paghinga mo, at sa micro-adjustments ng balance mo." 

Lissa is a comp climber, outdoor sport climber, yogi, and architecture student from Cebu. She's on the Pilipinas National Team and has podiumed many times. She's competed at the IFSC, SEA Games, placed 2nd in boulder and 2nd in lead at Pilipinas Nationals, and most recently placed first at Bouldurian in Davao.

Also... we'll put it on the record and dispel the myths. 😂 Lissa likes boulder more than sport. From her:

"i prefer boulder over lead discipline hahaha everyone has been fighting me everytime i say that cause they see me as a lead specialist, but the reason is because the pressure that i have with lead, i only have one try. and in general, i don't like falling. HAHAHAHA i dont like the soft catch the longest catch, HAHAHAHAHA it scares me."

You heard it here folks.

Anyway, we're most impressed by how she competes at a high level and sends 8a+/5.13 outside... on top of being an architecture student. She's sent some Cantabaco classics: White Flower 8a/5.13b and Lust for Lime, 8a+/5.13c. She hopes to do Jack Sparrow — the Philippines' hardest sport climb — one day. 

Lissa is also... funny. She takes her climbing seriously but doesn't take herself too seriously. 

Enjoy our conversation! Salamat Lissa. 

Her IG: @lisuh_slips

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Editor: Onassis Rabanes

Album Art & Instagram Promo: Christine Joy

Rock and Rice aims to build connections between Filipino climbers back home and abroad. We’d love to do what we can to support climbers back home with gear needs. And, we’d love to sustain this show financially. Help us out by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/RockandRice

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Our long-awaited chat with Isamer Bilog! If you boulder in SoCal, you definitely know Ice.

Isamer has been bouldering for eighteen years. He's sent many double digits, including Sans Soleil at Black Mountain. And has FA'd lines in the San Jacinto Mountains. He's also a lead setter at Touchstone. 

Isamer talks about it took him a couple years to send V4, which is wild to think about considering how quickly he puts down double digits. He talks about his experiences with the early 2000s SoCal scene, being Filipino from LA, and the many mentors who have shaped him. 

He also shares his experience coming back from a traumatic brain injury and how he thinks about risk. Watch: Second Chance. Trigger warning: This episode talks about a traumatic brain injury, so if that isn't your thing right now, skip this episode.

We recorded this at Tim's place in LA, IRL. Tim is obviously psyched to chat with one of his climbing heroes. 

Salamat Ice for finally finding time with us.

Isamer is sometimes on Instagram, sometimes not. But he's on Kaya: @theworst

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Editor: Onassis Rabanes

Album Art & Instagram Promo: Christine Joy

Rock and Rice aims to build connections between Filipino climbers back home and abroad. We’d love to do what we can to support climbers back home with gear needs. And, we’d love to sustain this show financially. Help us out by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/RockandRice

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Huy! Happy summer. Whether you’re out in Squamish enjoying the granite and good temps or in the Pinas climbing limestone on humid days… we hope you’re doing well. 

This episode is with Japhy Dhungana, a Nepalese-Filipino IFMGA guide. Japhy was born in Nepal before moving to Carson City, California… so his background is a lot more unique than the typical Fil Am who grew up in Carson. 

Japhy’s always embarked on his own pathless path. He is an alpine, ice, and rock climber and experienced in all disciplines. He even skis. He’s currently based in Boulder, CO. 

Gerry Egbalic, friend of the show and guest of Episode 3, hosted this episode. BYYYYYEEEEE Tim. Gerry and Japhy struck up a conversation at Ouray’s Ice Fest in 2025 and he suggested to us that we interview Japhy. We’re glad we did. Enjoy Gerry’s sass, Tim’s tito jokes, and Japhy’s heartfelt and articulate story. 

👉🏾 Japhy also guides alpine, rock, and ski! If you ever want to learn from him, book him here at Ethos Mountain Guides.

He also biked from California to Patagonia in 2009 after losing a close friend and mentor. You can read about this expedition on his blogspot. #throwback

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Editor: Onassis Rabanes

Album Art & Instagram Promo: Christine Joy

Rock & Rice exists to support climbing communities across the Philippines! Right now we're raising enough to cover our $575/month production costs. Once that's covered, every additional dollar goes directly to projects like the Pump Factory, Negros Rock Climbing, gear distribution, really what the communities need. If you want to help shape future episodes and make those projects possible, join us on Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/rockandrice

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Kamusta! 

Bianca & Glenn join us to talk about their crag in Negros Island (where the city of Bacolod is!). It's a crag bolted by PH Bolting Fund.

This crag has everything between 5a to 8a sport routes on limestone. We definitely want to check it out someday. 

Bianca & Glenn are a couple also from Bacolod. They're the main authors of Negros Rock Climbing Guidebook — which just came out this year for Filipino climbers. (We'd love to find a way to get this guidebook in the hands of listeners based in the states/Canada/abroad!)

Bianca is also projecting a route that she bolted!!!!! Yo. Badass. 

Glenn is very articulate and stoked on climbing. 

Support this crag by following their Faceboook page and Instagram.

Bianca's Instagram

Glenn's Instagram

People mentioned. Shoutouts to: 

• Bal (from Cebu) – for first discovering this crag!
• Boyet – for climbing lots of those routes!
• Mackie – for leading the bolting of these routes
• Wilson – for always being at every festival

Salamat to Onassis Rabanes for editing; Christine Joy for album art and promoting this episode on IG.

What do you do when your climbing gym starts as a warehouse wall, runs on donations, and somehow becomes one of the most important climbing communities in the Philippines?

In this episode, Tim and MG sit down with Ben and Tabs of The Pump Factory in Iloilo to talk about building a gym from scratch, growing a climbing community, importing holds to an archipelago (good luck), and why climbing spaces matter.

This episode is also a shameless plug for the Long Beach Rising Community Climb Fundraiser benefiting The Pump Factory on June 13, 2026.

🧗🏽 Community Climb Fundraiser for The Pump Factory
 📍 Long Beach Rising
 📅 June 13, 2026

RSVP here.

We’ll share the gofundme link, which will be released at the fundraiser.

Special thanks to MG for co-hosting, Onassis Rabanes for the lightning-fast edit, and Christine Antonio for helping get the word out and keeping the Rock & Rice social machine running.

Also special shoutout to Basil Vargas for the initial idea of the fundraiser.

From Long Beach to Iloilo: climbers supporting climbers.

Mabuhay Projek Pango! This month, we celebrate our friends Gerry Egbalic and Ivan Cataluña, who just summitted The Nose. Projek Pango was an idea born in 2023 and they summited The Nose May 2026. 

To our knowledge, they are the first Filipino team to have done The Nose. But if you happen to know other all-Filipino teams who've summited, or even attempted The Nose, reach out to [email protected]. We'd love to celebrate them. 

Shoutouts to our Valley Uprising Ghorls: Alex Sadlacan, Kaila Andres, and Jen Martelino for documenting the experience. And interviewing the team!

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Iba Pang Balita / Other News

• 🇵🇭 PCI Nationals is happening June 21 & 22, and June 28 & 29 in Manila. Learn more here. Rock and Rice will be an official prize sponsor! Salamat JX for reaching out. Be on the lookout for Rock and Rice stickers!
• 🌊 In SoCal? Come to Long Beach Rising on June 13th. They're hosting a fundraiser for The Pump Factory in Iloilo. Salamat MG for leading this fundraiser, and Basil Vargas for the initial idea. We miss our friends in Iloilo!

Mas marami tayong bisita ngayong taon! We have a stacked lineup of guests this year. Listen to the episode to hear who's going to be on the podcast. 

Salamat sa pakikinig. Our show couldn't be possible without you. 

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Join our discord

Become a Patron

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Podcast Team: 

• Tim Casasola, host
• Onassis Rabanes, editor
• Christine Joy, social & discord

Artwork: Pat Palacio

Projek Pango logo by Lo (Lois Ann Luce Kempney). Salamat Lo!

Song: Bruiser, by Winchip

In this episode of Rock and Rice, we sit down with Daniel Pugeda — a Filipino-American climber whose first outdoor sport climb in the Philippines… was a 5.13a/7c+.

But this conversation goes way beyond that wild first send.

After multiple trips back to the Philippines, Daniel reflects on how his perspective has evolved — from being a stoked first-time visitor to someone thinking more critically about access, privilege, and what it really means to engage with the climbing community back home.

We talk about:

• The realities Filipino climbers face when it comes to travel, finances, and access
• The difference between visiting the Philippines and living there
• How Fil-Am climbers can show up with more awareness and intention
• The rapid growth of the climbing scene — gyms, comps, and community

This episode is about seeing the full picture — not just the climbing, but everything behind it.

Maraming salamat to Charm Bartolay for her interview with us on Episode 2. That episode was the impetus for this one. You can listen to our episode with Charm (and Wilson!) here.

Also, a special mention to Nilo Batle! Listen to learn more. 

Follow Daniel:
https://www.instagram.com/daniel4nthony/

Join the community:

• Discord
• Patreon

Credits

Editor, Onassis Rabanes 

Social Lead, Christine Joy

Host, Tim Casasola

Di araw araw pasko… but today we dropped a nice one

This week we sit down with Ryan Juguan — USA Paraclimber + disability advocate — to talk about competing at the highest level and making climbing more accessible for everyone.

We get into:

• what comp climbing is actually like
• building Chicago Climbs from the ground up
• the gaps in accessibility (and what needs to change)

Also yes, CJoy (not Chicken Joy, but Christine Joy) is on the mic because Chicago climbing scene reunion. Go Bulls?

Shoutouts to Ivee Leung for recommending Ryan as a guest! Salamat Ivy!

Show Ryan some love 👉🏽 instagram.com/ryjuguan
Hop in the Discord 👉🏽 https://discord.gg/dgzb8cseJ
Support the pod 👉🏽 https://www.patreon.com/rockandrice

Second episode of 2026! 🔥

This week on Rock and Rice, we sit down with Manila-based power couple Dane & Magnet — self-dubbed serial projectors who’ve been quietly stacking some of the biggest sends of 2025.

From Magnet’s epic last-go send of Ben & Be (7c+/5.13a) in Igbaras… to Power & Pinesse, White Flower, and the mental chess match of projecting at your limit — this one is all about the highs, the almosts, and why “di araw araw pasko” (not every day is Christmas).

We talk:

• The psychology of projecting
• Booking climbing trips just to stay motivated
• Why only ONE person is allowed to be crazy at a crag
• Igbaras vs. Cantabaco
• And what it really means to take small wins

If you’ve ever left a trip without a send… this episode is for you.

@magnetnavales — Magnet’s Instagram

@danepolicarpio — Dane’s Instagram

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🫶 Join us on Discord:

https://discord.gg/dgzb8cseJ

Climbers & listeners — this is our space to connect.

🎙 Support the pod + get extra love on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/RockandRice

Your support keeps these stories coming.

Let’s gooooo.

Kumusta, mga ka-akyat 🧗🏽‍♀️🇵🇭

Welcome to the first Rock and Rice episode of 2026 — and we’re starting strong with longtime climber, community builder, and all-around legend, Mecia Serafino (@small_wonder). 

Tim and Mecia first met during their SPI course in Mammoth (yes, they’re still preparing for the exam 😅), but this episode goes way deeper than anchors and knots. Mecia shares her journey from growing up Filipino in Bernal Heights to becoming deeply involved in Yosemite climbing, outreach, and stewardship.

We talk about:

🧗🏽‍♀️ Getting into climbing later in life — and getting absolutely sandbagged by your future husband, Lucho Rivera

🏕️ Eastern Sierra classics, Tuolumne epics, and why Cathedral & Tenaya still hit different

📸 Being the photographer of the friend group (and why none of the climbing photos are of her)

🧭 Old-school mentorship, climbing with Yosemite legends, and learning on stiff Friends and hexes

🚨 The real reason most climbing accidents happen on rappel — and how Friends of YOSAR teaches people to “Stay Alive”

🧹 Yosemite Facelift, high-angle trash cleanups, and 20+ years of climbers giving back to the park

🏛️ The Yosemite Climbing Museum in Mariposa and the wild history preserved inside

🌲 Restore Hetch Hetchy and the complicated balance between access and preservation

🌁 Bay Area Climbers Coalition, a local chapter of the Access Fund

Mecia talks candidly about health struggles, finding healing in the outdoors, and why education and outreach matter just as much as sending hard routes. It’s a conversation about climbing, yes — but also about showing up for your community, protecting the places we love, and making sure more people get to experience them safely.

This one’s for the climbers who love long approaches, old gear stories, and doing the work even when no one’s watching.

Salamat, Mecia, for everything you do — and for reminding us that climbing is better when we take care of each other. 🤎

🎮 Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/aMe7ktS2

👏🏽 Become a Patron: http://patreon.com/rockandrice