After 37 years in the military, Philippine Army Col. Virgilio Noora is ready for a new chapter: rejoining the civilian workforce.
Noora, 56, was one of 42 soldiers who completed a five-day career training program under the Ayala Corporation’s “Saludo sa Serbisyo” initiative.
“I was personally asked, ‘What will you do with your life after retirement?’” said Noora, the Army’s acting deputy inspector general. “I told myself, I have something to dedicate my time and attention to. Opportunities only knock once.”
The training, led by Ayala’s human resources experts, taught soldiers from the Philippine Army, Navy, and Air Force how to write résumés, prepare for job interviews, and match their skills to civilian careers.
Maj. Eva Dapanas, who is taking optional retirement after 20 years, said the program gave her the confidence to seek new possibilities.
“We never experienced applying for work before,” Dapanas said. “The format of our CV is different. So how do we translate it into a corporate one? This training helped so much, because it’s the first time I’ve encountered this.”
Dapanas, who had planned to stay home to care for her two-year-old child, said the training has made her open to working again. “It helped us gain confidence,” she said.
Both Noora and Dapanas hope the training will be offered to more soldiers to expand their options after leaving the service.
At the program’s graduation, Armed Forces of the Philippines Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Rommel Roldan encouraged participants to face civilian life with the same courage they showed in uniform.
“Your years in uniform taught you resilience, adaptability, and the courage to face the unknown,” Roldan said. “These same qualities will serve you well.”
Ayala chief human resources pfficer Francisco Romero Milán told the soldiers they weren’t “starting from scratch.”
“You are starting from experience, you are starting from depth,” Milán said. “Your uniforms may change, but the call to lead, serve, and build remains the same.”
Former AFP chief of staff Emmanuel Bautista, now head of security management for Ayala, said the transition from military to civilian life should be seamless. “There is life after the service,” he said.
“Your training in the Armed Forces — the culture, our knowledge, our thought processes — in fact, prepared you for whatever lies ahead,” Bautista added. “What is critical now is you are able to adapt to a new environment.”
Now in its ninth year, the Saludo sa Serbisyo program provides uniformed personnel and their families with access to services such as discounts on homes and cars, health support, livelihood training, and career assistance.
