REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
ZAMBOANGA STATE COLLEGE OF MARINE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
Center of Excellence in Fisheries
The College of Maritime Education of the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST) held its Donning of Shoulder Boards Ceremony on May 24, 2025, 8:00 A.M. at the MCLL Gymnasium. The event marked an important milestone for cadets as they officially received their shoulder boards, symbolizing their readiness to take on leadership and professional responsibilities in the maritime field.
The guest of honor and speaker, Capt. Achilles M. Cuadra Jr., CEO of Dakila Shipmanagement Corporation, delivered a powerful and motivational message. He said, โWinners are not born, they are made. They are individuals who refuse to give up despite setbacks, failures, and criticisms. They are people who believe in themselves and their abilities, even when others doubt them. Winners are not deferred by fear, but rather use it as a motivator to push themselves further out of their comfort zone and be resilient.โ
The words of challenge was address by Dr. Roy L. Valesco. His encouraging words were, โWhen the demand of seafarers is decreasing because of the depressed shipping market, which resulted to cost-cutting measures of ship owners on growing costs, all of you cadets must upgrade yourselves and enhance your maritime education and training to address the retention of seafarers, most especially the Filipino seafarers, where you will be included in the roster in the future.โ
As the cadets move forward in their maritime journey, the donning of their shoulder boards serves as both a symbol and a promise of their readiness to lead, to serve with honor, and to uphold the proud legacy of Filipino seafarers in the global maritime industry.
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