AIM and DMMA College of Southern Philippines Team Up to Elevate Filipino Seafarers into Global Executive Leaders
The Asian Institute of Management School of Executive Education and Lifelong Learning (AIM-SEELL) has officially partnered with the DMMA College of Southern Philippines (DMMA) to launch a landmark Postgraduate Certificate in Maritime Leadership and Officer Development Program.
The partnership addresses a critical gap in the industry: while the Philippines is a powerhouse of seafaring talent, most professionals remain at the operational level. By merging high-level management training with specialized maritime expertise, the program builds a definitive ladder for career advancement on the global stage.
Elevating Talent to the Global Arena
During the signing ceremony, Prof. Albert Mateo Jr., Head of AIM-SEELL, highlighted the strategic vision behind the initiative to transition technical professionals into commanding executive positions:
“The Philippines is a major source of maritime human resources and human capital across the world. However, a lot of these professionals are currently at the staff level. Our goal is to elevate the level of Filipino professionals. We don’t want them to just be good seafarers and good maritime engineers; we want them to become captains, officers, and leaders in the field. By combining DMMA’s expertise in maritime education with our expertise in management education, we will bring Filipino leaders to the global arena.”
Moving Beyond Compliance to Purpose
Gloria Uriarte, College President of DMMA, spoke passionately about the high-stakes environment of seafaring and why leadership development must begin early during a student’s formation.
“Before a ship reaches its destination, someone must lead with clarity, courage, and judgment,” President Uriarte stated. “Through this Memorandum of Agreement, we are not simply launching a certificate program. We are opening a new formation pathway for our maritime students, one that prepares them to think beyond procedures and towards purpose, beyond compliance and toward responsibility, beyond becoming crew members and toward becoming leaders.”
Uriarte emphasized that because the sea tests character and decision-making under uncertainty, future maritime professionals cannot afford to wait for a promotion to learn how to lead.
“With AIM as our partner, we bring into maritime education a deeper exposure to management thinking, decision-making, and teamwork and leadership practice,” Uriarte added. “This collaboration allows our students to prepare not only as future seafarers, but as future officers, managers, innovators, and global professionals.”
Shifting the Leadership Mindset
The program aims to ignite an executive mindset in young officers and cadets, motivating them to reach for the highest echelons of industry leadership. Prof. Mateo concluded by emphasizing that true career progression requires this fundamental shift in perspective:
“As we all know, leadership is a matter of mindset. Leaders must be prepared, and they must have the desire to lead. Once they become great ambassadors for leadership… the ultimate intention is for them to become executives and captains someday. That is our aspiration and goal: we want to develop Filipino maritime leaders who are ready to conquer the world.”
By equipping professionals with the business acumen to lead both at sea and in corporate headquarters, the AIM-DMMA alliance sets a new benchmark for professional development, serving as a powerful launchpad for ambitious maritime professionals ready to accelerate their careers.
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