NANAWAGAN si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa 2024 graduates ng Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) na harapin ang kinabukasan ng may “fortitude and confidence.”
Sa mensahe ng Pangulo na inihayag ni Presidential Assistance for Maritime Concerns Secretary Andres Centino sa San Narciso, Zambales, sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos na inihanda ng PMMA ang “MANDAGAYAN” Class of 2024 para sa kanilang kinabukasan.
“To our graduates, the journey you will be taking from now on will reflect the very nature of the waters you will soon navigate. The sea is a mirror of life itself. It is boundless and unpredictable, at times serene and at times turbulent,” ayon sa Pangulo.
“Face the future with fortitude and confidence, knowing you are well-equipped to navigate the seas of opportunity and challenge. May you always carry the banner of our country and the PMMA with your heads held high, knowing that you are the embodiment of our nation’s maritime spirit and the vanguard of its future,” dagdag na pahayag nito.
Hinikayat naman ng Pangulo ang mga graduates na ipagpatuloy lamang na maging magaling bilang lider, manatiling mapagkumbaba, umakto ng kagalang-galang at ipakita ang mga gawa ng katapangan.
Ang mga graduates ay sasama sa mahigit sa 400,000 Filipino seafarers sa global maritime industry.
Binanggit din ng Pangulo na lumagda ang PMMA ng dalawang memoranda of agreement sa industry partners: Carnival Cruise Line and Crossworld Marine Services, Inc., na nagselyo ng relasyon sa pagitan ng PMMA at ng dalawang nasabing maritime companies sa paglikha ng ‘greater opportunities’ para sa mga kadete.
Idinagdag pa nito na sa pamamagitan ng partnerships, ipinagdiriwang din ng PMMA ang groundbreaking ceremony ng dalawang state-of-the-art training facilities.
“These facilities shall be equipped with specialized laboratories for technical training. And these centers shall serve as beacons of excellence, reflecting our commitment to providing top-level education and training for our future seafarers,” ayon sa Pangulo.
Muling inulit naman ng Pangulo na ipagpapatuloy ng administrasyon na ayusin ang maritime education sector ng bansa “to make it more responsive to the evolving needs of our nation and the global maritime industry.”
“With all the initiatives the government is pursuing in the maritime sector, I am certain that we will be ushering in a new breed of Filipino sailors who will change our maritime landscape and even the rest of the world for the better,” ang Winika ng Pangulo.
Binigyang diin din nito ang Executive Order No. 55, “which provides for the adoption of the Ten-Year Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028 that aims to upskill and reskill the maritime workforce, improve their employability, and ensure their continuous growth and development in an ever-evolving sector, among others.”
“To our beloved cadets and midshipmen, may your voyages be safe and your purpose crystal clear as the blue waters out there. Humayo kayo bilang mga Magigiting na Mandaragat Tagapagpanatili ng Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran ng Bansang Laya!” aniya pa rin. Kris Jose
