FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
. 
S. No. 315 
, , 
Introduced by Seuator Antonio "Souuy" F. TrilIanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippine coastal waters contain some of the world's most diverse and richest ecosystems, 
characterized by extensive coral reefs, sea grass beds, dense mangrove forests, and pristine and 
beautiful beaches 1 Indeed, the country's vast maritime zone truly deserves merit for its abundant 
and admirable marine resources. 
Undisputably, marine resources have made significant contributions to the cultural, social and 
economic life of Philippine society. However, there is no collective repository for the valuable 
materials and relics these resources have contributed to our cultural heritage. 
This bill aims to develop, preserve and· maintain the national collection of maritime historical 
material and disseminate information relating to the country's maritime history through the 
establishment of the Philippine National Maritime Museum. It shall be a promising venue to 
educate the people on the challenges the marine resources have been confronted with. This 
further intends to conduct, arrange for and assist research into matters relating to the country's 
maritime history. 
In view ofthe foregoing, passage of this measure is earnestly requested. 
~-rt-1\ -
ArJrOi«O' "SONNY" F. TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
1 Philippines Environment Monitor 2005. Data retrieved at www.web.worlbankorgon27 April 2009. 
1 


1 
2 
3 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 3J5 
:0 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING 
THE 
PHILIPPINE 
NATIONAL 
MARITIME 
MUSEUM, 
APPRORIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled' 
ARTICLE I 
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS 
4 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine National 
5 
Maritime Museum Act". 
6 
7 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ,- It is hereby declared the policy of the State to take 
8 
necessary actions that endeavor to instill national pride and encourage the citizens to protect and 
9 
promote the richness of the country's maritime resources. 
10 
11 
SEC. 3. Objectives. - The following shall be the objectives of this Act: 
12 
a) to create a Museum that deveiops a national col1ection of maritime historical material 
13 
b) to provide a repository for precious materials and other memorable objects related to 
14 
maritime history of the country, which shall consequently become part of the national 
15 
cultural heritage; 
16 
c) aims and disseminate information relating to the country's maritime history and 
17 
information relating to the Museum and its functions; 
1 


1 
d) to provide museum which shall serve as the center for education and source of 
2 
information on the maritime' wealth in various historical periods thereby encouraging 
3 
support from the people to conserve and protect these assets of the country; 
4 
e) to conduct, arrange for and assist research into matters relating to the country's 
5 
maritime history. 
6 
7 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - The following terms shall mean: 
8 
a) acquire means acquire by means of purchase, lease, loan or otherwise; 
9 
b) marine environment includes the enviromnent of: 
10 
1) the sea above the continental shelf adjacent to the coast of the country and the 
11 
bed of that sea; and 
12 
2) the waters and beds' of the lakes, rivers and other internal waters of the 
13 
country. 
14 
c) maritime history includes: 
15 
1) the history, including biological and geological history, of the Philippine 
16 
marine environment; 
17 
2) the history of the interaction of human beings with the Philippine marine 
18 
environment; 
19 
3) the history of sea travel by Filipinos, and by persons to and from the 
20 
Philippines, whether for the purpose of migration, trade, exploration, defence 
21 
or otherwise; and 
22 
4) the history of research into, and the recovery of materials related to, any pf the 
23 
matters referred to in paragraphs (1), (2) and (3). 
24 
d) Chairperson means the Chairperson of the Council; 
25 
e) Council means the Council of the Philippine National Maritime Museum established 
26 
in this Act; 
27 
f) Director means the Director of the Museum; 
28 
g) Fund means the Philippine National Maritime Museum Fund established by this Act; 
2 


1 
h) maritime historical material means material, whether in written form or in any other 
2 
form, relating to the country's maritime history; 
3 
i) member means a member of the Council; 
4 
j) Museum means the Philippine National Maritime Museum established in this Act; 
5 
k) national maritime collection means the national collection of maritime historical 
6 
material referred to in Section 9 of this Act; 
7 
I) President means the President of the Republic of the Philippines; 
8 
m) vessel means any kind of vessel or other craft that is, or has been, used in navigation 
9 
by water, whether above or below the surface and however propelled or moved. 
10 
11 
ARTICLE II 
12 
THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM 
13 
SEC. 5. Establishment o/the Museum. -
14 
a) There is established by this section a museum by the name of the Philippine National 
15 
Maritime Museum, which shall also have the status and category of a national agency 
16 
attached to the Department of Education; 
17 
b) The Museum: 
18 
1) is a body corporate; 
19 
2) shall have a seal; and 
20 
3) may sue and be sued. 
21 
c) The seal of the Museum shall be kept in such custody as the Council directs and shall 
22 
not be used except as authorized by the Council. 
23 
d) All courts, judges and persons acting judicially shall take judicial notice of the 
24 
imprint of the seal of the Museum appearing on a document and shall presume the 
25 
document was duly sealed. 
3 


1 
SEC.6. Functions of the Museum. - The functions of the Museum are: 
2 
a) to exhibit, or to make available for exhibition by others, in the Philippines or 
3 
elsewhere, material included in the national maritime collection or maritime historical 
4 
material that is otherwise in the possession ofthe Museum; 
5 
b) to cooperate with other public or private institutions in the exhibiting, or in the 
6 
making available for exhibition, of such material; 
7 
c) to develop, preserve and maintain the national maritime collection in accordance with 
8 
this Act. 
9 
10 
SEC. 7. Powers of the Museum. - The Museum has power to do all things necessary or 
11 
convenient to be done for or in connection with the performance of its functions and, in 
12 
particular, has power: 
13 
a) to purchase, commission the creation of or take on hire, deposit or loan, maritime 
14 
historical material; 
15 
b) to lend or hire out or otherwise deal with maritime historical material; 
16 
c) to recover, or to arrange for or assist in the recovery of, maritime historical material 
17 
from the Philippine marine enviromnent and from other areas; 
18 
d) to dispose of, in accordance, with this Act, material included in the national maritime 
19 
collection and to dispose of maritime historical material that is otherwise in the 
20 
possession of the Museum; 
21 
e) from time to time as the occasion requires, to exhibit in the Philippines or elsewhere, 
22 
material, whether in written' form or in any other form and whether relating to the 
23 
Philippines or to a foreign country; 
24 
f) to accept gifts, devises, bequests or assigmnents made to the Museum, whether on 
25 
trust or otherwise, and whether unconditionally or subject to a condition and, if a gift, 
26 
devise, bequest or assignment is accepted by the Museum on trust or subject to a 
27 
condition, to act as trustee or to comply with the condition, as the case may be; 
4 


1 
g) to acquire and operate vessels, whether in Philippine waters or otherwise and whether 
2 
or not the vessels are maritime historical material 
3 
h) to collect, and make available, whether in writing or in any other form and whether 
4 
by sale or otherwise, information relating to Philippine maritime history; 
5 
i) to make available infonnation relating to the Museum and its functions; 
6 
j) to make available, whether by sale or otherwise, reproductions, replicas or other 
7 
representations, whether in writing or in any other form, of maritime historical 
8 
material; 
9 
k) to arrange for the manufacture and distribution of, whether by sale or otherwise, any 
10 
article or thing bearing a mark, symbol or writing that is associated with the Museum; 
11 
1) to enter into contracts; 
12 
m) to acquire, hold and dispose ofreal or personal property; 
13 
n) to erect buildings and structures and carry out works; 
14 
0) to take on leases of land or buildings and to grant leases and sub-leases of land or 
15 
buildings; 
16 
p) to fix charges for entry onto any land or water, or into any building, structure or 
17 
vessel, owned by, or under the control of the Museum, being charges that: 
18 
1) are in addition to the charges fixed by the regulations; and 
19 
2) relate to special exhibitions or other special events; 
20 
q) to purchase or take on hire, deposit or loan, and to dispose of or otherwise deal with, 
21 
furnishings, equipment and other goods; 
22 
r) to raise money for the purposes of the Museum by appropriate means, having regard 
23 
to the proper performance of the functions of the Museum; 
24 
s) to charge such fees and impose such charges, in addition to the charges fixed by 
25 
regulations, as are reasonable in respect of services rendered by the Museum; and 
26 
t) to appoint agents and attorneys and act as an agent for other persons. 
27 
5 


1 
SEC. 8. Landfor the Museum. -
2 
a) The national government may make available to the Museum for the purposes of the 
3 
Museum areas of land including any buildings, structures or other improvements on 
4 
those area, and such areas of water owned or held under lease by, or otherwise under 
5 
the control of the national government; 
6 
b) The national government may; 
7 
1) where the Council so requests, transfer or cause to be transferred to the 
8 
Museum maritime historical material owned by the national government; and 
9 
2) transfer or cause to be transferred to the Museum such other goods or 
10 
equipment owned by the national government as the chief executive considers 
11 
would be of use to the Museum. 
12 
13 
SEC. 9. National Maritime Collection. -
14 
a) The Museum shall develop a national collection of maritime historical material. 
15 
b) The national maritime collection shall consist of all maritime historical material in the 
16 
sole ownership of the Museum that the Council has detennined in accordance with 
17 
this Act should be included in the national maritime collection. 
18 
c) The Council shall, from time to time, detennine which of the maritime historical 
19 
material that comes into the sole ownership of the Museum should be included in the 
20 
national maritime collection. 
21 
d) Any detennination made by:the Council for the purposes of subsection (c) shall be 
22 
based upon criteria, and made in accordance with guidelines, approved by the 
23 
President. 
24 
e) The Museum shall not sell or otherwise dispose of material included in the national 
25 
maritime collection except in accordance with Section 10 of this Act. 
6 


1 
SEC. 10. Disposal of Material in National Maritime Collection. -
2 
a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c), where the Council is satisfied that material 
3 
included in the national maritime collection is unfit for the collection or is not 
4 
required as part of the collection; the Council may determine that the material be 
5 
disposed of by sale, exchange, gift or destruction. 
6 
b) The Council shall not determine that material included in the national maritime 
7 
collection be disposed of until the Council has obtained and considered reports from 
8 
two (2) independent experts 'setting out the views of those experts on the importance 
9 
of the material to the national maritime collection. 
10 
c) The Council shall not deteimine that material included in the national maritime 
11 
collection be disposed of by destruction unless the Council is satisfied that the 
12 
material caunot be disposed of by sale, exchange or gift. 
13 
d) The Museum may dispose of the material accordingly when the Council has 
14 
determined, in accordance with this section, that material included in the national 
15 
maritime collection should be disposed of 
16 
17 
ARTlCLEm 
18 
THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSEUM 
19 
SEC. 11. Establishment of Council. - There is established by this section a council by 
20 
the name of the Council of the Philippine National Maritime Museum. 
21 
22 
SEC.12. Functions of Council. - The functions of the Council are to ensure the proper 
23 
and efficient performance of the functions of the Museum and to determine the policy of the 
24 
Museum with respect to any matter. 
25 
26 
SEC. 13. Membership of Council. - The Council shall consist of not fewer than six (6) 
27 
nor more than nine (9) other members, ,appointed by the President. An appointed member shall 
28 
be a person having knowledge and experience with respect to matters relating to Philippine 
7 


1 
maritime history or with respect to any other area of knowledge relevant to the affairs of the 
2 
Museum 
3 
4 
SEC.14. Meetings of Council. -
5 
a) The Chairperson of the Council: 
6 
1) shall convene such meetings of the Council as are necessary for the efficient 
7 
conduct of its functions; and 
8 
2) shall, on receipt of a written request signed by not fewer than four (4) 
9 
members, convene a meeting of the Council. 
10 
b) The President may at any time convene a meeting of the Council. 
11 
c) The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Council at which he or she is 
12 
present. 
13 
d) In the event of the absence of the Chairperson from a meeting of the Council, the 
14 
members present shall elect o!le of their number to preside at that meeting. 
15 
e) At a meeting of the Council, a quorum is constituted by a majority of the members. 
16 
f) In the event of an equality of votes on a resolution proposed at a meeting of the 
17 
Council, the resolution shall be taken not to be passed but, if the same resolution is 
18 
proposed at the first meeting .of the Council held after the date of that first-mentioned 
19 
meeting and there is again an equality of votes, the member presiding has a casting 
20 
vote on the resolution. 
21 
g) The Council may regulate the conduct of proceedings at its meetings as it thinks fit. 
22 
h) The Council shall keep minutes of proceedings at its meetings and shall forward a 
23 
copy of those minutes to the President and the Congress. 
24 
i) If the Council so determines, a member of the Council may participate in, and form 
25 
part of a quorum at, a meeting of the Council by means of any of the following 
26 
methods of communication: 
27 
1) telephone; 
28 
2) close circuit television; 
8 


1 
3) any other method of communication determined by the Council. 
2 
j) A determination of the Council under subsection (i) may be made in respect of a 
3 
particular meeting, or in respect of all meetings, of the Council. 
4 
k) A member of the Council who participates in a meeting as provided by subsection (i) 
5 
shall be taken for the purpos"s of this Act to be present at the meeting. 
6 
1) If the Council so determines, a resolution shall be taken to have been passed at a 
7 
meeting of the Council if, without meeting, a majority of the members who would, if 
8 
present at a meeting of the Council and entitled to vote on the resolution at that 
9 
meeting, have constituted a quorum of the Council indicate agreement with the 
10 
resolution in accordance with the method determined by the Council. 
11 
12 
SEC.15. Strategic Plans. -
13 
a) The Council shall develop, and prepare in writing, for each successive period 
14 
determined in accordance with subsection (b), a strategic plan setting out the manner 
15 
in which it is proposed that its functions will be performed during that period. 
16 
b) The first strategic plan prepared in accordance with this section shall be expressed to 
17 
relate to a period of three (3) years commencing on a day occurring within twelve 
18 
(12) months after the commencement of this Act and each subsequent strategic plan 
19 
shall be expressed to relate to the period of three (3) years commencing at the end of 
20 
the period to which the immediately preceding strategic plan relates. 
21 
c) A strategic plan prepared in' accordance with this section shall be laid before each 
22 
Houses ofthe Congress within fifteen (15) sitting days of that House after approval of 
23 
the plan. 
24 
ARTICLE IV 
THE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM 
SEC.16. Director.-
25 
26 
27 
28 
a) There shall be a Director ofthe Musemn who shall be appointed by the President. 
9 


• 
1 
2 
3 
b) The Director shall hold office on such tenus and conditions (if any) in respect of 
matters not provided for by this Act as are detenuined by the President. 
4 
SEC. 17. Duties of Director. -
5 
a) The Director shall manage the affairs of the Museum subject to the directions of, and 
6 
in accordance with polici"s detenuined by, the Council. 
7 
b) All acts and things done in the name of, or on behalf of, the Museum by the Director 
8 
shall be deemed to have been done by the Museum. 
9 
10 
ARTICLE V 
11 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
12 
SEC.lS. Appropriations. - The funds necessary for the implementation of this Act shall 
13 
be charged to the appropriations for the Department of Education under the current General 
14 
Appropriations Act. 
15 
16 
SEC. 19. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall at any time be found to 
17 
be unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected by such declaration shall 
18 
remain in full force and effect. 
19 
20 
SEC. 20. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules or regulations inconsistent with 
21 
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
22 
23 
SEC. 21. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following 
24 
its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
10