By Jennifer P. Rendon
In its 208 years of existence, the United States Military Academy (USMA), or popularly known as West Point, has produced 80 Filipino graduates.
And the 81st Filipino USMA graduate will likely come from Janiuay, Iloilo.
On July 7, 2020, Allen Francis Dasilao, 20, will fly to the United States to report to West Point and start his four-year education and training.
Dasilao finished his plebe year in 2020 at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City.
His father Joel and mother Jean run a mobile phone loading and accessories business in Janiuay town, not far from their home in Barangay Don Tiburcio Lutero.
Allen is the third in the brood of four. His sister, 23-year-old Almira Florence, is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Business Management while his brother Orenthal James, 22, took up Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Maintenance.
Another brother, 8-year-old Florge Vincent, is studying in Janiuay.
Joel said Allen’s decision to enter the PMA in 2019 did not come as a surprise. His mother’s uncle was a retired colonel of the Philippine Air Force and another maternal relative was a police colonel.
The 50-year-old Joel said his son wanted to be a pilot.
“Flying school is expensive. And we told him that we couldn’t afford flying school,” he said.
It was during his high school days at the Iloilo National High School when Allen considered entering the PMA.
On top of being a pilot, Allen had been telling his family about his realization that his values do not lie in pure academics alone but also in physical activities.
He then started to balance academics and sports, particularly soccer, throughout high school.
Given these considerations, Allen believes that the PMA would be the most logical choice knowing that a military institution will be the perfect platform for him to develop his values, self-discipline, and skills.
PROUD YET AFRAID
As a parent, Joel could not be any prouder of having a son who hurled his way to West Point.
“We’re proud of him because not everybody is given a chance or the opportunity to study there,” he said.
Entering West Point is no easy feat, even to US citizens who need to have a recommendation from higher officials to get accepted.
It is doubly harder for international candidates.
In Allen’s case, he was chosen through the PMA’s Foreign Service Program based on his performance in the academy.
Aside from the scholastic aptitude test, one needs to pass the language test, physical test, and interview before earning a spot at West Point.
This year, Allen was one of the 13 international cadets who will train at the revered military academy.
But given the current pandemic, Joel said he was also afraid that his son will be traveling to the United States, where cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to spike.
“He will fight an unseen enemy, and that’s what we’re afraid of,” he said.
But in his talks with Allen, Joel said the former is not afraid to be away from them.
“Even at a young age, he’s already independent,” he said.
What concerns Joel the most is the fact that he wouldn’t be seeing his family for a long time.
“But he’s been telling us that this is all part of the life of a soldier and I know that this journey has prepared him for something greater in the future,” Joel said.
For now, though, Joel said they are just hoping that Allen would finish his West Point education and training.
“Whatever happens, we will be here to support him,” he said.
This year, another Filipino, 2Lt. Jesson Peñaflor, finished his bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering also at West Point.
Peñaflor hails from Kalilangan, Bukidnon but traces his roots to Pototan, Iloilo.
