MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy Second Commencement Exercise (Dasmariñas City, Cavite)

MMMA's second commencement ceremony

 

Last February 18, MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy, in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, a merchant marine academy jointly operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Magsaysay Maritime Academy, Inc., held their commencement exercises celebrating the achievements of MMMA’s second graduating class of 282 students (134 deck cadets and 148 engine cadets) who completed the entire curriculum, including shipboard training. About half of the graduates will work on board MOL Group-operated vessels as third officers and third engineers after obtaining their maritime licenses, working their way up to captain and chief engineer.  The other half will serve on ships from principals of Magsaysay.

MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy

Senator Manny Pacquiao congratulating one of the graduates

The second class and some of the inaugural class of students attend. Excluding those who were on board due to schedules, a total of 63 from the second class and 66 from the inaugural class (who were unable to attend last year’s graduation for the same reason) attended the ceremony.

 

MOL Executive Vice-President Mr. Toshiaki Tanaka

President and CEO of A. Magsaysay, Inc. Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho

About 530 people were on hand, including members of local and Japanese media and special guests, former senator and boxer Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Mr. Endo Kasuya as well as Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho, president and CEO of A. Magsaysay, Inc., MMC’s shareholding company, and Mr. Toshiaki Tanaka, MOL Executive Vice-President.

 

Press conference - L-R: Mr. Mitsuhisa Tanimoto, Mr. Toshiaki Tanaka, Mr. Michael C. Morales, Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho and Mr. Martin Rono.

In his congratulatory address, Mr. Tanaka told the graduates to “Make the most of the knowledge and experience you have gained while in the academy and play an active role in the vessel’s safety operation.” He added, “By pursuing safe operations, I hope you will protect the lives of people around the world as the topmost priority and also ensure the safety of cargo, and the environment, and contribute to global development.”

 

Cadet interview -L-R: Mr. Clifford Quisto, Ms. Alissa Jean Evasco,
Ms. Shaina Moriones and Mr. Jeramil Dela Cruz

MOL, headquartered in Tokyo, is a leading shipping company with the world’s second-largest fleet of about 900 vessels (including dry bulkers, LNG carriers, car carriers, container ships, and tankers) and the largest LNG fleet globally. It is developing various social infrastructure businesses, technologies, and services centered on marine transport to meet the ever-changing needs of society, such as environmental protection.  In addition to the traditional shipping business, it is also developing to the graduation social infrastructure businesses such as container terminals, logistics, and offshore wind power, as well as well-being life businesses such as real property, cruises, and ferries. 

 

MV Spirit of MMMA

MOL has been serving marine transport to the Philippines since it opened a Japan-Philippines route in 1928. At the time, MOL transported passengers and cargo, but now it specializes in cargo and is involved in a wide range of Philippine imports and exports, including container transport, automobile transport, bulk cargo, and chemical tankers. MOL is proud to be an indispensable presence in Philippine trade. 

ME-C Engine Area

Meantime, excellent seafarers are essential to the operation of the vessels that transport these goods. Approximately two-thirds of the seafarers on MOL vessels are Filipinos nationals. As such, Filipino seafarers and their home country, the Philippines, are indispensable to MOL’s business operations. 

 

Auditorium

Classroom

For this reason, MOL operates a maritime academy, named ‘MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy’ (MMMA) in Cavite to train younger Filipino cadets for future’s professional seafarers, and operates training centers for the seafarers to upgrade their skills for higher ranks.

 

Lifeboat and Davit Area

MMMA, sitting on a 13.7-hectare campus inaugurated on September 12, 2018, was built with state-of-the-art facilities.  It offers Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT), leading to a profession as a Marine Deck Officer to Master, and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE), leading to a profession as a Marine Engineer to a Chief Engineer.  

Full Mission Bridge Simulator Room

It prepares cadets for their professional careers in the maritime industry. In this way, both MOL and the Philippines are very important stakeholders. A premier maritime higher education institution in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region, it produces globally competitive and outstanding maritime professionals through relevant, progressive, and unparalleled education founded on the virtues of excellence, discipline, and service.

 

Mooring and Windlass Deck

After the graduation ceremony and lunch, a press conference was held with Mr. Tanaka, Mr. Mitsuhisa Tanimoto (MOL Chief Safety & Quality Officer and Director-General, Headquarters of Safety Operations), Dr. Michael C. Morales (President of MMMA), Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho and Mr. Marlon Roño.  After the press conference, we also got to interview four of the graduating cadets, Mr. Clifford Quisto, Ms. Alissa Jean Evasco, Ms. Shaina Moriones and Mr. Jeramil Dela Cruz.

 

Diesel Generator Area

Our day was capped by a campus tour (training center) were we visited the five-storey MV Spirit of MMMA, their "ship in campus" (the first in the country), which houses a Lathe Machine Workshop; the ME-C Engine Area (housing a two-stroke electronic engine diesel main engine, MAN BMW); the Lifeboat and Davit Area; the Mooring and Windlass Deck; the Physics Laboratory; the Auditorium; the Welding Workshop; the Engine Control Room and Main Switchboard Laboratory; the Diesel Generator Area; the ECDIS Simulator Room; the Electrical-Electronics Room; the Olympic-size swimming pool, the Chart Room, and the Radar Room.

Olympic-size swimming pool

It also houses a Full Mission Bridge Simulator Room as well as two Ship Handling Simulators which houses Konigsberg full and mini mission bridge simulators that provide students with real-life working environments.  The academy also has a student complex, an academic center and a dormitory.

 

Student dormitory

MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy: Brgy. IV, Carlos Trinidad Avenue, Salitran, Dasmariñas City, Cavite.  Tel: (046) 481-4800. Mobile number: (0917) 809-3278.  E-mail: admission@mmma.edu.ph.

Lanson Place MOA Welcomes the Year of the Wood Snake (Pasay City, Metro Manila)

 

For the second time this year, Lanson Place Mall of Asia (MOA), with red lanterns and delicate cherry blossoms adorning the premises, welcomed the New Year (the Lunar or Chinese version that is) and the Year of the Wood Snake (which symbolizes elegance, wisdom and intuition) with a vibrant, authentic, energetic and traditional celebration aimed to usher in good luck, fortune, and happiness for the upcoming year.

 

The Lion and Dragon Dance

It started, at 10 AM, with a dynamic Dragon and Lion dance at the hotel’s porte cochere. Symbolizing power, strength, and good fortune, this dance performance, by skilled artists, brought excitement and joy to the hotel’s guests and patrons, creating an atmosphere of positivity and optimism for the coming year.  

The Southern Lion with its single horn

The Chinese Lion Dance is performed by two persons, one of whom manipulates the head while the other manipulates the tail of the Asiatic lion.  The type of dance performed was the Southern Lion or Cantonese Lion Dance which originated in Guangdong and is the best known lion dance outside of China.  It has a single horn and is associated with the legend of a mythical monster called Nian.   

Performers beating the tanggu, gongs and cymbals

The dance was performed accompanied by the music of a beating tanggu (drum), cymbals and gongs, all synchronized to the lion dance movements and actions.  Paired with the lion dance was a God of Prosperity mascot to bring good luck and fortune. 

The God of Prosperity mascot

The Dragon Dance was performed by a team of experienced dancers who held the long sinuous body of the Chinese dragon on poles positioned, at regular intervals, along the length of the dragon, simulating the imagine movements of this mythological creature in a sinuous, undulating manner.

 

The Dragon Dance

Then, General Manager Nils Rothbarth, who led the festivities, together with Ms. Peggy E. Angeles (Executive Vice-President, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation) and Ms. Angelica Vicencio (Director of Sales), participated in the captivating Lion Dotting Ceremony, painting a red spot on the eye (called eye-dotting) of a Chinese Lion, an act that symbolizes the awakening of the lion and the beginning of the new year.

 

The Lion Dotting Ceremony

After the Dragon and Lion dance performance, guests were ushered inside, to Madeline High Tea, where they were treated to a customized High Tea set which included mooncakes, steamed pork buns, pineapple cake, fortune pastries, etc.  While dining, Philippine Airlines flight attendant and psychic medium Ms. Jill Andrea Gepilano, of Collective.ph, gave her predictions for each Chinese Zodiac sign for the Year of the Wood Snake.

 

Psychic medium Jill Andrea Gepilano

Guests then proceeded t Cyan Modern Kitchen (with a stunning view of Manila Bay), at the third floor, where Mr. Rothbarth and Executive Chef Kristine Oro joined other executives and guests as they participated in the yusheng (also called yee sang or yuu sahng), a unique and interactive culinary activity designed to invoke prosperity, abundance and vigor.

 

Guests and media at Madeleine High Tea

This customary Cantonese noodle toss (also called Prosperity Toss), representing prosperity, luck, and good health for all those who partake in it, is a flavorful Chinese raw fish salad (which originated in Malaysia and Singapore) that includes various ingredients such as white radish (for success), red ingredients (for good luck), green vegetables (for youth), pomelo (for prosperity), salmon (for abundance), and golden crackers (for wealth). Sesame seeds and five-spice powder, which bring business growth and family blessings, and sweet sauce (symbolizing strong relationships) are added. 

GM Nils Rothbarth (third from left) with Executive Chef Ms. Kristine Oro (second from left)

These ingredients are mixed the all together and then toss up in the air using chopsticks.  Truly, a memorable touch to the celebration…..

 

The author (right) participating in the Prosperity Toss

After this ceremony, guests indulged in a delectable buffet of traditional dishes, symbolizing luck and abundance, which will be offered, from January 29 to February 4, at Php2,888 net per person.  It consisted of the following:

 

APPETIZER

 

Prosperity “Yu Sheng” with Smoked Salmon, Assam Miso Sauce

Cucumber salad

Jellyfish and Century egg

 

 

SALAD BAR

 

Lettuce and Cress

Hydroponic Lettuces, Micro greens

Dressings

Asian dressing, Mango citrus, thousand island, Ranch dressing

Condiments

Carrots, red bell pepper, turnips, cucumber, tomato, sweet corn, black olives, kiat kiat

Bacon Bits, Parmesan Cheese, Croutons

 

 

JAPANESE & KOREAN STATION

 

Sushi and Maki

Assortment of sushi, maki and gunkan

 

Sashimi

Tuna, Salmon

 

Assortment of pickles and kimchi

 

 

CHINESE DIMSUM SECTION

 

Pork and Shrimp Siu mai, Shark’s fin dumplings, Hakao,

Vegetable dumplings,

Chicken feet, cuapao

 

HEAT LAMP

 

Prawn Cracker

Roasted Peanuts

 

 

CHINESE NOODLE SECTION

 

Soup

Hot and Sour Soup, Polanchay Soup

Superior Beef Broth, Curry Laksa Soup

 

Noodles

Hongkong Egg Noodle, Vermicelli Noodle, Hofan Noodle

 

Meat and Seafood Condiments

Beef slice, Chicken balls, Squid Ball, Fish Cake

Beef Slices, Chicken Balls, Squid Balls and Fish Cakes

 

Vegetables

Spring Onion, Chinese Cabbage, Shitake Mushroom, Carrot,

Wood ear Mushroom, Beansprout, Green beans

 

Condiments

Fried Garlic, Calamansi, Chopped Red Chili, Light Soy Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Sesame oil, Condensed Milk

 

HOT SECTION

 

Grill Station

Light Soy-Ginger Marinated Chicken

Salmon Belly

Squid

Marinated Pork Belly

Mahi Mahi

 

CHINESE MAINS

 

Pata Tim

Steamed Red Snapper, soy ginger sauce

Stir fried vegetables and tofu

Soy Chicken

Char Su

Seafood Noodles

Yeung Chow Fried Rice

 

L-R: Char Su,  Steamed Red Snapper in Soy Ginger Sauce and Roasted Pork Belly (Lechon Macao)

WESTERN MAINS

 

Cajun Seafood Boil

Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff

Slow Cooked Chicken, tomato, anchovy, and olives

Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Ratatouille on burgul

 

INDIAN MAINS

 

Gobi Manchurian

Chili Paneer

Lamb Biryani

Dhal Tadka

Naan Bread

Papadums

 

CHINESE ROASTED CARVING SECTION

 

Roasted Duck

Roasted Pork Belly (Lechon Macao)

Clow Cooked Beef Rump

Baked Salmon, citrus glaze

 

DESSERT

 

Banana Fritters

Chinese Egg Sponge Cake

Sesame Balls

Fruit Topped Chiffon Cream Cake

Fried Twisted Dough

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

Baked Nian Gao

Moon Cake

Almond Jelly Lychee

Mango Pudding

Deep Fried milk

Fa Gao

 

Fa Gao and Moon Cakes

Ice Cream Station

5 Kinds of Ice Cream

 

Sliced Fruits

Watermelon, Pineapple, Dragon Fruit, Hami Melon

 

Almond Jelly Lychee and Sliced Fruits

Lanson Place Mall of Asia Manila: Block 12, Palm Coast Ave., corner Seaside Blvd., Mall of Asia Complex, Brgy. 76, Zone 10, CBP-1A, Pasay City, 1300 Metro Manila. Tel: + 632 7777-0000.      E-mail: reservations.lpmn@lansonplace.com and sales.lpmn@lansonplace.com.  Website: www.lansonplace.com.