At a young age, Bensie Tan already knew he wanted to take to the skies one day.
“My mom tells me that, noong bata pa ako (when I was a kid), I’d always say, ‘I want to be a pilot,’” shares the 35-year-old husband, father of two, and Cebu Pacific pilot.
But realizing his dream was not that easy.
Dream takes off
Tan graduated with an Aeronautical Engineering degree at PATTS College of Aeronautics. But despite coming from a traditional Chinese-Filipino family of businessmen and professionals, he was made aware early on that sending him to flight school was something they couldn’t afford.
Fortunately, he got word of Cebu Pacific’s pilot program which includes a sponsorship of half of the necessary fees to get licensed. He got accepted to the program in 2007.
“There was a lot of bumps and obstacles along the way,” recalls Capt. Bensie Tan. “What was supposed to be a one-year course took us over two years to finish.” His perseverance paid off, and he formally joined the Cebu Pacific team in 2009.
Much like an aircraft’s steady ascent in altitude, Capt. Tan also steadily rose through the ranks at the airline known for enabling “everyJuan” to fly: from limited first officer to regular first officer; to his promotion to captain, and then as instructor and examiner; and now as part of the management team as the fleet manager of the airline’s A320/A321 aircraft.
Capt. Tan is able to remain optimistic in the current situation, knowing that “our leaders have steered towards the direction that will not only get us through these arduous times, but more importantly come out better prepared, equipped, and well-rounded than ever before—with the strength to face any challenge going forward”.
Passion for flying
Like Capt. Tan, First Officer Neil Mark Enriquez’s love of flying started when he was a kid.
He would save his daily allowance just so he could buy plastic model airplanes, which he would then line up in his room after assembling them together. This childhood hobby exposed him early on to different types of aircraft, allowing him at a young age to easily differentiate one from the other. “I already knew what a 747 or an A-10 was. Or even an F-14,” beams Enriquez.
It was when he first saw and rode an Airbus in a flight to Manila from his hometown Cagayan de Oro that Enriquez knew he wanted to be a pilot – only it took him a while to get there, graduating with a degree in Library and Information Science first.
He was finally able to go through intensive aviation training in Australia with the help of Cebu Pacific, thereby making his childhood passion a career.
Enriquez is now a first officer assigned to Cebgo’s ATR fleet. He remains grateful to the airline for opening many doors he would otherwise never have been able to get into.
“I’m glad to be part of a company that exemplifies its values by investing in their people, by fostering diversity, and equipping them for eventual leadership in the service of the flying public,” he enthuses.
Sky is the limit
First Officer Tiffany Piccio fondly looks back on the early days when she was dreaming of becoming a pilot.
“I was just amazed at how such huge metal ships could carry so many people at such high altitudes,” she recalls. This yearning was further pushed when, during a flight to visit her grandparents, she saw a man and a woman in the cockpit area. That was when she realized that women can be pilots too.
Owing to the opportunities given by Cebu Pacific through a study now, pay later program, Piccio is well on her way towards reaching the peak of her career in the aviation industry, as part of the country’s growing number of female pilots.
“I’ve met a lot of lovely women who are either studying or having a successful career as an air traffic controller, air force jet pilot, and even an aircraft mechanic!” she shares.
