President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has a big message for the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) — be more active in helping the country protect its waters, especially now that things are heating up in the West Philippine Sea.
On Friday, Marcos went to the PMMA Training Center in San Narciso, Zambales. His mission? To check how the academy is training future seafarers and how they can help guard the Philippines’ seas. He also wants the country to be stronger in security and upgrade our maritime technology so we can stand our ground at sea.
While there, Marcos checked out the PMMA’s newest pride — a ₱40-million Full Mission Ship Handling Simulator. This high-tech machine lets cadets practice steering and controlling a ship in realistic situations, without even touching the water.
But the visit wasn’t just about looking at shiny equipment. Marcos also watched a dramatic reenactment of a recent real-life event — the BRP Suluan incident. Last Monday, two Chinese vessels collided near Bajo de Masinloc, a place in the West Philippine Sea that both countries claim. The reenactment showed how intense and dangerous the situation had been.
He didn’t stop there — Marcos also inspected PMMA’s newest gear and gadgets, alongside PMMA Superintendent Commodore Joel Abutal. These include:
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AIS and RADAR tracking systems from Kpler Singapore, which help track ships in real-time, even in faraway waters.
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Military-grade drones from Quanby Solutions, along with special training to improve sea and air surveillance.
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A future “bangka drone” project being studied with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which could patrol and protect our waters.
Marcos gave a strong promise — Philippine ships will never back down in the West Philippine Sea, no matter what. This comes after a shocking incident where a Chinese ship fired a water cannon at a Philippine vessel.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has already raised a serious complaint about China’s “dangerous” moves. In the clash, the flagpole of the BRP Suluan was bent after being hit by a Chinese warship, PLAN 164. This happened when the warship collided with another Chinese Coast Guard vessel, CCG 3104, while both chased the Philippine ship.
This ongoing tension shows that the Philippines needs well-trained, well-equipped merchant marines — and that’s exactly what President Marcos wants PMMA to prepare for.
