Looks like the Philippines now has its first trans woman flight attendants! Cebgo Airlines, an airline under Cebu Pacific, has accepted two trans women in their flight attendant program: Mikee Vitug and Jess Labares.
According to Vitug’s Facebook post, at first, she was hesitant to apply for the program because of the country’s reputation for being overly conservative. But that didn’t stop her. “I feel honored and humbled that I am one of the trans women cabin crew dito sa Philippines. This is something new and I hope it will spark change sa kung paano ang pag tingin ng mga tao sa trans woman na hindi kami i-box or i-stereotype kasi tao din naman kami.”
Meanwhile, it took Labares almost two months of training to achieve her goal to become a flight attendant. “Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone to know yourself more and to know your capabilities,” says Labares in her Facebook post. She also wants to inspire more members of the LGBTQ community to “never give up on something you really want.”
Back in 2016, AirAsia also announced that they will start accepting transgender applicants to promote gender equality, but this is the first time we‘re actually seeing trans women hired as part of the cabin crew.
Congratulations, Mikee and Jess! Your bravery and determination have paid off and it will surely inspire more people. Kudos also to Cebu Pacific and Cebgo for making history! I hope other airlines will follow suit.
Photo courtesy of Jess Labares’ Facebook
For the latest in culture, fashion, beauty, and celebrities, subscribe to our weekly newsletter here
Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Viber
Related stories:
In honor of Transgender Awareness Week, follow these inspiring trans people
Protecting trans rights isn’t just about restrooms
Sen. Sotto refuses to pass SOGIE bill because he can’t find the words “trans woman” and “trans man” in the dictionary
Transwomen are women too, don’t exclude them from Women’s Month