A LAWMAKER from Mindanao wants the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) to get a substantially higher budget by converting it to Philippine National Maritime Academy (PNMA), focusing not only on producing marine officers but graduates for the broader economy as well as defense and law enforcement needs of the country.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed House Bill (HB) 6503 seeking to upgrade and broaden PMMA's present mandate under Republic Act (RA) 3680, its original charter enacted in 1963, which now serves as stumbling block for the nation's premier maritime institution to gain access to more government funding.