Graduation Ceremony Held for 7th and Final Class in '3rd Year Program' for Filipino Seafarers
- Contributing to Development of Filipino Seafarer Education, Ready for Full-scale Shift to Education at MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy -

TOKYO - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced the graduation of 87 students in the seventh - and final - 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" targeted new seafarers from among third-year students at partner maritime schools in the Philippines. MOL provided education and training at the Magsaysay Institute of Shipping (MIS) (*1), its training center in the Philippines.

Atty. Salvador C. Medialdea, Executive Secretary of Office of the President of the Philippines and Ms. Lutgarda C. Baquiran-Peralta, Senior Vice-President of Development Bank of the Philippines, MOL Chairman of the Board Koichi Muto, MOL Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer Shizuo Takahashi, and MOL Managing Executive Officer Masanori Kato attended at the graduation ceremony.

In his address to the graduates, MOL Chairman Muto said, "Please be proud of graduating from MIS. Seafarers bear considerable responsibility for safe operation. Please make full use of the knowledge and techniques you accumulated at MIS."

The program received accreditation as the equivalent of a university-level education under the Academe-Industry Linkage Program (AILP) (*2) 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 are recruited as MOL crewmembers after training aboard one of 15 training vessels, which were specially equipped with additional cabins for cadets, as well as other MOL-operated vessels.

This is the final year of the program, which has graduated over 700 seafarers. Preparations are underway to open MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA) (*3), which aims to build upon the achievements and expertise accumulated through AILP and provide an ever-higher level of training quality. MOL strives to recruit and train high-quality seafarers as it forges ahead to become the world leader in safe operation, and establishing its maritime academy in the Philippines represents a major milestone in its initiatives on safe operation.

(*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) 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.

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

A commemorative shot of graduates with guests