Event horizon

MANILA, Philippines - It happens when you find yourself drifting off into outer space. You see the moon, the stars, even Venus from a distance and you wonder what it’s like to be within close proximity to such heavenly bodies. The movie Gravity gave us a glimpse of what it’s like to be floating along earth’s orbit albeit not the ideal kind. Exploding space stations and Sandra Bullock’s life constantly hanging (or floating) in the balance are hardly a cause for celebration. Bottomline: man has always kept himself fascinated with the great unknown, even if the likeliness of actually being able to fly out there is as unrealistic as Jodi Foster’s French accent in Elysium. Thankfully, AXE is changing all of that as they deploy 23 hopefuls from around the world to outer space – with one slot being guaranteed to one of three Filipino finalists.

Evan Rey Datuin is a young man with big dreams. Having studied at the De La Salle University, he bested 28,000 other applicants who went through a rigorous selection process to qualify as one of the candidates to represent the Philippines at the international AXE Apollo Global Space Camp in the U.S. this December. It must’ve been coded in his DNA since his parents’ work had something to do with aviation but the guy is now one step closer to fulfilling his longtime dream.

Chino Roque’s entry into the big three was unconventional. A marketer and a coach for Crossfit MNL, he came onboard as a replacement to Air Force lieutenant Mario Mendoza who had to withdraw from the competition to serve his duties to the military. At 22, Chino says that he has a lot to prove, especially in this competition. “All I have is my drive to surpass my limits. That, I think, is what defines a hero.”

Engineer Ramil Santos found himself as a wildcard after trying his luck with the AXE Apollo Hyperdrive promo. AXE Philippines brand manager Gem Laforteza shares, “When news that the Philippines was leading in the number of applications in Asia, we were given a third slot to space camp.” With his knowledge of machinery, and mental and physical strength, this wildcard might just find himself gearing for liftoff.

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To follow the search for the first Filipino astronaut, visit www.axeapollo.com or search for #AXEApollo on Twtter or Facebook.