Ex-radio broadcaster joins Philippine Coast Guard

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – A former radio broadcaster here garnered numerous awards and emerged as the top student of the pilot class of the basic training course of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Civil Relations Service (CGCRS).

Probationary Ensign Frances Doren Balboa, 28, of Bago City, Negros Occidental, received an award of excellence for garnering the highest over-all grade both in academic and non-academic subjects obtaining an average grade of 95.58 percent. She was also given the award of distinction for graduating with no grade below 85 percent in every module in academic and non-academic subjects.

The awarding ceremony was held at the PCG regional training center in Taguig City on December 1, during the graduation rites of the 21 junior Coast Guard officers composed of the pioneering class of the CGCRSBTC, who finished the training course from May to December this year.

Balboa finished her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) here in 2013.

She was a former reporter of Bombo Radyo Bacolod for six years, before entering the uniformed service last year.

“On my sixth year, I already felt the satisfaction of my duty as a broadcast journalist and wanted to explore more on what I am capable of doing. Luckily, after passing the Civil Service Examination in 2019, I was encouraged by some friends to try applying for a commissionship in the Philippine Coast Guard,” Balboa said.

Balboa said she was hesitant at first as she doubted if she could physically conquer the training, but she took the risk and faced the challenges.

“From delivering news on-air to entering the uniformed service, I just had the greatest leap of my life,” she added.

“Para sa akon, wala sang budlay kay ga budlay lang ang sitwasyon kung pinsaron nga budlay,” she said.

She was able to overcome the challenges of the training and being away from her family through her faith and strong heart.

“Kon hina ka balatyagon, pirmi ka ma low morale kay masubuan ka na lang maminsar pero kung ang distance kag ang sacrifice nga ginhimo apesar sang kalawigon himuon mo nga mangin source sang kabakod mo, ma notice mo na lang pagbalikid mo sang inagyan mo nga kadamo na gali sang pagtilaw nga nakaya mo lagpasan kay gintingwaan mo gid nga kayanon,” she said.

Balboa said entering PCG was a personal choice, as she also wanted to test herself if she could hurdle such training.

It was also an opportunity to discover the works of the PCG aside from how the people see the organization in its function as a guardian of the sea, she added.

She said that most people know that PCG performs best in its role of saving lives and property at sea, but attached to it is also its responsibility in taking humanitarian actions across the archipelago.

Now that she is a few steps away from embracing the real world that awaits the new breed of junior officers of PCG, she wanted to raise awareness to people and let them understand what the Philippine Coast Guard really is.

“I have worked with people during my time as a broadcast journalist and though it may be in a wider scope now, my work in the media gave me the advantage to perform my future job well,” she said.