MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy Inc (MMMA), a merchant marine academy operated jointly by MOL and Magsaysay Maritime Corporation (MMC) in the Philippines, held its 1st Commencement Exercises Ceremony on February 20.

The ceremony, held at the school in Dasmariñas City, a suburb of Manila, was attended by about 600 people. Special guests included Congressman Ron Salo, of the Philippine House of Representatives, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, and Doris Magsaysay Ho, President and CEO of MMC's shareholding company, A. Magsaysay, Inc. The event celebrated the departure of the inaugural class of students who completed the entire curriculum, including shipboard training.

In his congratulatory address, MOL President & CEO Hashimoto expressed his deep appreciation to the school community and the graduates' families for their efforts in overcoming the ordeal of the COVID-19 pandemic and graduating the inaugural class of students. His message to the graduates was: "While keeping in mind your gratitude to your families who had supported your studies, I hope that you will make the most of the knowledge and experience you have gained while in the academy and open up new paths for yourselves."

About half of the graduates will work onboard vessels operated by MOL Group as third officers and third engineers after obtaining their maritime certifications, working their way up to captain and chief engineer.

As the volume of global seaborne trade increases, it is becoming increasingly important to secure highly skilled seafarers to ensure safe transport services. Filipino seafarers play a core role as MOL Group crewmembers. While ship operation technology is becoming more sophisticated, they are expected to play more active roles in offering safe transport services. MOL Group will continue to develop competent seafarers who can be immediately effective through their training and basic education for four years at MMMA.

Through this initiative, MOL Group strives to train seafarers and create jobs that will lead to "contributing to the growth and development of people and communities," which is one of the group's sustainability issues. MOL Group shall continue to support people's day-to-day fundamentals as part of its safety-focused operations as a responsible custodian of a social infrastructure business.