The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy celebrated her 200th year anniversary last 2020. Since the days of Escuela Nautica de Manila the Institution has made it its mission to establish a tradition of excellence, a long line of noteworthy achievements that cemented The Philippines’ role in the Global Maritime field. Maybe it was fate that it was during that same year that we faced the Global Pandemic. It has brought to the forefront the importance of the people in the Maritime Industry as key workers, the very lifeblood of the global economy. 2021 will be not different as we continue to face whatever challenges we may face.

As with the resilient response of the Maritime Industry to the pandemic, the PMMA did not and will not falter in fulfilling its mandate in producing well trained Merchant Marine Officers as well as contributing to Nation Building and being well involved in Global Maritime concerns. In Fact, the PMMA has been at the helm of the Curriculum Standardization efforts for BSMT and BSMarE Degrees as mandated by MARINA and CHED.

With the goal of better the administration and management of the Academy, good governance initiatives thru the submission of SALN was done and the recently conducted seminar RA 9184 “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Various GAD seminars and workshops were also conducted with the hope of a progressive gender-neutral culture in the Academy. Admonition to all PMMA employees to maintain commitment to public service as public servant who serves “hands on, minds on and heart’s on”.

And together with our technology partner, Seaversity, we are continuing the development of our Smart Academy projects with emphasis on Smart Classrooms, Remote-access Workshops, Learning Management System, Online Platforms, and the continuous improvement of last year’s Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality equipment and its integration to the curriculum of our Midshipmen. We would also like to thank our partner from the shipping sector, KGJS, for the donation of Engine and Ship-Handling Simulators. The Simulators is now in operation and being utilized by our midshipmen. And we are happy to announce that soon to be completed is the Smart Library, PMMA-AMOSUP Library and Knowledge Center donated by our friends from AMUSOP.

Through this, we continue to provide for our Midshipmen and Midshipwomen with quality education together with their leadership and training programs during this difficult time. Of course, we ensure our partners, stakeholders, and most importantly the parents of our midshipmen that while living in a regimented lifestyle inside the Academy, the safety and health of the Midshipmen is of paramount importance. They are very much protected against the pandemic here inside under very strict observance of national and local advisories against COVID-19. Our efforts on maintaining the physical and mental health of the midshipmen, together with friends and alumni, lead the way for the 1st Superintendent’s Academic Challenge. This Challenge is 1st of its kind in the academy that will not only keep the midshipman occupied while living inside the “PMMA Bubble” but also test academic prowess, boost teamwork, foster camaraderie, and build leadership.

The PMMA continues to develop its programs and infrastructure to better provide quality education. We would like to share this with more deserving young Filipinos. With the reduction of 4th Class last year due to dormitory capacity and compliance to safety and health protocols, we hope for the normalization of student’s intake this year with the approval for the construction of an additional 50-person capacity Barracks.

The deployment of our Midshipmen was also unfazed by the pandemic. Cargo Safeway, one of our most consistent partners in terms of deployment, visited the Academy earlier this school year and vested interest to increase the intake of cadets from to 30 to 45 cadets next year. In fact, due to circumstances of the pandemic where other MHEIs had to reduce students, PMMA Midshipmen is more in demand than ever. With shipping companies often “running out of cadets”. Cargo Safeway, one of our most consistent partners in terms of deployment increased their intake of cadets from to 30 to 45 cadets next year. We are happy to report that the entire Class 2022 is already committed to their respective shipping companies and 100% of 3rd year students already deployed.

Though the future is uncertain we are committed and driven to address the challenges we may face. We embark on our journey to the digitalization of the Academy. Plans, Programs, and legislation has been set forth to better our capabilities in fulfilling our duty to the Filipino people and the maritime industry. As we humbly celebrate the past glories of the Academy, I invite you all to join us in our never-ending quest for academic and maritime leadership excellence. Adelante PMMA!

COMMO JOEL Y ABUTAL PMMA
Superintendent