MITSUI O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL) has announced that MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA), jointly operated by MOL and Magsaysay Maritime Corporation (MMC), received the certification on Dec. 12, 2024, from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) that MMMA is in conformity with the requirements for the 'Authorized Seafarer Education Institution' under JISS system.

Previously, graduates of overseas seafarer education institutions were required to pass an MLIT examination before being allowed to board Japanese-flagged vessels as seafarers. Thanks to the certification, seafarers who have completed the curriculum and graduated from MMMA's Bachelor of Science program in Maritime Transport (BSMT) and in Maritime Engineering (BSME) and obtained a maritime license of the Philippines are exempt from the MLIT examination, allowing them to board Japanese-flagged vessels as officers or engineers.