As early as her childhood days, Christine Pauline Diciano had always dreamed of taking control of that bird-shaped metal that flies in the sky.
So when the rare opportunity finally knocked in 2005, she made sure that she would not only become a successful aviatrix but would also make history in the Philippine skies.
It was history indeed for Diciano as she became the first female pilot of the Philippine Coast Guard.
“During that time in 2005, they were looking for the first female pilot po. I just submit my requirements, baon ko lang po ‘yung lakas ng loob at tiwala sa Diyos (I just have the courage and trust in God). In God’s grace and the wisdom given to my leaders the deliberation, I was able to qualify po and the rest was history,” she told Manila Bulletin.
After rigorous training sessions to prepare for her first fight, Christine was finally entrusted with an aerial mission in 2006.
PCG's Amelia Earheart
On her first flight, Diciano could not help but think of American female pilot Amelia Earhart, who was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean--and one of her major sources of inspiration.
If her idol Amelia Earheart was able to do it across the Atlantic, Diciano takes the pride of being the first to do it in the Philippines seas in the history of the Philippine Coast Guard.
From Batanes to Tawi-Tawi, Christine has conducted a series of maritime surveillance across the islands in the Philippines, which includes the West Philippine Sea, Benham Rise, Batanes, Palawan, Zamboanga, and Tawi-Tawi among others.
Diciano said her duty as an on-call pilot was to provide aerial surveillance in the islands of the country in the aspect of maritime security, maritime safety, and search and rescue.
Written also in the aerial history of the Philippine Coast Guard was her being part of the organization’s first ever all female flight crew, which also took the longest hours of flight and farthest island to visit. She said it was her most memorable experience.
“Recently po yung history po sa Coast Guard nagkaroon po ng chance magpiloto po kasama ako at isang babae (in the history of Coast Guard, I was given the chance to fly along with a female colleague) in the first-ever all female tandem flight po. It is the longest, which is about 20 hours , and we reached the farthest island po, which is the Tawi –Tawi. It is during the COVID-19 efforts po when it was very difficult to fly all our general aviation and general operations on ground so ‘yun po yung mga memorable experiences ko po,” Diciano shared.
Humble beginnings
The pride of the City of Smiles, Bacolod City, Capt. Diciano is the eldest daughter of a Navy and Coast Guard enlisted man. Her mother is a dedicated nurse.
“Growing up po simple lang po yung buhay namin, elementary pa lang po ako naitawid po natin ‘yun through hardwork and high school ko po on scholarship (Growing up, our life was simple, I graduated in elementary and able to finished high school through a scholarship)," the Coast Guard officer said.
Even though Diciano lived a simple life in the province, her hard work and perseverance consistently paved along the way as she graduated from the University of Saint La Salle with a degree in Computer Science.
Building a lot of experiences and trainings abroad, she was able to finish her master’s degree in Maritime Education and Organizational Leadership at World Maritime University in Sweden.
“The bedrock of change is education. It is a very powerful tool in changing one’s life for both the students and its facilitators of learning,” Diciano underscored.
“Always challenge oneself considering time and motion. I learned that for one to be able to pursue effective maritime strategies, you need to objectively understand the dynamic socio-economic and geo-political landscape of the country, region and the world,” she added.
Women in leadership
Aside from being an on-call pilot, Diciano is currently designated as the deputy commander of PCG Logistics Command and focal point officer of Logistics Command in Gender and Development.
Working with multiple duties did not hindrance her from doing her best as a Coast Guard officer throughout the years.
“Ang challenge ko po kasi (The challenge for me) is doing the job well. Meron po kasi kaming tinatawag na (We have in the organization called) collateral duties, for me I don’t take it as a collateral duties po I always perform the best level both levels po talaga, in all the works given to me. So challenge po siguro bata-bata pa po ako (The challenge for me is when I was young) but now I am learning the ropes na rin po on how to handle them with good attitude at saka hard work,” Diciano said.
Felt blessed in the opportunity given to her, Diciano was also inspired and motivated by the support given by her female colleagues as women empowerment make way in the male dominant organization.
“Now po we’ve been making strides po in the aspect po of women empowerment in the PCG under the leadership of our Commandant Admiral George Ursabia Jr. we were able to produce po two female generals po in the organization which are my ‘nanay-nanayan’ and mentors po,” she said.
"Heartfelt ma'am. It is like walking down memory. It is a fitting tribute for my nanay, tatay, and my family whom I sacrificed a lot because of the service I do," she added.
In celebration of this year’s Women’s Month, Diciano recognized that all women can do a lot of greater things in the world.
“There are so many things that women can do. We have to change the narrative and welcome every opportunity with utmost dedication and professionalism, " said Diciano.
"Let us be sincere in the work that we do, show kindness in all our ways and keep faith as God's plans unfold. For it is in empowering we find purpose in this journey of life,” she added.