Two ladies, twin scholars, two economists, a law student, a summa cum laude college graduate, a captain of a university cheering squad, an ice hockey player and a new father are among the 16 Filipino millennials now training in Australia to become commercial pilots.
“What drives me to become a pilot is that soon I will become a father, as my wife is pregnant. This is a great opportunity for me. This will bring a bright future for my son,” says Kayrwin Kirch Remolona, just before their flight to Adelaide, Australia to undergo a 52-week aviation training.
Remolona, who graduated cum laude from Philippine State College of Aeronautics with a degree in Aircraft Maintenance Technology, left his young family in Mabalacat, Pampanga to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot by joining Cebu Pacific’s Cadet Pilot Program.
He is among the 16 successful cadets, chosen from a pool of over 12,500 applicants, that comprise the first batch of the program. Cebu Pacific will spend $100,000 for every cadet to study at Flight Training Adelaide and experience 173 flying hours on their way to becoming licensed commercial pilots.
Cebu Pacific is spending a total of $25 million under the program to train 240 pilots, in three batches of 16 each per year for five years, to expand its current pool of 700 pilots who fly more than 60 aircraft.
The cadets, who are all millennials between the ages 21 and 27, have college degrees. Two of them are women: Janine Alyssa Marie Bautista of Cainta, Rizal graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Philippine State College of Aeronautics and passed the Aeronautical Engineering board examination in 2015, while Martha May De Leon of Sta. Rosa, Laguna graduated with honors from PATTS College of Aeronautics with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
Bautista says she has the support of her father to join the Cadet Pilot Program. “I wanted to become a pilot because my father encouraged me to become one. We could not afford it financially. That’s why I am very thankful to Cebu Pacific for having this program,” she says.
De Leon, whose mother works as a caregiver in the United States, says being a pilot is in line with her love for travels. “When I was in elementary school, I really wanted to travel. When you were a kid, you only knew two professions—pilot and flight attendant. Since I wanted to be on the technical side, I dreamt of becoming a pilot,” De Leon says.
“Since this is a male-dominated profession, I am so thankful they chose the two of us to be a part of this. This environment is not new to us. We graduated from aeronautical schools. All of our classmates were men. That gives us a background,” says De Leon.
Juan Carlo Wage of Bamban, Tarlac, who graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in Business Economics and received the highest grade in his undergraduate thesis, says passion is important to becoming a pilot.
Wage, whose parents both worked as caretakers and housecleaners in Pampanga, says he joined the program because, “I knew that it would change my life.”
“Aside from being able to travel, and learn and experience new things, I want to pay my mom and dad back for their hard work, and give them a good life as well,” he says.
Another cadet, however, says monetary compensation is just a secondary consideration. “Seeing the clouds when you go up is one of the major benefits when you are a pilot. You get an office in the sky. The monetary matter follows after. For me, the monetary compensation is not really in my mind when it comes to being a pilot. It is more of a passion,” he says.
Other cadet pilots are Dexie Jay Aljas of Banga, South Cotabato who graduated with a degree in Electronics Engineering from Cebu Institute of Technology; Aaron Jhun Gumaru Bernabe of Santiago City, Isabela who graduated with a degree in Air Transportation from Philippine State College of Aeronautics and twins Ivan Kevin and Ian John Satentes of Noveleta, Cavite who graduated from PATTS.
“I really want to become a pilot…. I am glad Cebu Pacific opened this program to give us this opportunity,” says Aljas.
Ian John Satentes says being an airline pilot is his lifelong dream, “but my family is not financially capable of supporting my dream.”
“My twin brother and I have the same dream of becoming pilots since we were kids. The reason for this is all the airplanes we saw up close whenever we accompany or fetch dad at the airport. While waiting for dad and looking at those big planes, our mom would always tell us that someday we will be inside the cockpit of whichever airplane she’s pointing at,” says Ivan Kevin.
Rydale Pintor of Cebu City has a degree in Aerospace Engineering and was a leadership awardee in Indiana Aerospace University in 2013.
James Kevin Chua, a son of entrepreneurs from Sta. Cruz, Manila, is an ECE graduate from De La Salle University, while Paulo Martin Concepcion of Sta. Rosa, Laguna, who is a part of the Philippine Ice Hockey Team, graduated with a degree in Applied Physics from University of Santo Tomas. Ardreen Reguyal, a son of a fireman from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, also studied in UST where he obtained a degree in Industrial Engineering.
Geronimo Miguel Mantes of Fairview, Quezon City, who served as a co-captain of Ateneo de Manila University cheering squad, graduated with a degree in Computer Science, while Lorenzo Miguel Montinola of Malate, Manila completed a degree in Management Economics from Ateneo and worked for multinational companies after college.
Jose Angelo Santos of Cainta, Rizal, whose mother is a dentist, is a cum laude graduate from UP Diliman where he is currently a law student. Darryl Dave Ditucalan of Iligan City, a son of public servants, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Electronics Engineering.
The 16 cadets passed a series of tests, medical and physical examination and attended an aviation foundation course at Philippine Academy for Aviation Training at Clark Freeport Zone before they were deployed to Australia.
Among the qualifications to join the program are a valid Philippine passport, college degrees, strong academic background and passionate and service-oriented attitude.
Captain Samuel Avila, vice president for flight operations of Cebu Pacific, reminds the cadets of three important attributes of a pilot—discipline, discipline and discipline.
“We are looking to attract more young, motivated, deserving individuals to be a part of our company and to serve our country in this expanding industry,” Avila says.
Avila says after completing their training in Australia, the cadet pilots will return to the Philippines to complete type-rating and licensing requirements to become commercial pilots, starting as first officers.
The cadet pilots will then reimburse the cost of the program through salary deduction over a maximum of ten years at zero-interest.
Cebu Pacific, the largest airline in the Philippines today, has 62 commercial aircraft that fly to 37 domestic and 26 international destinations across Asia, Australia, the Middle East and the US. The low-cost carrier plans to add six brand-new Airbus A321ceo, 32 Airbus A321neo and seven ATR 72-600 aircraft until 2022.
Cebu Pacific says the program remains open to Filipino citizens who are college graduates, proficient in English and hold passports valid for at least two years prior to the start of the program.
The screening process for applicants begins with an online screening, followed by an on-site screening for core skills and pilot aptitude tests, among other examinations where a fee of Au$425 (P17,000.00) will be charged. CEB and FTA will jointly select the final list of candidates.
Candidates for the second batch of cadet pilots are currently being screened, while application for the third batch is set to open by mid-May 2018.
Avila says passion and discipline are two attributes that are important to the profession. “For every profession you choose, of course, financial compensation is a factor for it. But not matter what field you join, you should have a passion for whatever you pursue. I love flying. I am a manager. I have been with this company since 1999. I’m at desk work most of the time, but I fly at least once a week. It is my passion,” says Avila.