The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) plans to introduce major reforms in the Philippine maritime education and training by removing the one-year On-Board Training (OBT) from the BS Marine Transportation (BSMT) and BS Marine Transportation (BSMarE) programs.

With barely seven months remaining at the helm, Marina Administrator VAdm Robert Empedrad made public his plan to adopt the scheme from his alma mater, Philippine Military Academy (PMA), which does not require an apprenticeship in completing a bachelor's degree. During an online show of Marino Filipino TV, Empedrad explained that he modeled the proposed changes in the BSMT AND BSMarE curriculum from the educational system of the nation's military academy.