PRESIDENTIAL candidate Vice President Maria Leonor 'Leni' Robredo vowed to certify as urgent the bill that seeks to strengthen the nation's ship registry to make it globally competitive and reverse the steady decline of the number of Philippine-flagged ships plying overseas if she is elected president.

At the Zoom meeting with members of the Filipino Shipowners' Association (FSA) on Monday, March 7, Robredo said that the ship registry bill will be her top priority.'Dapat i-certify iyan as urgent. From day one, that will be on top of my priority. This is unlocking the knots in the economy; it would unlock a lot of doors,' Robredo said.