However, her biggest opportunity arrived in the form of the Coast Guard Officers Course in 2001. Capt. Bergaño-Diciano graduated as one of the first twelve homegrown female officers in the agency’s history. “At that time, we were only 2,000 strong,” Capt. Bergaño-Diciano shared. “Today, we have reached more than 30,000, with 16% women including members in the LGBTQIA+ community.  It’s been a remarkable journey watching the organization’s evolution and growth.” 

After colourful stints in education and training and human resources, Capt. Bergaño-Diciano stumbled upon aviation in 2005.  She finished her program in four years despite giving birth to two children.  She continued serving various positions and multitasking with her flying duties as flag secretary to five Commandants and OIC, Commander of Coast Guard Procurement, Internal Audit, Gender and Development, Aviation Force, Deputy of Logistics Systems Command, and recently as Acting Superintendent for CG School for Special Maritime Affairs and Director of the Leadership and Doctrine Development Center. 

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Since then, her career has been studded with achievements such as 113 awards and recognitions, 5 Command badges, and 115 uniformed and civilian certificates, plaques and other awards.  Among her recent accolades in 2023 include the: Award for Distinguished Leadership and Significant Contributions in the Maritime Sector by the Department of Immigrant Workers, National Maritime Polytechnic and Women in Maritime, nomination by the PCG to Republic Defenders’ OWLENS 2023, awarded as one of the six Outstanding Women in the PCG together with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the Outstanding Sum-aganon Award.  This year, she received the Most Outstanding Women in Public Service Award and the Exceptional Leadership Award from the National Academy of Security and Defense Planning of the International Special Court of Arbitration and Human Rights (ISCAHR).   

Despite her extensive decorations, she remains humble and focused on her advocacies. She has championed greater inclusivity in the Philippine Coast Guard, especially for women. “My approach to diversity, inclusivity and empowerment is to maintain a standpoint of objectivity, respect and intersectionality.” 

As she authored the reconstitution of the PCG’s GAD Focal Point System and the activation of GAD, VAWC and PWD Desks of all PCG units throughout the country in 2019, she recommended the inclusion of hijab for female Muslims in the uniform manual. 

She was inspired by the government’s historic ASEAN law enforcement and police dialogue in 2019, which brought together female police officers and law enforcement agents from ten ASEAN countries.

“There, I saw how diverse we women are, accepting of our religious and cultural uniqueness, yet united by the same cause of providing a safe and secure environment for all those we swore to serve.  With its approval in 2022, it became a relatable personal and religious expression during community services and humanitarian assistance in Muslim communities during the sustained COVID-19 operations.”

With her regional and international exposures, particularly in working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Women in Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogues, she advocated for the activation of the Intelligence and Surveillance Team that later grew to be the PCG’s unmanned aerial division, the admission of the first female drivers and the inclusion of the first female rescue swimmer and the first group of female from Special Operating Forces to jump from the PCG Airbus Helicopter, respectively.

Read on for Capt. Bergaño-Diciano’s advice for maintaining a growth mindset, her experiences with motherhood as a Philippine Coast Guard officer, and her goals for the future.

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, what unique challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them? 

It was difficult to break into the field because people assumed that women were weaker, or that there was only a certain level they could reach. To prove sceptics otherwise, I took on every learning opportunity and duty entrusted to me–no matter how unconventional it was.  With faith, conscientiousness, goodwill, fortitude and boldness, I built up my qualifications slowly clearing meaningful breakthroughs as the years went by. 

How has your leadership style evolved? 

I’m blessed with local exposure as a junior officer and went on to acquire regional and international experiences in more than 20 countries about contemporary challenges and best practices on maritime and Coast Guard governance, inter-operability and sustainability.  I realised that while we do our peculiar operations in law enforcement, we are one global maritime community, with more commonalities than we think and with so much to learn from each other. We share the goals of promoting viable food security, environmental protection, and resource management.  

How do you balance being a mother with your Coast Guard responsibilities? 

“It is not easy missing out so many milestones of my children. By incessantly making efforts to be an involved parent and benefitting from the sophistication of technology, my reservations are replaced with a respectful assurance of synergy and support in the work and advocacies I fight for.”  I am blessed to have the most amazing and loving daughters and son.

My mother would write me love letters and have the sweetest gestures or random surprises, and I still pass these to my children. Whether they achieve something, they are celebrated.  Receiving all their penned masterpieces, my heart beams for I know my sacrifices and hard work are worth it. 

What is your advice for women in the Coast Guard, and what role will you play in continuing to fight for their place within it? 

I believe life is truly a miracle and a fragile gift. What better way to find its purpose than to be of service to others? I share my experiences with every person I meet, encouraging them to believe in themselves and their reasons and take on greater responsibilities. So much of empowering other people is giving them the chance to shine on their own.  And it is in sharing the good in us that we truly give.

For the women in the Coast Guard, the limits lay at the boundaries of your imagination. Whatever you are working on–may it be in tactical and operational works or strategic ingenuities, keep learning. When you flop, keep the faith. Our character is revealed through our responses to opportunities or circumstances and through how we treat others.  Success means being grateful for our meaningful journeys and our happy and contented disposition on the lifework we honour daily.

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