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Filipina reflects on her journey from Pampanga to the skies as Emirates flight attendant
When Deserie Balajadia saw a missed call from a number beginning with +971, she already had a feeling who it was.
She had been cleaning their living room in Angeles City, Pampanga when her phone rang. She missed the call, and for a moment, panic set in.
"I was so scared and excited at the same time," the 25-year-old recalled in her interview with GMA News Online.
She was worried they might not call again. But she also knew the country code belonged to the United Arab Emirates, where flag carrier Emirates is based.
A few minutes later, an email came asking for the best time to call her back. When the call finally came, they offered her the job.
Excited as she was, Deserie didn't say yes right away.
"I asked them if I could have more time to prepare," she said. "Everything was unplanned and so sudden."
She still needed to render a 30-day notice at her job and prepare the required documents before leaving for Dubai. Emirates gave her another month.
It was the answer to a dream she had carried since high school—one she had almost stopped believing would happen.
Putting school on hold
Before joining Emirates, Deserie worked as an online casino dealer while completing her on-the-job training at Omni Aviation in Clark Freeport, Pampanga.
Money was tight at home. She had to stop studying for a time because she could no longer afford tuition.
"I was not able to graduate on time due to some financial matter," she said. "I needed to stop temporarily."
As the breadwinner, helping her family came first.
Only after saving enough to pay both her tuition and outstanding school balances was she able to return and finish her Bachelor of Science in Tourism at Systems Plus College Foundation in Angeles City.
Somewhere along the way, the dream of becoming a flight attendant had faded.
"Because of all the hardships I experienced, I felt like I already failed," she said. "I already gave up on the dream I once had."
Prepping for the job interview
When she finally decided to apply at the Emirates office in Bonifacio Global City, Balajadia knew competition would be tough.
The assessment days and final interview meant traveling at least six hours each time.
Deserie's preparations started long before she walked into the interview room.
"We sometimes tend to be relaxed, confident and procrastinate a lot," she said. "You are your biggest enemy when applying for aviation."
For months, she practiced not just answering questions but paying attention to how she carried herself.
"I prepared how I smile, how I behave, how I answer questions without being arrogant yet confident enough for them to know that I know what I am doing," she said.
To her, recruiters were looking beyond rehearsed responses.
"You need to know exactly what kind of company you are applying for and what kind of cabin crew they are looking for."
What people don't see
Working for one of the world's largest airlines comes with opportunities to visit places many people only dream of seeing.
However, Deserie said the image people see on social media is only one part of the job.
"You will work nonstop inside the aircraft," she said.
On full flights, there are days when cabin crew barely have time to sit down or finish a meal while attending to passengers.
"You will encounter a lot of passengers with different behaviors while you are doing the service and trying to finish on time," she said.
"There are times you'll just sit and think if everything is worth all these fatigue, jet lags and aching backs."
She laughed as she added, "People only see the perks. They don't see the work behind it."
Learning to live away from home
The bigger adjustment would come after work.
Growing up, Balajadia was used to having her parents around. They were there for school competitions, pageants and milestones, big or small.
Moving to Dubai meant learning how to live on her own.
"When I first came to Dubai, everything seemed to be perfect," she said. "Living alone, doing everything at your own pace."
But after a few weeks, homesickness began to sink in.
"I miss my life with my family. I miss the life I had in the Philippines."
There were days when she wanted to go home.
"I got sick and no one was around," she recalled. "When I'm so tired and I want to eat something, I need to do all these by myself."
As the family's breadwinner, though, she knew returning home wasn't an option.
"I cannot afford to go back just because I feel lonely," she said.
Today, she still makes time to call her family whenever she can—even during meals.
"It still feels like I have them despite the distance."
Different view of success
Flying with senior cabin crew also made her think differently about the future she once imagined.
Some of the colleagues she looks up to have been with the airline for more than a decade. Many are still unmarried, while others have chosen not to have children.
It made her realize that building a career in aviation often means making difficult choices.
"The life I dreamed of was having a family," she said.
"But being in aviation, you cannot prioritize having children as much as you want because of the lifestyle and hectic schedule."
She admits it's something she still thinks about.
Advice for aspiring cabin crew
For young Filipinos hoping to wear the Emirates uniform one day, Balajadia has one piece of advice: Know why you're applying.
"If you don't like working with people and you just want to travel, then don't apply," she said.
She believes many people are drawn to the job because of what they see online—the layovers, the destinations, and the uniform.
"The life you see on TikTok or social media is very different when you're already working inside."
For Balajadia, becoming an Emirates cabin crew member was never just about flying overseas.
It was about sticking with a dream even after putting it aside, supporting her family along the way, and learning that some of the biggest changes happen after you finally get the job you've always wanted. — VDV, GMA News
