On August 20, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines announced that Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko visited the MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA), a merchant marine university operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines in the Philippines, on August 12.
MMMA is a four-year, full-board maritime education institution jointly established by the company and Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, a Philippine seafarer dispatching company. Opened in 2018, it provides seafarer education in accordance with the international convention "STCW Convention" for students in the navigation and engineering departments.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko (third from the right in the front row) visiting MMMA.
Observing ship handling training conducted by navigation students
During this visit, we inspected the "Ship in Campus" training facility, which is built with the same structure as an actual ship, as well as the simulator training rooms. We also observed ship handling training conducted by navigation students, deepening our understanding of the practical educational program.
Minister Kaneko expressed his gratitude for the long-standing efforts of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and others in developing maritime human resources in Japan and the Philippines, and exchanged views with students about the careers of Filipino maritime professionals. He also expressed his hope that students studying at MMMA will play an active role in the Japanese and global shipping industry in the future.
The Philippines is one of the world's leading producers of seafarers, and many Filipino seafarers support maritime transport around the world, including Japan. MMMA serves as a training hub for these maritime professionals, and has sent many graduates to companies such as Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and the maritime industry.
In recent years, the number of female students has also increased. In the 2026 academic year, 31 female students (17 in the Navigation Department and 14 in the Engineering Department) enrolled, the highest number since the school's founding. Since its opening in 2018, the cumulative number of female students has exceeded 100.
The Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group plans to continue its efforts through the school to cultivate the next generation of maritime personnel who will support the shipping industry.
