Melo Villareal
Philippines as next Flying School Hub in Asia
According to Gulf News, the Philippines may soon be Asia’s center for flying schools.
There has been a gratifying yearly increase in the number of foreign nationals enrolling in aviation schools in the Philippines such as the Philippine Academy for Aviation Training in Pampanga and the
World Citi Colleges (WCC) Aeronautical and Technological College in Binalonan, Pangasinan.
Philippine Academy for Aviation Training welcomes AirAsia (photo from PAAT FB)
Recently, Air Asia joined Cebu Pacific Air and CAE as owner of Philippine Academy for Aviation Training (PAAT) through an investment by its training center, AACE, in Philippine Academy for Aviation Training.
Rappler also reported that Airbus SAS, the manufacturer of the largest passenger aircraft, is setting up a training hub in the Philippines according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Many of the 36 or so aviation schools in the country now have adequate motivation to increase investments in upgrading their facilities. The time is growing short, as the economic integration of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries is scheduled for completion by the end of 2015.
WCC Aeronautical and Technological College
The European Commission has already given major Philippine airlines its vote of confidence by lifting its ban on Philippine Airlines (2013) and Cebu Pacific (2014). It is now up to the government to follow up on the present advantage the country has in aviation services in general. The government should move to integrate the air transport sector, ensure that it continues to maintain international safety standards, and support aviation education.
Foreign nationals look to the Philippines to give them an education in aviation because of four reasons: affordability; high quality of education; English as the language of instruction; and the country’s cosmopolitan culture and outlook.
Philippine Academy for Aviation Training students being welcomed by Arvi Perez – PAAT’s General Manager (photo from PAAT FB)
It is no secret that a majority of Filipinos is fluent in English, which is why it is the language of instruction. Foreigners do not have to learn Filipino to study in the Philippines. In addition, the Philippines have 275 institutions of higher education ISO-certified as Centres of Developmen and Centres of Excellence. The quality of the graduates are on an international level, which is why many countries prefer to get skilled and professional workers from the Philippines.
WCC Aviation President Ramon Guico III and Pilot-Instructor Alito Getalica
The rush to get an education in the Philippines is not confined to the aviation sector, however. Of the 5,000 foreigners studying in the Philippines in 2014, many are enrolled in nursing, medicine, dentistry, and information technology.
