Moving up fast in the airline industry

Sunday, December 18, 2011

MAGGIE Wong may look like a typical teenager, but she’s no teen and is, in fact, the manager of Cathay Pacific Cebu. Her stint with Cathay started four years ago, shortly after she finished her masters in communication studies in the United States.

She applied for a job with John Swire, Cathay’s mother company, and was asked to choose which, among its companies, she would like to be in. She chose Cathay because “the diversity and the people side” of the industry intrigue her.

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Her first assignment was with the airline’s cargo department in Hong Kong. The following year, she found herself in Singapore, as assistant to the general manager for Southeast Asia. She also spent three months in Penang, Malaysia, when she was deputized as general manager for the airline there. In her third year with the company, she was assigned to the executive office in Hong Kong. Now she’s in Cebu. She says the airline likes to “post us out early so we can absorb and learn while being ‘overwhelmed’ with everything!”

Wong said she had never visited Cebu before she was posted here. Now three months here, she is “enjoying Cebu and her people a lot. Everyone is nice and friendly.” She has found friends she can hang around with.

She likes to jog when she has the time or just loaf in her place, reading, when not at work. She loves the warmer weather, the fresher air, as compared to Hong Kong. And though she hasn’t found a Chinese restaurant in the city that would be on a par with Hong Kong’s, she has learned to like some Cebuano dishes like lechon (roasted pig), fresh lumpia (spring rolls) and sisig (diced animal parts).

She also loves it that from here she can explore other places in Cebu and other Philippine destinations. She has, in fact, already visited Bohol, as well as experienced tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) rides to Cebu’s downtown museums. But her all-time favorite destination is still Hawaii.

Asked what she thinks of the future of tourism in Cebu, she said: “The travel and tourism industry in Cebu will continue to blossom. We are very confident about it.

Cebu itself has a lot of great things to offer: the beaches, the culture, the historical sites. I also hope to see more Cebuanos traveling abroad, as Cathay Pacific offers connections to many destinations.”

Her company, announced Wong, is looking forward to 2012 when it celebrates its 20th year in Cebu. She adds that Cathay will be launching more new destinations next year, the better to serve Cebuanos’ travel needs.