Taking time to thank one’s parents for everything they’ve done is always special but this pilot took the gesture to new heights — literally.
Viral on social media at the moment is a video posted by pilot Genesis Bernardo on Sunday, who turned his standard welcome greeting during a flight to Taipei into a tear-jerker of a speech.
The video starts with his parents casually browsing through the in-flight catalog. A video of Genesis from the cockpit is then inserted in the video so that viewers can see what’s happening from both perspectives.
The pilot’s speech starts out simple enough, with the standard greeting, introductions, and flight details. His mother was already visibly amused with hearing him speak but they were shocked when he started to greet them.
Here’s what he said:
“I would like to take this opportunity to welcome two very important persons in my life, Mr. Paul Bernardo and Ms. Solly Bernardo, my dad and my mom.
“After so many years of flying the airline, I have always dreamed of having you on board as my passengers.
“I would like to thank you for loving me unconditionally as your son and for teaching me to do my best in everything that I do.
“I also thank you for inspiring me to never stop dreaming big and making me believe that everything is possible as long as you have faith.
“You are one of the biggest reasons why I am here commanding a flight and flying this plane. It’s truly an honor and my pleasure to have you on board.
“I’m so proud of you for bringing me where I am right now and I hope I also make you proud.
“Cheers to all the parents who’s always been an inspiration to their kids and to every one of us who’s been inspired by their parents to achieve their dreams.”
His parents were pretty calm, considering his very public display of affection, but they were obviously moved by the message. They were quietly listening to him the whole time and the dad even gave a thumbs up to the camera.
After the message, Genesis also greeted his brother Joshua Bernardo who was celebrating his birthday that day. Joshua was the one holding the camera the entire time and recalled in a Facebook post that it was very exciting for him too.
“I did not miss a scene of capturing a very precious milestone for our parents,” Joshua said.
He also shared his own heart-warming message in his post.
Joshua wrote: “Never miss every moment with your family. Make time for them. Make them proud. It will be the greatest gift you can give.
“They are your biggest treasure in life. Be grateful of having them. By the end of the day the word ‘regret’ will not be in your dictionary anymore.”
Netizens were really moved by Gensis’ in-flight greeting too. As of this article’s posting, the video had 22,000 reactions, 18,000 shares, and 1,800 comments.
And they were mostly adding to the good vibes.
“Abused-by-onions mode,” Facebook user Marie Denise T. Tan joked in Filipino. “This is amazing, the love can really be felt.”
“We really are different, loving towards our parents. I salute you Captain and all loving children. You’re so lucky to still have them both. Treasure every moment of it,” Winnie David said.
Allen Delo Santos said the video was a “must-watch” and that the situation was every aviator’s dream.
Mylene Paner-Jonatas, meanwhile, said she was “Teary-eyed but happy.”
Have you encountered any sweet gestures like this? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
