A year ago the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines (DOTC) entered into an Agreement on the Formulation of an Omnibus Philippine Merchant Shipping Act. In this regard, Norway granted funds to the development of a new and modern maritime legislation, to meet the requirements and obligations of the maritime authorities and industries of the Philippines.
DOTC has been responsible for implementing the project, working in close collaboration with the Norwegian Maritime Directorate (NMD) which has acted as the project partner institution. The actual elaboration of the Shipping Law has been done by the South African Professor of Maritime Law Hilton Staniland in close cooperation with Filipino experts in the field.
The draft law was finalized and officially presented to Secretary Mendoza on May 20 and could serve as the basis for future work on a bill in Congress.