Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House BIii No. ---
Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 
AN ACT 
CONVERTING THE PHILIPPINE MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY INTO 
THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL MARITIME ACADEMY AS THE PRIMARY 
INSTITUTION FOR THE BASIC AND CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION AND 
TRAINING OF MARITIME PROFESSIONALS AND LEADERS FOR NATIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), one of Asia's oldest 
maritime institutions, has played a crucial role in producing highly skilled Filipino 
merchant marine officers who serve both the global shipping industry and the country's 
maritime security needs. However, in light of evolving global standards, regional 
maritime competition, and the increasing demands for integrated maritime education, 
national defense, and leadership development, there is a compelling need to upgrade 
the PMMA into a more expansive, modernized, and strategic institution. 
This bill seeks to convert the PMMA into the Philippine National Maritime 
Academy (PNMA)-a national center of excellence for basic and continuing higher 
education, leadership training, and professional development in the maritime sector. 
The PNMA shall serve as the primary maritime institution not only for merchant marine 
education but also for cultivating a corps of maritime professionals dedicated to the 
country's economic growth, marine resources management, and national security. 
The bill will establish a new governance and academic structure for the PNMA, 
expand its research and training capabilities, and promote closer coordination with the 
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Philippine Navy, and relevant international 
maritime bodies to meet International Maritime Organization standards. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
GLORIA 
,/ 
AL-ARROYO 
2nd C.
p
tawpanga 
July 2, 2025
8:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ---
Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT 
CONVERTING THE PHILIPPINE MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY INTO 
THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL MARITIME ACADEMY AS THE PRIMARY 
INSTITUTION FOR THE BASIC AND CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION AND 
TRAINING OF MARITIME PROFESSIONALS AND LEADERS FOR NATIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine National 
Maritime Academy Charter'' 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - As an archipelagic and maritime nation, it 
is the policy of the Philippine government to: 
(1) Utilize the country's marine assets and resources as a backbone and 
strategic addition to the country's national development efforts; 
(2) Encourage the development of a robust domestic maritime industry that can 
support the needs of domestic and international trade; 
(3) Develop human resource pool for maritime industry development, maritime 
law enforcement, and national security; 
(4) Develop and implement maritime education and training programs for the 
basic and continuing higher education and training of maritime professionals in the 
maritime industry, maritime law enforcement, and maritime defense and security, 
among others; and 
(5) Establish and maintain autonomous higher education and training 
institutions that can cater to the education and training needs of maritime professionals 
in the Asia Pacific region and the world. 
SECTION 3. Renaming. - The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) 
shall be renamed as the Philippine National Maritime Academy (PNMA), to reflect its 
transformations with a new and expanded mandate of providing holistic education and 
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training for human resource development of maritime professionals and leaders in 
support of maritime industry development, maritime law enforcement, and national 
security. 
SECTION 4. Institutional Autonomy -
The Philippine National Maritime 
Academy (PNMA, hereinafter referred as the "Academy") shall enjoy institutional 
academy and shall be outside the regulatory control of the Commission on Higher 
Education (CHED) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA): Provided, That the 
Chairperson of CHED; and the Administrator of MARINA, shall be Ex- Officio members 
of the Board of Trustees of the Academy. It shall be attached to the Department of 
Transportation (DOTr) for policy coordination: Provided, further, That the Academy 
complies with relevant and international standards. 
SECTION 5. Powers and Functions of the Academy. - The Academy shall be 
the primary institution for the basic and continuing higher education and training of 
maritime professionals for national development and security. It shall develop 
education and training programs for the maritime industry, maritime law enforcement, 
and maritime defense and security professionals. It shall have the following powers 
and functions: 
(1) Create and modify maritime-related certificates, diplomas, or degree 
programs; 
(2) Confer certificates, diplomas, or degrees related to Marine Transportation, 
Marine Engineering, Maritime Business, and other maritime- related programs such 
as maritime administration, port and shipyard management, naval engineering, 
electro-technology, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous ships, and 
digitalization; 
(3) Create and modify graduate and postgraduate degrees in maritime industry-
related disciplines; 
(4) Confer graduate and post-graduate degrees in maritime industry-industry 
related disciplines; 
(5) Create and implement education and training programs on maritime law 
enforcement, environmental protection, maritime security, and international relations; 
(6) Create and implement Technical-Vocational education and Training (lVET) 
courses and confer appropriate certification for the same; 
(7) Undertake the conduct of marine officers' examination and assessment 
through the Academic Board in collaboration with MARINA; 
(8) Create and maintain education and training curricula responsive to the 
needs of the end-users and stakeholders, compliant with the International Convention 
on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978 (STCW 
Convention), as amended; and, other regulations; 
(9) Develop centers of excellence in various maritime education and training 
disciplines; 
(10) Enter into partnerships or join consortiums of education and training 
institutions for purposes of developing and implementing common education and 
training programs; 
( 11) Create the Maritime Policy and Research & Development Department and 
other departments needed for the performance of its mandate; 
( 12) Create and offer short training courses that may support the maritime 
industry in terms of technical, safety, and security; 
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(13) Undertake academic exchanges, cross-training, coordination, ~nd 
cooperation for appropriate academic programs ~ith an_y one o_r more ?~ the follow!ng 
education and training institutions, among others, including foreign maritime education 
institutions: 
(a) Development Academy of the Philippines 
(b) University of the Philippines 
(c) National Defense College of the Philippines 
(d) Philippine Military Academy 
(e) Philippine National Police Academy 
(f) Naval Education Training and Indoctrination Command (PN) 
(g) Coast Guard Education Training Command (PCG) 
(h) AFP Education, Training, and Doctrine Command 
(i) Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) 
(14) The Academy may engage technical consultants from local and foreign 
maritime academic institutions or maritime industry-related companies such as 
shipyards, port operations, fisheries, and maritime software developers for maritime 
industry innovations; 
(15) Receive donations and/or endowment funds necessary for the fulfillment 
of this mandate. Provided, That such donations and/or endowment funds shall be free 
from donor's tax. 
SECTION 6. Full Scholarship. - All cadets, midshipmen, and other students of 
undergraduate programs shall be granted full scholarship which includes monthly 
cash allowance, uniforms, and other miscellaneous expense: Provided, That the 
Board of Trustees shall fix the amount of financial support that will be granted to all 
students based on the recommendation of the Superintendent: Provided, further, That 
the PNMA Board of Trustees may provide scholarship benefits for students of other 
programs in cash or in kind. 
SECTION 7. Board of Trustees. - The Board of Trustees is the highest policy-
making body of the Academy. 
(1) Composition. - The governance of the Academy is vested in a Board of 
Trustees known as the "Board of Trustees of the Philippine National Maritime 
Academy (PNMA)", hereinafter referred to as the "Board", composed of: 
(a) The Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education as Chairperson; 
(b) The Secretary of the Department of Transportation as Co-Chairperson; 
(c) The Superintendent of the Academy as Vice Chairperson; 
(d) The Chairperson of the Committee on Higher, Technological, and 
Vocational Education of the Senate; 
(e) The Chairperson of the Committee on Higher, Technological, and 
Vocational Education of the House of Representatives; 
(f) The Administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority; 
(g) The Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy; 
(h) The Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard; 
(i) The President of the PNMA Alumni Association; 
0) The President of the PNMA Corps of Professors, representing all personnel, 
to serve for a term of two (2) years; 
(k) The President of the PNMA Student Body Organization, chosen by the 
students, to serve for a term of one ( 1) year.; 
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(2) The Board Secretary. - The Board shall be assisted by a Board 
Secretary appointed by the Board upon recommendation of the 
Superintendent. The Board Secretary shall record the meetings and 
shall ensure that decisions made by the Board are disseminated to all 
officers and units of the Academy. 
SECTION 8. The Superintendent. - The Academy shall be headed by a 
Superintendent, who shall be in charge of the overall management and leadership of 
the Academy. The Board shall elect and appoint the Superintendent and shall have 
the rank of Vice-Admiral, which shall be conferred upon by the President and 
Commander-in-Chief. 
SECTION 9. Qualifications of the Superintendent. - The following shall be the 
qualifications of the Superintendent: 
(1) Forty (40) years old and not more than sixty- five (65) years old at the time 
of appointment; a holder of a master's degree from a maritime-related discipline, public 
administration, or education management; 
(2) Graduates of the Academy with management- level certification or 
command- level position and experience shall be given preferential consideration in 
the selection and appointment of the Superintendent: Provided, that graduates of the 
Academy who are currently serving the Academy in a management and leadership 
position for at least three (3) years will be given preference in the selection and 
appointment. 
The Board may, at its discretion, provide additional qualifications for the 
selection and appointment of the Superintendent. 
SECTION 10. The Deputy Superintendents. -
There shall be Deputy 
Superintendents who shall assist the Superintendent. 
(1) The Superintendent for Administration. - There shall be a Deputy 
Superintendent for Administration appointed by the Board, who shall assist the 
Superintendent in managing all faculty and rank-and-file employees of the Academy. 
The Deputy Superintendent for Administration shall have a rank of Rear Admiral which 
shall be conferred by the President and Commander-in-Chief; 
(2) The Deputy Superintendent for Academics and Training. - There shall be a 
Deputy Superintendent for Academics and Training appointed by the Board, who shall 
oversee the management and implementation of all academic and training programs 
of the Academy. The Deputy Superintendent for Academics and Training shall have a 
rank of Rear Admiral which shall be conferred by the President and Commander-in-
Chief; 
(3) The Deputy Superintendent for Research, Development, and Extension. -
There shall be a Deputy Superintendent for Research, Development, and Extension 
appointed by the Board, who shall oversee defining and implementing the research 
and extension projects of the Academy. The Deputy Superintendent for Research, 
Development, and Extension shall have a rank of Rear Admiral which shall be 
conferred by the President and Commander-in-Chief; 
(4) The Deputy Superintendent for Cadet Affairs. - There shall be a Deputy 
Superintendent for Cadet Affairs appointed by the Board, who shall serve as the 
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Commandant of the cadets. The Deputy Superintendent for Cadet Affairs shall have 
a rank of Rear Admiral which shall be conferred by the President and Commander-in-
Chief. 
SECTION 11. PNMA Satellite Campuses. - The Academy may establish 
satellite campuses in any part of the country subject to the approval of the Board, to 
meet the human resource requirements of the local maritime industry and the law 
enforcement and security sector: Provided, That the PMMA Cagayan De Oro created 
by virtue of Republic Act 11782 shall be under the PNMA Main Campus: Provided, 
further, That in order to democratize access and entry to the Academy, the Academy 
shall, to the extent possible, establish satellite campuses in strategic locations in 
Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 
SECTION 12. The Assistant Superintendents of the PNMA Satellite Campuses 
- The PNMA Satellite Campus shall be headed by the Assistant Superintendent who 
shall serve as the Campus Administrator. Assistant Superintendents shall have a rank 
of Rear Admiral which shall be conferred by the President and Commander-in-Chief. 
SECTION 13. Qualifications of the Deputy and Assistant Superintendents. -
The Deputy and Assistant Superintendents shall have the same qualifications as the 
Superintendent. 
SECTION 14. The Chief of Staff- There shall be a Chief of Staff appointed by 
the Superintendent, who shall assist the Superintendent in coordinating with the 
Central Staff. The Chief of Staff shall have a rank of Commodore which shall be 
conferred by the President and Commander in Chief. 
SECTION 15. Central Staff. - There shall be eight (8) Central Staff, each with 
the rank of Captain. 
(1) PNMA 1 -Administration and Human resources 
(2) PNMA 2 -Information, Intelligence, and Security Officer 
(3) PNMA 3 - Operations Officer 
(4) PNMA 4 - Finance Officer 
(5) PNMA 5 - Procurement Officer 
(6) PNMA 6 - Supply and Logistics Officer 
(7) PNMA 7 - Engineering, Repairs, and Maintenance 
(8) PNMA 8 - Plans and Programs 
SECTION 16. Regimental Organization. - The Academy is a Regimental 
Civilian Uniformed Academic Unit with a military-naval rank and tradition for its Corps 
of Officers and Faculty. The operation of the Academy shall be underpinned by the 
principle of unity of command. 
Appropriate uniforms shall be provided as part of the Academy's annual uniform 
allowance to all commissioned members of the Academy. 
SECTION 17. Departments and Offices. - The Academy shall have the 
following Departments and Offices: 
(1) Department of Cadet Affairs (DCA); 
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(2) Department of Academic Affairs (DAA); 
(3) Department of Shipboard Training (DST); 
(4) Department of PNMA Fleet Management (DPFM); 
(5) Department of Naval Science and Tactics (DNST); 
(6) Department of Coast Guard and Maritime Law Enforcement (DCGMLE); 
Provided, That the Board may create additional departments in pursuit of the 
objective of this Act, upon recommendation of the superintendent: Provided, further, 
that the Superintendent shall determine the internal structures of these departments. 
SECTION 18. National Security Service. - The Commander-in-Chief through 
the Department of National Defense shall direct the Philippine Navy, through the Naval 
Reserve Command shall provide institutional mechanisms to mobilize graduates of 
the Academy to help provide technical, tactical, and intelligence information to the 
Philippine Navy in times of war or national emergency. 
SECTION 19. Commission to the AFP and PCG Force, and Other Maritime Law 
Enforcement Units. - All graduates of the Academy who are under the cadet program 
of the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Coast Guard shall be directly commissioned 
to the regular force of the Philippine Navy of the Philippine Coast Guard: Provided, 
That the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard shall set the annual quota of 
the number of graduates to be integrated to the regular force of the Philippine Navy 
and the Philippine Coast Guard: Provided, further, That graduates who are not 
originally part of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard Billet who opt to join 
the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and other maritime law enforcement units 
after graduation shall be eligible for direct commissionship to the Regular Force of the 
AFP, PCG or other Maritime Law Enforcement Units: Provided, even further, That they 
comply with all the requirements for commissionship to the regular force. 
SECTION 20. PNMA Training VesseVs. - For carrying out the purposes and 
provisions of this Act, an initial sum of five (5) billion pesos is hereby appropriated from 
funds in the National Treasury for the acquisition of appropriate Training Vessels: 
Provided, that the Academy can enter into a multi- year contract to be financed from 
funds to be allocated by the Congress. Provided, further. That the Academy may 
commission, in coordination with MARINA, privately- owned seagoing ships for its 
shipboard training requirements: Provided, even further. That the Academy may give 
shipboard training opportunities for deserving cadets nationwide. 
SECTION 21. Compensation. - Salary grades of the members of the Academy's 
commissioned officers shall be patterned after the equivalent ranks of the AFP/PCG-
Naval rank to compensate and attract experienced professional merchant marine and 
other professionals to join the ranks of the Academy with proper compensation 
appropriate to their operational, managerial level in the international shipping industry. 
SECTION 22. Mandatory Government Service. - Graduates of any merchant 
marine course of the Academy shall serve in the government for at least four (4) years 
accrued within 15 years from graduation through any means as identified by the Board. 
SECTION 23. Congressional District Billeting. - To ensure the proportional 
distribution throughout the country of the cadets availing the quality education and 
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opportunities in the Academy, the PNMA shall establish a system by which every 
Congressional District is given an opportunity to send cadets. 
SECTION 24. Expansion of Institutional Capability. - The Academy may re-
employ retired personnel or retired seafarers who have acquired expertise in their 
respective fields to become part of the pool of Professors and lecturers under a 
contract of service arrangement. Provided, That the Academy shall implement and 
develop a Faculty Development Program. 
SECTION 25. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within thirty (30) days 
after the approval of this Act, the Board shall promulgate the rules and regulations 
necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 26. Transitory Provisions. - Within ninety (90) days from the approval of 
this Act, the Board shall promulgate the organizational structure of the Academy. 
SECTION 26. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 27. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
or is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or 
amended accordingly. 
SECTION 28. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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