Section 3
SEC. 3. Section seven of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 7. Qualifications required of candidates for master, mate, and patron.- (a) Master: An applicant for certificate as master shall be not less than twenty-five years of age at the time of filing the application, and shall produce to the board evidence, satisfactory to it, showing that he has served on a seagoing vessel in the capacity of first mate, with a certificate as such, for at least one year. "(b) First mate: An applicant for certificate as first mate shall produce to the board evidence, satisfactory to it, showing that he has served on a seagoing vessel in the capacity of second mate, with a certificate as such, for at least one year. "(c) Second mate: An applicant for certificate as second mate shall produce to the board evidence, satisfactory to it, showing that he has served on a seagoing vessel in the capacity of third mate, with a certificate as such, for at least one year. Service as patron on vessels of two hundred tons shall be deemed the equivalent of service as third mate upon application for examination for a second mate's certificate. "(d) Third mate: An applicant for a certificate as third mate shall be not less than nineteen years of age, and shall be required to present to the board evidence, satisfactory to it, showing that he has successfully passed the second year of high school, or its equivalent, in an officially recognized school, which shall be proved by the exhibition of his certificates of study, and that he has shipped or acted as agregado a piloto for at least two years in a seagoing sailing vessel or steamer: Provided, however, That agregados serving as such on sailing vessels or steamships upon the passage of this Act shall be entitled to examination after eighteen months of navigation: And provided further, That an applicant producing a certificate of graduation from the Philippine Nautical School who has served as agregado a piloto for at least twelve months in a seagoing sailing vessel or at least eighteen months in a seagoing steamer, shall, in order to obtain a certificate as third mate, not be required to take a technical examination, but shall be required to undergo a physical examination and produce all other evidence relative to his habits and character. "(e) Patron: In order to be admitted to examination for patron in the major coastwise trade, the applicant shall be at least twenty-five years of age and shall produce to the board a certificate, satisfactory to it, showing that he has navigated in the major coastwise trade as boatswain, quartermaster, or agregado on a steamship or suiling vessel of not less than two hundred and fifty tons for a period of at least five years: Provided, however, That in case the applicant is patron in the minor coastwise trade, only two years of navigation in such vessels shall be required of him. "An applicant for admission to the examination for patron in the minor coastwise trade shall be at least twenty-three years of age and shall produce to the board evidence, satisfactory to it, showing that he has navigated on a sailing vessel or steamship of thirty gross tons or over for a period of not less than three years as boatswain, quartermaster, or sailor. "An applicant for the certificate as patron in the major coastwise trade shall prove to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners that he possesses the knowledge necessary for navigating in all the seas bathing the Philippine Archipelago. "An applicant for the certificate as patron in the minor coastwise trade shall be required to show to said board that he possesses practical knowledge for navigating the seas, rivers, or lakes of the Philippine Archipelago for which he requests a certificate. Certificates for the minor coastwise trade shall be limited to the seas, bays, rivers, and lakes in " which the applicant has shown to have the knowledge above mentioned."