Beginnings

The Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST) was established in 1956 as the Southern Mindanao branch of the Philippine Institute of Fisheries Technology (PIFT), the predecessor of the University of the Philippines Visayas - College of Fisheries.

Since then, the College has gone through four major stages of development, starting as the Southern Mindanao School of Fisheries (SMSF), the first fishery school under the Department of Education to have attained a collegiate status.

Renamed as Mindanao Regional School of Fisheries (MRSF), the school became one of the eight project institutes of the Sixth Education Project of the Philippine Government that were developed into Regional Institutes of Fisheries Technology (RIFTs) through a US $ 38 million loan package from the World Bank.

In 1986, the College was granted its charter and the mandate to develop and implement courses in Fisheries, Maritime Technology, Marine Sciences, Development Management, Food Technology, and Computer Science. By then, it was to become the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology.

As a state college, the ZSCMST became a candidate of the Center of Excellence in Agriculture and Fisheries Education from 1997 until its identification as a Center of Excellence in Fisheries in 2000.

It was also identified by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as a Center of Development in Marine Biology in June, 1998.

Along with the UP Visayas and the UP Marine Science Institute, ZSCMST was chosen by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research as lead agency for the National Research and Development Network for Capture Fisheries. It is also served as a nodal institution for fisheries and marine biodiversity of the Mindanao Advanced Education Project of the CHED.

From 1995 to 2003 the ZSCMST served as the center/lead agency of the Southern Mindanao Aquatic Resources Research and Development Zonal Network. As such, it assisted the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development in managing and monitoring the aquatic resources research and development programs and projects of the networks 10 member-institutions.

Today, the ZSCMST has joined the ranks of organizations and agencies with Quality Management System (QMS) certifications. Its QMS was audited by the Det Norske Veritas and was found to conform to the standards of ISO 9001:2000.

The Certificate is valid for the following services ranges: Development and Conduct of Secondary, Post-Secondary, Tertiary and Graduate Education with its Research, Extension, Production, Auxilliary Support and Administrative Services signed in Singapore in April 21, 2006. Earlier, it was conferred a management system certificate by the DNV for having satisfactorily complied with the rules for maritime academies.

It also remains to be one of the few maritime training institutions in the country that was accredited by CHED.

Consequently, the ZSCMST became an accredited manpower supplier of two of the country’s biggest manning companies, the Veritas Maritime Corporation, V-Ship POMI, MISC Parola and the Magsaysay Shipping Corporation.

Within the medium term, the ZSCMST shall strive to advance its stature, distinctiveness and prominence as an academic institution.

Courses offered

ZSCMST provides various academic programs which include 11 graduate courses, nine undergraduate courses, one non-degree course and four short term courses, all accredited by TESDA.

The courses in the graduate programs are: MS Marine Biodiversity, MS in Fisheries: Majors: Aquaculture and Fish Processing, MS Coastal Environment Management, Master in Marine Fisheries Management, MAT Marine Transportation, MAT Marine Engineering, MA English for Specific Purposes (ESP), MA Home Economics, Master in Public Management, MS Fisheries Management major in Aqua-Marine Entrepreneurship, and Master of Arts in Education with Specialization in Alternative Education.

The undergraduate programs are BS Aquaculture, BS Marine Biology, BS Marine Technology, BS Food Technology, BS Fisheries major in Fish Processing, BS Secondary Education majors in Physical Science/Biological Science and Technology and Livelihood Education, BS Marine Transportation, BS Marine Engineering, and BS Hotel, Restaurant and Resort Management.

The sole non-degree course is the Diploma in Marine Electronics Communications Technology. The short term courses are Basic Merchant Marine Course, Bartending, Food Services, Skills Training for Domestic Helpers .

The college also offers secondary education (Laboratory School) in support with the Education courses.

In addition, ZSCMST is in consortium for two major programs with other private educational institutions. The Bachelors of Sciences in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelors of Science in Marine Engineering at Dipolog City Institute of Technology (DCIT) and Master of Arts in Education with Specialization in Alternative Education at ACES Polytechnic College. DCIT is located at National Highway, Manaog, Dipolog City while ACES Polytechnic College is located at Tadeo Road, San Francisco, Panabo City.