ZAMBALES– The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) held its 201st Commencement Exercises for the Mandagayan Class of 2024 on Tuesday, July 30, in San Narciso, Zambales

The 303-strong candidates of the MANDAGAYAN (𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘵, 𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘯𝘨 𝘒𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘵 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘢𝘺𝘢) is comprised of 150 candidates from the College of Marine Engineering and 153 candidates from the College of Marine Transportation.

They are joined by 24 ladies and gentlemen who completed their master’s degree programs from the PMMA Graduate School.

Attending on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and served as the guest of honor and speaker is Secretary Andres Castor Centino, Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns (PAMC), the principal advisory council for border security, environmental preservation, and maritime affairs.

“𝘐𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘔𝘔𝘈 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥-𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦,” Centino emphasized as he read the message of the President.

The President also assured the government’s commitment to continue improving the country’s maritime education sector, making it more responsive to the needs of the global maritime industry.

These includes the joint issuance of memorandum circular by the CHED and MARINA on the revised standards for the BS Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering programs as well as the approval of the Ten-Year Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028 through Executive Order No. 55 s. 2024.

This year’s valedictorian is Midn/1Cl Neil Archie G Hamchawan who hails form the provive of Ifugao.

Among key officials from various government agencies who also graced the event are Vice Admiral Toribio D Adaci Jr., Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy who led the oath of commissionship of the graduating class to the PN Reserve Force.

Vice Admiral Charlie Rances, Commander of the Coast Guard Education, Training and Doctrine Command representing the PCG Commandant led the Oath of Appointment of the 12 scholars to the Philippine Coast Guard.

PMMA Superintendent, Commodore Joel Abutal in his welcome address underscored that the graduates “𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳. 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴.”

📸 PMMA