The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy ( fil, Akademiya sa Bapor Pangkalakalan ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMMA) is a maritime higher education institution operated by the Philippine government in San Narciso, Zambales. Students are called

midshipmen A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, Sout ...

but are often also referred to as

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

s. Upon graduation, students are commissioned as ensigns (

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

s) in the Philippine Navy Reserve and have the option to join the merchant marine, the

Philippine Navy The Philippine Navy (PN) ( tgl, Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, , Sea Army of the Philippines) ( es, Armada de Filipinas, , Ejército del Mar de las Filipinas) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an ...

, or the

Philippine Coast Guard The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ( fil, Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within P ...

Curriculum

Historical Marker of PMMA Old Site in Intramuros

The academy offers courses for

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degrees in marine transportation and marine engineering. Both are four-year residency courses consisting of three-years of academic studies (first, second, and fourth years). The one year

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

training (third year) is aboard commercial vessels plying the international

sea lane A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels (ships) on wide waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation wi ...

s as deck or

engine room On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the compartment where the machinery for marine propulsion is located. To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery necessary for the ship's operation may be segregated into var ...

cadets. The academy also offers

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

courses in shipping

business management Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of managemen ...

and maritime education. The student body is referred to as the Corps of Midshipmen, and follows a rigid seniority system. Each year level is a "class." The fourth-year graduating students are called ''First Class Midshipmen'' (1CL), the third year is ''Second Class Midshipmen'' (''2CL''), the second year is ''Third Class Midshipmen (3CL) ''and the first year is the ''Fourth Class Midshipmen.'' The ''Fourth Class Midshipmen'' are also referred to as ''

plebe In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of ...

s'' or ''bugs'', while the other classes are referred to as ''upperclassmen''. Third Class Midshipmen are also called "Tiger of the Corps", while Second Class Midshipmen sails out of the seven seas around the world on different merchant marine vessels as per their compliance for a 1-year shipboard training aboard international/ocean-going vessels with their rank of Deck Cadet for BSMT Cadets and Engine Cadet for BSMarE Cadets. Lastly, the First Class Midshipmen are also called "King of The Barracks", "Dragon of the Corps" while they aspire to succeed in finishing their 3 years of being a cadet and a graduating class of their year. Aspiring midshipmen must pass the

entrance examination An entrance examination is an examination that educational institutions conduct to select prospective students for admission. It may be held at any stage of education, from primary to tertiary, even though it is typically held at tertiary stage. ...

s and rigorous medical and

physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally consists of a series of questions about the pati ...

s before admission. For example, males must be at least five feet three inches tall, and females must be at least five feet one inch tall and never have given birth. A long list of diseases, including major orthodontic problems and wearing

glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples ...

, disqualify both sexes. Successful applicants report to the academy for orientation, a month-long period of indoctrination and training which begins in the approved academic calendar of the following academic year. ''Probationary Midshipmen'' or ''"probies"'' who pass this orientation & indoctrination trainings undertake an

oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to g ...

-taking

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secula ...

at the end and are assigned

serial number A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...

s, given

uniform A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, ...

s, and incorporated as Fourth Class Midshipmen. The

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; plural, : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to ...

involves both academics and

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

-style

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets v ...

and discipline, aimed at training marine officers to manage coastal and

foreign trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...

, serve as

shipping Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

executives, port supervisors, and marine surveyors, and serve as naval officers in time of war or national emergency. The curriculum follows the guidelines of the 1995

STCW International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) sets minimum qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships and large yachts. STCW was adopte ...

and the Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Maritime Education 1997 set by the Commission on Higher Education. The PMMA is part of the Luzon Science Consortium.

Notable alumni

*Lisandro Abadia,

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

, Chief of Staff AFP * Marcelo Azcárraga,

Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of 1978 and it was first regul ...

* Román Basa, Katipunan Supreme Council president *Ponciano Bautista,

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

PN, Korean War veteran *Reuben Doria, Commodore PCG * Manuel Earnshaw, Resident Commissioner of the Philippines *Herby Escutin,

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

PCG * Joel Garcia, Admiral PCG, PCG

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

*Dante Gonzaga, Commodore PN *Victor Jose, Commodore PN, veteran of WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars *Pascual Ledesma, Director of the Navy * Juan Luna, artist and diplomatic agent *Carmelo Manzano,

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

USCGR, decorated WWII veteran *Rufino Martinez, Consul General * Rogelio Morales, PMMA Superintendent *Efigenio Navarro, Brigadier General PC *Gregorio Oca, founder of

Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific The Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) is a non-stock, non-profit maritime higher educational institution which is owned, developed and operated by the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP). ...

*Ernesto Ogbinar, Rear Admiral, Flag Officer in Command PN *Jose Rancudo, Major General, Commanding General PAF *Hilario Ruiz, Rear Admiral, Flag Officer in Command PN *Margarito Sanchez, Rear Admiral PN *

Robert Weilbacher Robert James Weilbacher, Sr. (14 September 1946 – 26 January 2020) was a Micronesian politician and former Governor of Kosrae state. Weilbacher served as the Governor of Kosrae from February 2007 until January 2011. Governor Robert James We ...

, Micronesian politician

References

External links

*
Official Facebook Page
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Zambales State universities and colleges in the Philippines Educational institutions established in 1820 Maritime colleges Universities and colleges in Manila Naval academies

Curriculum

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links