Statue of ex-President Diosdado Macapagal unveiled in Zambales

A statue of former President Diosdado Macapagal was unveiled at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) in San Narciso, Zambales on Friday, his daughter and House Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Arroyo said.

A statement from the Arroyo’s office said the PMMA built the monument to honor the late President Macapagal since the measure converting the Philippine Nautical School to the present PMMA was signed by then President Macapagal back in 1963.

The law, the statement read, enabled PMMA to confer the Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation degree and automatically granted the Third Mate and Fourth Marine Engineer licenses on graduates without a Professional Regulation Commission Examination.

Arroyo, a former President herself, and her sister and former Pampanga Vice Governor Cielo Macapagal-Salgado were present during the unveiling of the Diosdado Macapagal statue.

In her remarks during the event, Arroyo recalled that when she was president in 2002, PMMA was already producing 10% of the total number of Filipino deck and engine officers manning international ships, providing foreign exchange earnings for the country in the process.

Former President Diosdado Macapagal ran for reelection in the 1965 polls but was beaten by Ferdinand Marcos Sr., father of incumbent President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. — DVM, GMA Integrated News