The journey of a seafarer begins long before they set foot on a vessel — it starts in the classroom, where theories shape their understanding, and in the training grounds, where their discipline and resilience are molded.

At Mitsui O.S.K Lines Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA), this journey took a turn as 152 cadets celebrated the next chapter of their maritime journey during their second commencement exercises at the academy’s Dasmariñas, Cavite campus last 18 February.

Among the graduates, 80 cadets were from Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation, while 72 were from Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering. The ceremony marked a milestone not just for the graduating cadets, but also for MMMA’s growing reputation as an institution for maritime education.

Graduates of MMMA are guaranteed employment opportunities aboard MOL and Magsaysay vessels.

The event was graced by special guests including former Senator Manny Pacquiao, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya, president and CEO of A. Magsaysay Inc. Doris Magsaysay-Ho and MOL executive vice president Toshiaki Tanaka.

Tanaka expressed his appreciation to the school community and the families of the graduates for their support and reminded them of their role in global maritime safety operations.

“By pursuing safe operations, I hope you will protect the lives of people around the world as the topmost priority and also ensure the safety of cargo, and the environment, and contribute to global development,” Tanaka said.

Reflecting on the academy’s reputation and growth, MMMA president Dr. Michael C. Morales shared insights into the success of its alumni. The first commencement exercises, held in February last year, saw 91 graduates dive into the maritime industry.

Since then, MMMA has been receiving periodic updates from ship fleets and captains on the performance of their students, most of which have been positive.

“Most of the reports have been positive. We are quite happy with the products we produce here [MMMA], of course, every now and then we get a negative report, but we deal with that as well. But, by and large, we are happy with the quality of products we produce,” Morales said.

To date, MMMA has a student population of over 800 and Morales stressed that the academy carefully regulates enrollment to ensure that graduates are deployed successfully.

“We only accept as many students as we can deploy, so that’s why if you compare our population to other maritime schools, our population is relatively lower,” the MMMA president said.

According to Morales, MMMA’s substantial investment in modern equipment is what sets it apart from other maritime institutions. Beyond classroom lessons, the academy’s training facilities play a huge role in shaping future seafarers.

MMMA features four key buildings: the administration building, dormitory, academic building, and the ship-in-campus — the highlight of the media tour, which included DAILY TRIBUNE.

Among the most striking facilities of the campus are its simulators. The Full Mission Bridge Simulator Room, for instance, is a training space equipped with large screens, a fully functional bridge console, radar and communication systems, and environmental and traffic simulations.

Complementing this is the main simulator, a Mini Bridge Simulator, an extension of the main simulator facility, offering additional training capacity for cadets. These simulators can recreate various scenarios, from changing weather conditions, wave patterns, and ship movements.

“This is where a lot of scenarios can be simulated: weather, waves, even the movement of the ship,” Capt. Oliver Christian Espineli, Instructor in Marine Transportation said.