By HENRY EMPEÑO | August 15, 2025

SAN NARCISO, Zambales — President Marcos said the government will further improve maritime education and provide better opportunities to aspiring Filipino seafarers.

Speaking at this year’s commencement exercises at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) here on Friday, Marcos said the government will come up with the National Merchant Marine Aptitude Test to assess the ability of those wishing to take up maritime courses.

It will also establish a Ladderized Maritime Education and Training Program to transition maritime courses from non-degree to degree programs, he said.

“The government is ensuring a stronger and higher-level skills training in the country,” Marcos declared.

“Our Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) is doing various means to increase opportunities for onboard training,” he added.

President Marcos was guest of honor and speaker at the commencement exercises of the PMMA’s “Kadaligtan” Class of 2025 composed of 252 midshipmen.

He was welcomed to the PMMA complex by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Congresswoman Bing Maniquiz, and PMMA superintendent Commodore Joel Abutal.

He also conferred the Presidential Saber Award to Midshipman 1st Class Marc John Castañeto, the class valedictorian, and led the distribution of diplomas and awards to the graduates.

Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, Higher Education Commissioner Desiderio Apag III, and Philippine Coast Guard Commander Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan assisted the President in the ceremony.

In his speech, Marcos urged the graduates to fulfill their respective missions when they join the Navy, Coast Guard, or the merchant marine.

“The seas are rife with danger,” he cautioned the graduating class. “It will test you, push you to your limits; but above all, it will shape you into the mariner that you are meant to be.”

The “Kadaligtan” Class, which is short for Kawal ng Dalampasigan, Liwanang ng Karagatan (Soldier of the Shore, Beacon of the Sea), is composed of 144 graduates of Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and 108 graduated of Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering.

Members of the 252-strong graduating class were also commissioned as ensigns of the Philippine Navy Reserve Force during the ceremony.

PMMA superintendent Commodore Joel Abutal said the Kadaligtan Class includes 13 midshipmen who will join the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and 15 who will be with the Philippine Navy (PN), on top of 224 others who opted to set sail aboard merchant vessels.

The class valedictorian Marc John Castañeto, who hails from a farming community in Nueva Ecija, said the PMMA had transformed him from a clueless cadet into an able seafarer and leader who has found his purpose.

“When I first got in the academy—I had no clue about ships, or how things worked at sea,” Castañeto recalled in his valedictory speech. “At first, I thought—just graduate, get a job, help my family. That’s it.”

“But as time passed, something changed,” he added. “I realized—it’s not just about being a seafarer. It’s about being a leader…It’s knowing your purpose, and helping others find theirs.”

The eldest of two sons of a retired school teacher and a former bus conductor who turned to welding for extra income, Castañeto applied for scholarships across prestigious schools but ultimately chose the PMMA for its free education and promise of secured employment after graduation.

In the maritime school, Castañeto likewise served as student representative to the PMMA Board of Trustees and news head editor of the academy’s publication, The Galleon. He also received the PMMA Chairman of the Board Award during the graduation rites. 