Graduation Ceremony Held for 6th Class in '3rd Year Program' for Filipino Seafarers
- Anticipating Key Roles in Supporting MOL's Safe Operation -

March 21, 2017

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced the graduation of 88 students in the sixth class of the "3rd Year Program," which MOL introduced with the goal of developing crewmembers who will uphold strict safety standards in vessel operation.

The 3rd Year Program targets new seafarers from among third-year students at partner maritime schools in the Philippines. MOL provides education and training at the Magsaysay Institute of Shipping (MIS)(*1), its training center in the Philippines.

On hand for the graduation ceremony were Development Bank of the Philippines President, Cecilia C. Borromeo, MARINA, Deputy Executive Director for STCW, Atty. Maximo I. Bañares, Jr., MOL President & CEO Junichiro Ikeda, MOL Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer Takeshi Hashimoto, and MOL Senior Managing Executive Officer Masaaki Nemoto.

In his address to the graduates, MOL President & CEO Ikeda said, "The current situation in the ocean shipping industry is severe, but I believe we can break through with your youthful enthusiasm, energy, and ideas. Seafarers bear considerable responsibility for safe operation. But please make full use of the knowledge and techniques you accumulated at MIS."

MOL Senior Managing Executive Officer Nemoto also addressed the graduates, saying, "Today is only your first step as a seafarer. Your school performance is worth praise, but this alone is not important. Always think about how, not in a passive manner, you can create positive results and take action. Through your jobs, aim higher to become the seafarer you aspire to be, and increase your value." He then introduced "MOL CHART(*2)," which was established as a set of common values that MOL Group employees permanently inherit.

The program received accreditation as the equivalent to university-level education under the Academe-Industry Linkage Program (AILP)(*3) promoted by the Philippine government. Selected students study at the MOL training institute and aboard MOL-operated vessels for the second half of a four-year university curriculum. Graduates of the program will be recruited as MOL crewmembers after training aboard one of 15 training vessels, which were specially equipped with additional cabins for cadets, and MOL-operated vessels. AILP will be extended to MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA)(*4), which is scheduled to open in June 2018, in order to cultivate top-quality seafarers, based on experience and achievements gained through AILP.

(*1) Magsaysay Institute of Shipping (MIS)
MIS was jointly established by MOL and Magsaysay Maritime Corporation in 1993. The institute provides various types of practical and theoretical training to prepare students for careers at sea. Since 2007, MIS has contributed to the development and enhancement of maritime education programs, improving students' skills through supplementary lessons, providing technical support to instructors, and upgrading the maritime curriculum, in collaboration with designated maritime schools in the Philippines.

(*2) "MOL CHART": Press release on April 1, 2015: MOL Introduces "MOL CHART"

(*3) Academe-Industry Linkage Program (AILP)
A program to help schools upgrade the education of students and enhance employment opportunities for top-quality students, based on cooperation between academia and industry.

(*4) MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA)
Press release on March 9, 2016: MOL Breaks Ground on New Maritime Academy in Philippines