PROUDLY PINAY | Meet a Filipino Woman Who Made History In the Aviation Industry

March 8, 2024 , 05:11 PM

By Von Belinario

For Maria Aurora Carandang-Gloria or simply Aimee, being a pilot is neither her childhood dream nor something she looked forward to when she was growing up, but opportunities came until she made history in the aviation industry.

Carandang-Gloria graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Economics in 1986. After graduation, she applied for scholarship in the Philippine Airlines Aviation School. This moment led her to made a mark in her profession, locally and internationally. She is the first female commercial pilot in the Philippines and Asia in 1989 and the first female airline captain in the Philippines and southeast Asia in 1993.

More than three decades since she made history, Carandang-Gloria is still in awe. In rare interview with News5, she shared that being a female pilot is something so dear to her. “I’m so proud because I was able to be given that opportunity to be that, and I’m also very humbled that I was lucky to be given an opportunity at that time,” she said.

When she entered the PAL Aviation School in 1986, she was the only female trainee. Though she was surrounded by a lot of men in the industry, she stood up and raised the bar that the profession of being a pilot is for everyone, regardless of gender.

“I graduated in 1986, that was EDSA. At that time, women empowerment was very big because we had a first female president. When Philippine Airlines opened its doors to female pilots, I said why not. I had no idea what it was. I just took the exam and tried to see if I will pass,” she shared.

Carandang-Gloria is a firm believer of women empowerment, hence, she didn’t mind the challenges she went through during those times. “Our training was semi-military so it was a little bit difficult for me because I had no idea how was that going to do: the training, the discipline, the studying. It was a lot of technical stuff. I did not know anything related to flying, mechanical, electrical. It was really trying to immerse myself and study it. But I did enjoy the process. I enjoyed the camaraderie we had, and with the people I had worked with.”

Carandang-Gloria recently led the send-off event of nine all-female flight team of the Philippine Airlines. In the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day celebration, the flag carrier accomplished an aviation milestone by having the most number of all-female flight crews in a single day, marking a collective triumph for women in the industry.

Nine sets of female pilots and cabin crew took flight to different local and international PAL destinations on March 4. Two flights were bound for California, with one going to San Francisco and the other to Los Angeles, along with flights to Sydney, Hanoi, and Jakarta. Meanwhile, the all-female deck crew on domestic flights headed to Cebu City, Tagbilaran City, Davao City, and Iloilo City.

Apart from this historic and inspirational effort that broke glass ceilings, PAL also celebrates for the first-time having female pilots from all flight divisions and across all ranks.

During the ceremony, Carandang-Gloria shared an inspiring message to her fellow women in the industry. “When I stand before you today, I see not just pilots but future leaders who continue to inspire generations to come,” she said.

Carandang-Gloria retired in 1998, but she didn’t stop to push the higher grounds for women. She started her advocacies in 2002, with the establishment of the Kabisig ng Kalahi Foundation. The organization created feeding programs to address malnutrition among children in the Philippines.

She is also the Executive Director of Fair Employment Training and Assessment Center Inc. (FTC). It is a social enterprise that prepares workers for their jobs and life overseas.

Asked for a message to future female pilots and for those who want to be a pilot, Carandang-Gloria said: “Go ahead, but you have to study very well. You have to be diligent. You have to persevere. You have to be determined to be a pilot if that’s what you want. Actually for anyone who wants to do a job that’s in a male-dominated field, just keep on going because there’s no limit to what women can do.”

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